GENE Hackman's wife ran errands and sent emails in her final hours before she died from a rare rat virus.
Theories about the couple's death ended after it was revealed on Friday that the 95-year-old actor died from a heart condition seven days after his wife Betsy Arakawa died from a rodent disease.
Arakawa, 65, died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is caused by contact with rodents like rats and mice, New Mexico's chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said.
She died before Hackman – perhaps on February 11 – leaving the two-time Oscar winner alone at the house.
Hackman – suffering from the debilitating effects of Alzheimer's – is believed to have died seven days later on February 18.
He tragically lived alongside his wife's body, likely not knowing she was dead.
Arakawa's decomposed body was found in the bathroom of their four-bedroom house, surrounded by scattered pills from an open prescription bottle on the counter.
The couple's dog, Zinna, was also found dead in a crate in the bathroom near Arakawa's body. Zinna's cause of death was still pending necropsy results, but officials said on Friday that hantavirus is not a possible reason.
Two other dogs were found distressed but alive at the home.
Just hours before her death, the 65-year-old was busy with her day-to-day chores as she became Hackman's sole caregiver.
Arakawa's last known movements began on February 9 when she picked up Zinna from the vet hospital, which could explain why the dog was later found dead in a crate.
On February 11, the classical pianist emailed her massage therapist in the morning of the day she died.
In the afternoon, she went to a grocery store and was captured making a brief stop at a pharmacy.
Officials said she was seen on surveillance footage wearing a mask, which could indicate that she wasn't feeling well.
According to a report by the New York Times, Arakawa stopped by a local pet food store later that afternoon. She was not seen or heard after that.
Arakawa had "numerous unopened emails" on her computer from February 11 and no outgoing messages after that date, leading officials to believe she died around then.
She was found collapsed on the bathroom floor before the medical examiner determined she died of hantavirus.
Hantavirus spreads when exposed to rodents' urine, droppings, and saliva, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Symptoms include fever, chills, cough, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, headaches, muscle aches, and fatigue.
What is hantavirus?
GENE Hackman's wife Betsy Arakawa died from the rare infectious disease called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hantavirus pathogens are mainly spread between rodents.
In very rare cases, the disease can be passed to humans and cause varied disease syndromes.
These include hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).
The CDC said: "Each hantavirus serotype has a specific rodent host species and is spread to people via aerosolised virus that is shed in urine, feces, and saliva, and less frequently by a bite from an infected host."
Dr Sumaiya Shaikh, a Swedish scientist, tweeted: "The #Hantavirus first emerged in 1950s in the American-Korean war in Korea (Hantan river).
"It spreads from rat/mice if humans ingest their body fluids.
"Human-human transmission is rare. Please do not panic, unless you plan to eat rats."
While hantavirus is rare, it carries a 38 per cent death rate according to the CDC.
Meanwhile, Hackman was found collapsed in the home's mudroom with his sunglasses and a cane nearby.
A search warrant revealed that cops noted the legendary actor looked like he fell to the ground suddenly.
Data pulled from the actor's pacemaker revealed an abnormal rhythm on February 18, the medical examiner said, which was the last record of heart activity.
His autopsy revealed he had no food in his stomach at the time of his death – but he also didn't show signs of dehydration, the medical examiner said.
Hackman's autopsy also showed evidence of poor kidney function and prior heart attacks, as well as chronic high blood pressure.
He tested negative for hantavirus, Jarrell revealed.
Neither autopsy found evidence of internal or external trauma.
EARLY MYSTERY
The heartbreaking news comes after initial autopsy reports revealed the couple had no obvious wounds on their bodies when they died.
The initial report also ruled out carbon monoxide and gas leaks as a potential cause of death.
Several initially confusing details emerged when cops rushed to the scene after a neighborhood caretaker called 911 when he found Hackman and Arakawa unmoving in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
"I'm not inside the house. It's closed. It's locked. I can't go in. But I see them. She's laying face down on the floor from the window," the panicked caller told dispatchers.
When cops arrived at the $3.8 million mansion, they found the door ajar, but there weren't any signs of forced entry.
Near the front of the house, Arakawa was found lying in the bathroom.
An open bottle of pills was scattered on the bathroom counter near her body, cops said.
While officials didn't specify which medicine it was, court records show cops took thyroid medication, diltiazem medication, and Tylenol from the house, according to ABC affiliate KOAT-TV.
Jarrell confirmed on Friday that the thyroid medication had been prescribed to Arakawa and wasn't considered a factor in her death.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza initially said there weren't any signs of foul play at the scene.
The couple was extremely private in their final years, living in a cul-de-sac of their gated community.
Neighbors who saw the couple walking their dogs in recent years said they were always delighted to see fellow pup lovers, according to The New York Times.
Hackman is survived by two daughters and a son from a previous marriage.
Gene Hackman's family's full statement
Gene Hackman's family has spoken out on the actor's death after he was found dead with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, in their Santa Fe home.
Hackman's daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie, and his granddaughter, Annie, released the statement.
"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy," Elizabeth, Leslie, and Annie Hackman said.
"He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa.
"We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss."
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