Gene Hackman cause of death released

Gene Hackman's cause of death has been released after his mysterious death alongside his wife at their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home.

The Oscar-winning actor was found dead alongside wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog in their home on Feb. 26.

The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator said the cause of death for Arakawa was hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare disease. Hackman died of heart disease and complications caused by Alzheimer's disease.

Hackman's pacemaker last showed activity on Feb. 18, according to the medical investigar, so Hackman "probably died on Feb. 18." It appears that Arakawa died first, according to the medical investigator. Hackman likely didn't know his wife had died, the investigator said, citing his Alzheimers disease.

It did not appear that there was any communication from Hackman or Arakawa after Feb. 11.

How did Betsy Arakawa die?

Arakawa died from Hantavirus, which is a rare disease that humans can contract from contact with rodents like rats and mice, especially when exposed to their urine, droppings, and saliva. Hantavirus cannot pass from person to person, and dog cannot contract Hantavirus.

Deputies had found the 95-year-old actor and Arakawa, 64, deceased at around 1:45 p.m. on Feb. 26. "Foul play is not suspected as a factor in those deaths," the spokesperson said at the time, as the sheriff's office investigated. But they did call the deaths suspicious.

Deputies did not see signs of forced entry into the residence, and the front door was open upon their arrival, according to a search warrant. The Santa Fe City Fire Department, working with the New Mexico Gas Co., did not find evidence of a carbon monoxide leak or poisoning.

The death of the character actor, who won two Oscars in a more than 60-year career, caused intrigue and mourning amongst fans and industry peers. Hackman brought a rogue charm and everyman believability to iconic roles such as his best acting-winning performance as Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in "The French Connection, his gleeful megalomaniac Lex Luthor in the "Superman" franchise and as a loathsome sheriff in his Oscar-winning "Unforgiven" role.

He brought sincerity to his role as a small-town Indiana basketball coach in the beloved 1986 drama "Hoosiers" as well as pure comedy to 2001's "The Royal Tenenbaums" and an unforgettable cameo in Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein."

Search warrant affidavit paints grim picture of 'suspicious' Gene Hackman, Betsy Arakawa deaths

In the search warrant affidavit filing in February, Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office Detective Roy Arndt says the couple were found in different rooms in their sprawling Santa Fe home, where the two-time Oscar winner retreated to for a lowkey life after leaving Hollywood.

According to investigators, the scene was "suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation" after several things were found at the scene, including the front door open and unlocked, a healthy dog "running loose on the property," another "healthy dog" found near Arakawa and a dead dog. They later confirmed that the dead dog was found in a closed kennel.

They also cited an open pill bottle and scattered prescription pills next to Arakawa and Hackman being in a different room than his wife.

Betsy Arakawa found partially mummified, Gene Hackman was in separate room

Authorities found the actor in a mudroom near his cane, appearing to have fallen, while wife Arakawa, 64, was found in an open bathroom near a space heater, according to the warrant.

A deputy observed Arakawa with "body decomposition, bloating in her face" and mummification of her hands and feet.

The New Mexico Gas Co. investigated the residence, the warrant says, but "as of now, there are no signs or evidence indicating there were any problems associated to the pipes in and around the residence."

Gene Hackman's health struggles: What is angina?

Hackman, who was largely out of the spotlight in the last two decades, underwent an angioplasty procedure in 1990 after a spell of angina. According to the Mayo Clinic, angina is chest pain that occurs when blood flow to the heart is restricted.

In 2012, the Academy Award winner was hit by a pickup truck while riding his bike. Hackman's publicist told CNN at the time that the accident wasn't serious, "just a few bumps and bruises."

Family, Hollywood mourn Gene Hackman

Hackman was widely celebrated for movies like "The French Connection," which won him his first Oscar, and "Unforgiven," which won him his second. He was also Oscar nominated for his roles in "Bonnie and Clyde," "I Never Sang for My Father," and "Mississippi Burning," and he starred as Lex Luthor opposite Christopher Reeve's Superman in "Superman" and "Superman II."

In a statement to USA TODAY on Thursday, Hackman's daughters – Elizabeth and Leslie Hackman – and granddaughter Annie said they were "devastated by the loss."

"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy," they said. "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."

In a statement provided to USA TODAY, Clint Eastwood, who directed and co-starred with Hackman in "Unforgiven," said, "There was no finer actor than Gene. Intense and instinctive. Never a false note. He was also a dear friend whom I will miss very much."

Nathan Lane, who starred alongside Hackman in "The Birdcage," called him his "favorite actor."

"Getting to watch him up close it was easy to see why he was one of our greatest. You could never catch him acting," Lane said in a statement shared with USA TODAY Thursday. "Simple and true, thoughtful and soulful, with just a hint of danger. He was as brilliant in comedy as he was in drama and thankfully his film legacy will live on forever. It was a tremendous privilege to get to share the screen with him and remains one of my fondest memories. Rest in peace, Mr. Hackman."

Tom Hanks, another Hollywood everyman, took to Instagram to mourn Hackman's loss, writing, "There has never been a 'Gene Hackman Type.' There has only been Gene Hackman."