Gene Hackman’s official cause of death has been revealed – two months after his passing. Gene died at the age of 95 at his mansion in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and was found on 26 February alongside his wife Betsy Arakawa, who was just 65.
A caretaker at the property raised the alarm that day, calling emergency responders after spotting a woman lying on the floor through a window into the property. Betsy was ruled to have died around a week before her husband, who may not have been aware of her death due to his advanced Alzheimer’s disease.
Official documents state: “Autopsy showed severe atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease, with placement of coronary artery stents and a bypass graft, as well as a previous aortic valve replacement.”
The statement continued: “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.”
The medical examiner noted that Gene had a “history of congestive heart failure” and had a “bi-ventricular pacemaker” placed in April 2019, while adding that he had acetone levels at 5.3 mg/dl, with normal levels rising to only 0.3 mg/dL, according to Fox News.
The toxicology report suggested that acetone is “also a product of diabetic- and fasting-induced ketoacidosis as well as a metabolite following isopropanol ingestion,” and concluded that Gene’s levels may have suggested prolonged fasting.
Examinations also confirmed that carbon monoxide levels were within the normal range, after the actor’s family immediately assumed that a gas leak was likely responsible for his and Betsy’s deaths. Alongside ruling out carbon monoxide poisoning, the examiner also confirmed that Gene did not die of the same illness that killed his wife; hantavirus.
