A year ago, Gene Hackman's wife died from hantavirus

 The couple's bodies were found in their New Mexico home. An investigation determined the cause of death.

Hantavirus is back in the media spotlight. In February 2025, police find the bodies of 95-year-old Gene Hackman and his 65-year-old wife, Betsy Arakawa, in their Santa Fe, New Mexico home. Initially, health officials don't quite understand what happened in the house. They find no signs of forced entry.

Infected rodents had infested their property

Thanks to the autopsy, they understand that Betsy Arakawa died from a hantavirus lung infection , contracted through contact with contaminated rodents that had infested the house.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hantavirus is transmitted through contact with the urine, droppings, and saliva of rodents. Rodent droppings were discovered in several outbuildings on the property, including garages and sheds. In the days leading up to her death, Betsy Arakawa was seen in public wearing a mask and reportedly also searched online for terms related to COVID-19 (Can COVID cause dizziness?) and flu-like symptoms.

Internet searches

Another intriguing detail: in an email to a massage therapist, Betsy Arakawa indicated that Gene Hackman had woken up on February 11th with flu-like symptoms and that she wanted to postpone their appointment "out of an abundance of caution." She had also conducted another internet search using the terms "home medical care Santa Fe."

Gene Hackman was suffering from an advanced form of Alzheimer's disease and died of heart disease about a week later, with the last data from his pacemaker being recorded on February 18.