Grim details of Gene Hackman, wife Betsy Arakawa's last days revealed

Grim details of Gene Hackman, wife Betsy Arakawa's days before death revealed

New insight has been given into actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa’s tragic and grim deaths.

In new documents, it has been revealed that a rat infestation led to the death of Betsy, who was otherwise healthy and only 65.

The couple's $4 million New Mexico estate became a breeding ground for the rodents. New Mexico Department of Public Health revealed that the house had dead rats, rat nests, rat droppings, and scattered rat traps.

It indicated that while someone in the house, probably Betsy herself, was trying to combat the infestation, the efforts were simply not enough. She got infected by hantavirus and passed away of the disease, per Santa Fe County Medical Examiner.

"It's terribly tragic because it shows that they didn't go far enough in combating it," a source said, per Radar Online. "It also means their deaths probably were preventable had the right measures been taken."

According to the investigation, Hackman died six days after his wife, who was found dead in a bathroom with signs of mumification. The actor’s heart pills were found scattered on the ground.

Hackman was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, which meant he was likely unaware of his wife’s death and perished from lack of proper care, with his stomach empty at the time of death. One of the couple’s dogs was also found dead of starvation in a cabinet of a bathroom.