Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico hillside home, likely unaware aware that she was dead because he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease, authorities revealed Friday.
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00:00The cause of death for Ms. Betsy Hackman, aged 65 years, is Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome.
00:09The manner of death is natural.
00:12Autopsy examination and full-body post-mortem CT demonstrated no findings of trauma internally or externally.
00:23With microscopic findings consistent with Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome,
00:28testing for carbon monoxide was negative.
00:32There were no other significant natural disease findings.
00:36Pills present on scene were thyroid medication, which were being taken as prescribed
00:43and is not currently a concern for a contributory cause of death.
00:47The cause of death for Mr. Gene Hackman, aged 95 years,
00:52is hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
00:57with Alzheimer's disease as a significant contributory factor.
01:02Autopsy examination and a full-body post-mortem CT examination
01:08demonstrated no acute findings of internal or external trauma
01:14and showed severe heart disease, including multiple surgical procedures involving the heart,
01:20evidence of prior heart attacks, and severe changes of the kidneys due to chronic high blood pressure.
01:26Testing for Hantavirus was negative.
01:29Testing for carbon monoxide was negative.
01:33Additionally, there were no autopsy findings concerning for Hantavirus infection.
01:39There is no reliable scientific method to accurately determine the exact time or date of death.
01:46Mr. Hackman's initial pacemaker data revealed cardiac activity on February 17th,
01:54with subsequent pacemaker interrogation demonstrating an abnormal rhythm of atrial fibrillation on February 18th,
02:03which was the last record of heart activity.
02:06Based on this information, it is reasonable to conclude that Mr. Hackman probably died around February 18th.
02:14Based on the circumstances, it is reasonable to conclude that Ms. Hackman passed away first,
02:22with February 11th being the last time that she was known to be alive.
02:27The mortality rate of the Hantavirus strain in the Southwest is about 38 to 50 percent.
02:36The Hantavirus strains in the United States are not transmissible from person to person.
02:42Mr. Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer's disease.
02:48I'm not aware of what his normal daily functioning capability was.
02:54He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease,
02:59and I think ultimately that is what resulted in his death.
03:04The question was, was he aware that Ms. Hackman had died?
03:08And I think that question is difficult to answer, but I can tell you that he was in an advanced state of Alzheimer's,
03:14and it's quite possible that he was not aware that she was deceased.