Reports on the final autopsy findings attributed Betsy Arakawa’s death to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and Gene Hackman’s to hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Hackman’s report also documented advanced Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributing condition. Reported carbon monoxide results were normal for both.
What did Gene Hackman’s autopsy report say?
Hackman, 95, died from hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to findings attributed in news reports to the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI). His report also documented advanced Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributing condition. The Associated Press reported that the autopsy described prior coronary stents and bypass grafting, an aortic valve replacement, and large, remote myocardial infarctions.
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Fox News Digital reported that Hackman had a biventricular pacemaker placed in April 2019. Its last recorded activity was used to estimate when he died. The same report said toxicology found acetone at 5.3 mg/dL, which it described as consistent with prolonged fasting; that finding does not establish exactly how long he had gone without food. Hackman tested negative for hantavirus.
What was Betsy Arakawa’s cause of death?
Arakawa, 65, died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, according to the findings reported by AP. Her autopsy described heavy, congested lungs and fluid accumulation in her chest. AP also reported that her tests were negative for COVID-19 and influenza, and that she had no alcohol or intoxicating drugs detected.
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Arakawa’s carbon monoxide level was reported to be within the normal range. Her date of death was estimated from her last known email or telephone activity, rather than directly witnessed.
Did Gene Hackman and his wife die from carbon monoxide poisoning?
No. The reported test results did not support carbon monoxide poisoning as the cause of either death. AP said Arakawa’s level was within the normal range. Fox quoted Hackman’s report: “Testing for carbon monoxide was less than 5% saturation, in keeping with a normal range.”
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Early concern about a possible gas leak or carbon monoxide exposure was therefore not borne out by the reported autopsy and toxicology findings.
Who died first, Gene Hackman or Betsy Arakawa?
Reports place Arakawa’s death about a week before Hackman’s, but the sequence is an estimate, not a pair of directly observed death times. Her date was inferred from last known communications; Hackman’s was estimated using the last recorded activity of his pacemaker. Both were found at their Santa Fe home on February 26, 2025, according to AP’s reporting on the case.
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How the reported findings differ
| Finding | Betsy Arakawa | Gene Hackman |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 65, according to AP | 95, according to AP |
| Reported cause of death | Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, according to AP | Hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to AP and Fox |
| Other reported medical findings | Heavy, congested lungs and fluid accumulation in the chest, according to AP | Advanced Alzheimer’s disease; prior coronary stents and bypass grafting, an aortic valve replacement, and large remote myocardial infarctions, according to AP |
| Carbon monoxide | Within normal range, according to AP | Below 5% saturation, described as normal, according to Fox |
| Infectious-disease tests reported | Negative for COVID-19 and influenza, according to AP | Negative for hantavirus, according to Fox |
| How death date was estimated | Last known email or telephone activity, according to Fox | Last recorded pacemaker activity, according to Fox |
What the public reports establish—and what they do not
The autopsy findings were reported in late April 2025, with coverage describing the two reports as released two days apart. The findings here are attributed to news accounts quoting or summarizing material from the New Mexico OMI; the full official reports are not independently reproduced in those accounts.
In a separate records decision, AP reported that a New Mexico court allowed the possible release of most investigative records subject to restrictions, including a prohibition on depicting either body in video or photographs. That ruling concerns public access to investigation material, not the medical conclusions about cause of death.
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