Gene Hackman’s Final Autopsy Reveals He Hadn’t Eaten In Days

Baila Eve ZismanApril 28, 2025, 1:11 pmHomepage Slider, News >

Actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa’s final autopsies have been released and confirm that Hackman died of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease the days following Arakawa’s death by hantavirus.

Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were found dead in their home on Feb. 25. Arakawa died a week before Hackman. Hackman, who had Alzheimer’s, seemingly lived in the house with his dead wife until his own passing, likely unaware of her demise due to his condition.

The medical investigator’s report cited that Hackman’s brain showed “microscopic signs of advanced stage of Alzheimer’s disease.”

The final autopsy also showed that Hackman had a “history of congestive heart failure” in addition to “severe chronic hypertensive changes, kidneys.” It indicated that he had been fasting for an extended period of time before his death. Acetone levels of 5.3 mg/dl were shown in his toxicology test – trace amounts consistent with not having eaten in a long time, as the solvent “also a product of diabetic- and fasting-induced ketoacidosis as well as a metabolite following isopropanol ingestion.”

Arakawa died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare virus spread through infected rodents. Investigation of the couple’s property found rodent droppings and dead rats in several of the buildings on Hackman and Arakawa’s property, though none were found in their main residence. Hackman tested negative for the virus.

Arakawa appeared to have researched the symptoms she was experiencing online before her death, though she was incorrectly guessing it to be Covid-19 related.

One of Hackman and Arakawa’s dogs, Zinna, was found along with the couple, who had died of dehydration and exhaustion. Their two other dogs were discovered alive on the property.

Hackman and Arakawa were married for over 30 years. The couple was buried in Santa Fe at a small, private memorial attended by Hackman’s three children Christopher, Elizabeth and Leslie.