Gene Hackman’s final autopsy report has revealed the Oscar-winning actor suffered from advanced Alzheimer’s disease and likely had no idea his wife had died days before his own death. Investigators said it was likely he was starving before dying alone in their cluttered Santa Fe home.
The report from the Office of the Medical Investigator in New Mexico obtained by Fox News Digital confirmed the 95-year-old actor had a “history of congestive heart failure” along with “severe chronic hypertensive changes, kidneys” and Alzheimer’s disease when he was found dead February 26, a week after his wife Betsy Arakawa succumbed to a rare rodent-borne illness.
“Autopsy showed severe atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease,” the autopsy stated, “with placement of coronary artery stents and a bypass graft, as well as a previous aortic valve replacement.”
The report shared further grim details about his heart condition.
“Remote myocardial infarctions were present involving the left ventricular free wall and the septum, which were significantly large. Examination of the brain showed microscopic findings of advanced stage Alzheimer’s disease.”
Toxicology tests revealed Hackman had acetone levels of 5.3 mg/dl in his system, which medical examiners said is “consistent with prolonged fasting” and starvation. The autopsy performed on February 27 confirmed there was no food in Hackman’s stomach.
Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell previously stated it was “quite possible” Hackman was completely unaware his wife had died, given his mental state. Arakawa, 65, died around February 12 from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, while Hackman’s pacemaker showed his last signs of life were around February 18 — meaning he spent nearly a week in the house with her body before his own death.
The couple’s bodies were discovered by maintenance workers who spotted them through a window and alerted authorities. One of their three dogs, an Australian Kelpie mix named Zinna, was also found dead from starvation and dehydration inside a crate bathroom.
Police bodycam footage released after their deaths showed an extremely cluttered home, raising questions about the couple’s living conditions. Investigations of their property uncovered widespread evidence of rodent infestation, explaining the source of Arakawa’s fatal hantavirus infection — a disease the CDC reports has killed 52 people in New Mexico between 1993 and 2022.
The two-time Oscar winner had lived a reclusive life in Santa Fe since retiring from acting after his last film, 2004’s “Welcome to Mooseport.”
“All of us that knew him should have been checking on him,” said longtime friend Stuart Ashman. “I had no idea…It’s just really sad. And that she died a week before him. My God.”
Hackman’s family issued a statement following the deaths: “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.”