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Huffington Post
HuffPost
15 Apr 2025


NextImg:Gene Hackman Estate Rife With Rodents Linked to Wife’s Death: Report
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The New Mexico property where Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa died was infested with rodents, according to records from the state’s department of public health obtained by CNN.

Though there was no evidence of vermin in the main residence where the couple’s bodies were discovered in February, an environmental assessment by health officials found a live rodent, rodent feces and rodent nests across eight other buildings, as well as two vehicles, on the 12-acre estate.

During the assessment, investigators also found animal traps, strongly suggesting the Hackmans were aware of an ongoing infestation.

Health officials discovered a rodent infestation on Gene Hackman’s (right) New Mexico estate after he and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, (left) pictured together in 2000, were found dead at their home in February.
Health officials discovered a rodent infestation on Gene Hackman’s (right) New Mexico estate after he and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, (left) pictured together in 2000, were found dead at their home in February.
New York Daily News Archive via Getty Images

The new information about the Hackman property is helping untangle some of the mystery surrounding the couple’s deaths.

Medical examiners determined that Arakawa, 65, died around Feb. 12 from hantavirus, a rare disease contracted from contact with rodent droppings, urine and saliva.

Hackman, who had been living with Alzheimer’s disease and reportedly required full-time care from his wife, died about a week later of complications from heart disease and high blood pressure.

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Last year, New Mexico recorded the nation’s most hantavirus incidents, with seven confirmed cases across the state.

Though the disease is exceedingly rare, according to CNN, 42% of cases in New Mexico were fatal.