Gene Hackman: Autopse report mentions the cause of his death

The cause of the death of the US actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa has now been officially found. The autopsy report points out that the 95-year-old Hollywood legend died of cardiovascular disease, as US media reported. Hackman had a “history of heart failure”, “Fox News” quoted from the report by the forensic doctor in Santa Fe in the US state of New Mexico.

Accordingly, signs of an advanced Alzheimer disease were also found. A test for the Hantavirus where his wife had died was negative at Hackman. The doctors based on the toxicological examinations assume that the two-time Oscar winner had not eaten anything longer before his death.

Hackman and Arakawa were found dead on February 26 in their home in Santa Fe. At the beginning of March, the investigators announced that Arakawa had probably died of a disease triggered by Hantaviruses. The pathogens affect the airways and are transferred to humans via rodents such as mice or rats.

The death of the 65-year-old pianist probably occurred on February 12th. Hackman probably died a week later, on February 18. An analysis of his pacemaker showed that anomal heart activities were recorded on the day. A dog from the couple was also discovered dead, he was well thirsted for. Two more dogs survived.

Hackman was considered one of the most important actors in his generation. Among other things, he was famous for films such as “French Connection” (1971), “The Conversation” (1974) and “Merciless” (1992). In the early 2000s he retired from Hollywood and lived with Arakawa in Santa Fe. They have been married since 1991.