Gene Hackman's death was ‘preventable’ if right measures had been taken against rodent infestation
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO: The tragic deaths of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa could have reportedly been stopped had strict measures been taken to tackle a rodent infestation at their home.
A health investigation, carried out by the New Mexico Department of Public Health a week after Hackman and Arakawa’s bodies were found, revealed that the couple’s property was infested with dead rodents and nests.
The probe found that their three garages, two casitas, and three sheds were plagued with them.
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa failed to ‘combat’ rodent infestation, says insider
Now, a source told Radar Online that traps found around the property suggest that someone was working to stop the infestation. But the efforts could not save the couple's lives.
They said, “It's terribly tragic because it shows that they didn't go far enough in combating it. It also means their deaths probably were preventable had the right measures been taken.”
The veteran actor’s body was found alongside his wife's in late February inside their house in Santa Fe.
Gene Hackman ‘was in a very poor state’ at the time of his death
Following the probe, it was discovered that Gene Hackman succumbed to hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The 95-year-old was also suffering from Alzheimer's, along with kidney problems.
His 65-year-old wife died because of a hantavirus infection. It has also been said that the ‘Mississippi Burning’ star died days after Arakawa's death.
As per reports, Hackman probably did not know about his classical pianist wife’s death.
Chief medical investigator Dr Heather Jarrell had reportedly said, “He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that’s what resulted in his death. It’s quite possible he was not aware she was deceased.”
Gene Hackman’s family ‘will miss him sorely’
Following the Oscar winner’s death in February, his two daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie, and his granddaughter, Annie, said in a statement, “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy.”
“He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss,” they added.
Hackman shared Elizabeth and Leslie, and his son Christopher, with his first wife Faye Maltese, who died in 2017. He was married to Maltese from 1956 to 1986 before tying the knot with Arakawa in 1991.
