It’s been two months since Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy, 65, were found dead on February 26. The couple was honored in a private funeral and memorial service attended by close friends and family earlier this month. While their bodies have been laid to rest, new details continue to emerge about their deaths.
On Tuesday, it was confirmed through autopsy that Betsy died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Her lungs were described as heavy and congested, with fluid accumulation in her chest and mild hardening of the vessels supplying blood to her heart and body, according to the Associated Press.
Hantavirus is a rare but potentially deadly disease linked to rodent droppings.
Records from the New Mexico Department of Public Health obtained by PEOPLE earlier this month revealed that officials found rodent nests and droppings scattered throughout the property, including in garages and sheds.
Betsy's final days
As for the days leading up to her death, the AP reported that Betsy had been researching and making phone calls about flu-like symptoms and breathing techniques from February 8 through the morning of February 12. Her searches included questions about whether COVID-19 could cause dizziness or nosebleeds.
There was also a message sent to her massage therapist saying that Gene had woken up on February 11 with flu- or cold-like symptoms, and she would need to reschedule the session “out of an abundance of caution.”
Dr. Josiah Child, a retired ER specialist and director of Cloudberry Health Clinic in Santa Fe, told DailyMail that Betsy called his office on February 12, shutting down initial reports that she may have passed on the 11th. “She didn’t die on the 11th because she spoke to my team on the 12th,” Child insisted. Betsy had scheduled an echocardiogram for Hackman and followed up on February 12, with the Doctor saying she sounded healthy. They set an appointment for that afternoon, but she never arrived.
Betsy was Gene’s caretaker, as he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s. The toxicology report noted a low concentration of acetone in Gene’s system, indicating prolonged fasting, so he had likely not eaten in some time.
Gene Hackman's autopsy
The autopsy results come after it was revealed that Gene’s primary cause of death was heart disease. He tested negative for hantavirus. Gene had a pacemaker installed in 2019, a history of congestive heart failure, an aortic valve replacement, and an irregular heartbeat. According to the state’s chief medical examiner, Gene’s pacemaker recorded an abnormal heart rhythm on February 18, which is likely the day he died.
Following their passing, Gene’s daughter expressed gratitude, giving “credit” to her stepmother for keeping him alive.” “[Betsy] took very, very good care of him and was always looking out for his health. So I am appreciative to her for that, and I'm very saddened by her passing,” she told the Daily Mail.
Rest in peace.