Actor Gene Hackman died of natural causes days after his wife, Betsy Arakawa, passed away from a rare respiratory virus, authorities said.
Arakawa died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, while Hackman died of heart disease, combined with advanced Alzheimer's disease, the coroner said. The couple's decomposing bodies were discovered last month in their New Mexico home.
Hackman, 95, may have lived for almost a week after Arakawa's death. Officials speculated that he may not have been aware that she had died.
"He was in a very poor state of health. He had severe heart disease and we think that is what resulted in his death," doctors said.
Arakawa's death was linked to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease spread by the feces of infected rodents. Exposures occur when people are near rat droppings in homes, sheds or poorly ventilated areas.
Hackman and Arakawa were discovered last week after a maintenance worker, concerned when no one answered the door, contacted neighborhood security, who saw their bodies through a window and called police. One of their three dogs was also found dead.
Source: The Guardian
