Hollywood icon Gene Hackman spent a week with the body of his wife Betsy in their New Mexico house before he died of heart disease, a Santa Fe city medical examiner said on Friday. Betsy Hackman succumbed to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is caused by rodents, and Gene, who had severe Alzheimer’s, could have had no idea she was dead.
Gene Hackman, 95, died from end-stage heart disease, with Alzheimer’s as a significant factor. His autopsy revealed signs of late-stage Alzheimer’s, and officials said that he might not have known that his wife had passed away. His stomach was empty, but he was not dehydrated when he died.
Dr. Heather Jarrell, the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator chief medical examiner, said, “There is no scientifically reliable way to precisely know the date or time of both of their deaths.” She further said that the data from their pacemakers showed cardiac activity on February 17 and abnormal rhythm by February 18. With this, it can be safely assumed that Betsy had passed away first and that the last time she was alive was on February 11.
Gene and Betsy Hackman were discovered dead during a routine well-check on February 26. The bodies were found in two different rooms in the house, with no indication of any outside trauma, meaning no crime was suspected. Gene’s pacemaker information showed that he had been dead for more than a week before the bodies were discovered.
