Gene Hackman's close friend Tom Allin tearfully reveals Betsy Arakawa's fatal error in final days
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO: Tara Brown, correspondent for '60 Minutes Australia', presented a report on the tragic final moments of the lives of Hollywood veteran Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Sunday, April 27, reported Daily Express US.
The report featured Brown's conversations with some of the couple's closest friends, including Doug Lanham and Tom Allin.
Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were discovered dead and partially mummified in their residence of nearly 20 years on February 26, after maintenance and security workers showed up at the property and alerted the police.
How did Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa die?
Investigation into their death revealed that Betsy Arakawa died first from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is reportedly transmitted by rodents. The lethal virus is known to mimic flu symptoms and can cause abrupt respiratory failure.
It has been previously reported by the Daily Mail that Arakawa looked up the symptoms of flu on the internet in the days ahead of her death.
Hackman, who had relied on a biventricular pacemaker since 2019, is believed to have died a week later of heart disease, possibly unaware of his wife's death because of advanced Alzheimer’s disease.
What did Gene Hackman's friends share about the couple?
Doug Langam, a close friend and former business associate of Gene Hackman, could barely hold back his tears while reminiscing about the late actor.
"(Hackman) was a big prankster. He just loved playing jokes on me. He was like a kid," he said.
On the relationship between Hackman and Arakawa, the actor's other friend, Allin, said, "They were an example of a couple who really cared for each other. I think they really got a lot out of life. For us, it was a relationship with Gene and Betsy, but not a movie star."
Allin claimed that Arakawa made the fatal mistake of not realizing how serious her illness was, considering it to be regular flu.
"It was hard reading about it because at a certain point it's fatal," he stated, adding, "I mean, she needed care four to five days earlier-immediate care, emergency care-and unfortunately, she didn't realise the situation."
