Authorities update timeline of final days of Gene Hackman, wife

(WISH) — Authorities in New Mexico on Monday released an updated timeline detailing the final days of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, who was found dead alongside her husband at their Santa Fe home in February.

Initial reports from investigators had indicated that the couple died at least a week apart and from different causes. Arakawa was last known to have communicated on Feb. 11, when surveillance footage showed her shopping at local stores before returning home.

But the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office revealed Monday that Arakawa used her cellphone on Feb. 12. Authorities said she made three calls to a medical center that morning. In the afternoon, a missed incoming call from the same medical center was recorded.

The state medical examiner has confirmed that Arakawa’s cause of death was a rare disease transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodents.

Gene Hackman, 95, likely died a few days after his wife, on Feb. 18. The actor’s death was attributed to heart disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease also playing a significant role.

Both deaths have drawn widespread attention, as Hackman, a two-time Academy Award winner, had largely stayed out of the public eye in recent years.

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