Authorities have discovered new information that alters the timeline of actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa’s death. The couple who were found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico home on February 26 after which their initial reports suggested that Arakawa had died on February 11 with Hackman passing a week later. However, investigators now confirm that Arakawa made phone calls to a medical clinic on February 12, a day after her previously assumed death date.
According to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, Arakawa made three calls to Cloudberry Health, a concierge medical service on the morning of February 12. The clinic called her back to confirm the appointment for later that day but she never answered the call. Dr. Josiah Child, the lead physician at Cloudberry Health told BBC that Arakawa reported feeling congested but showed no signs of respiratory distress. She had earlier scheduled and then cancelled a February 12 appointment, citing the need to care for HAckman who had Alzheimer’s.
Arakawa’s cause of death was identified as hantavirus, a rare disease transmitted through rodent droppings which can cause severe respiratory issues. Meanwhile, Hackman passed away from heart disease on February 18, spending days alone in the house with his wife’s body. And the couple’s dog Zinna who was also found dead, reportedly from dehydration and starvation.
The couple’s bodies were discovered in an advanced state of decomposition by neighborhood security personnel. Investigators have ruled out foul play, though a minor gas leak was detected in the home. The new details raise questions about Arakawa’s final hours and whether medical intervention could have changed the outcome.
(Source: BBC)
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