New Update On Gene Hackman's Death Reveals Shocking Death Timeline Between Actor And His Wife

After the discovery of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's bodies, the couple's cause of death has finally been revealed.

However, more shocking details regarding the duo's passing were unveiled, including the timeline of their deaths.

Investigations are still ongoing into the deaths of Gene Hackman, Betsy Arakawa, and their dog, after authorities initially stated there was "no foul play" suspected.

On Friday, a medical examiner announced the cause of death of Hackman and Arakawa, two weeks after the elderly couple's bodies were discovered in their home, where they lived with their three dogs, one of whom was also found dead.

As reported by The Blast, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell revealed that Hackman died on February 18 because of hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer's being a contributing factor.

Arakawa, on the other hand, is said to have died of Hantavirus, a fatal virus transmitted by mice, on February 11.

This means that Hackman was likely alive at their home for several days with the dead body of his wife of 30 years.

The couple, Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were found dead on February 26. At the time of this discovery, authorities claimed they suspected "no foul play."

However, the deaths quickly became described as "suspicious" when investigations went into full swing.

During an appearance on the Friday morning episode of "Today" on February 28, the sheriff of Santa Fe County, New Mexico, Sheriff Adan Mendoza, shared information about the deaths of Hackman and Arakawa.

Mendoza stated that the timeline between when they died and when their bodies were discovered could possibly be several days or even weeks.

"It's very difficult to put a timeline together even with the help of the office of the medical investigator," Mendoza informed the public during the show, per the New York Post. "Just based on their body and other evidence on the body, it looked — it appears [that they were deceased for] several days, even up to a couple of weeks."

At the time of the discovery of the bodies, both Hackman and Betsy had started showing signs of body decomposition, otherwise known as mummification, supporting the sheriff's statement that they had been dead for a while.

Additionally, the couple had not been seen for weeks by members of their community, further lending credence to the sheriff's belief, which has now been confirmed by a medical examiner's report.

TMZ released audio of the 911 call that led to the discovery of the couple by the police.

According to the news outlet, a caretaker could be heard frantically telling the dispatcher that he had seen two bodies that weren't moving, pleading for help to be sent to the actor's Santa Fe mansion in New Mexico.

The caretaker, believed to be one of the two maintenance workers called Roland Lowe Begay and Jesse Kesler, reportedly became tearful as they shouted "Damn" several times during the call.

The caller is said to have stood outside and looked through a window while reporting the incident to the dispatcher.

At a point, he noted that "[it's] a female and a male probably. I don't know, sir. Just send somebody up here really quick."

After Hackman's death was announced, a short video resurfaced in which the actor discussed his fear of dying.

The 2004 clip featured Hackman in an interview with Larry King as he spoke about how he had undergone angioplasty, a surgery intended to open up narrowed or blocked arteries.

Hackman also talked about suffering "heart problems," including "severe angina" 12 years earlier, and when King asked him if he worried about his health, he admitted that he feared dying.

"I try to take care of myself. I don't have a lot of fears. I have the normal fear of passing away - you know, I guess we all think about that, especially when you get to be a certain age," Hackman said, per the Daily Mail.

He added, "I want to make sure that my wife and my family are taken care of. Other than that, I don't have a lot of fears."

The two-time Oscar winner and his wife, Arakawa, began living a somewhat reclusive life after the legendary actor retired from Hollywood in 2004 at age 74 for health reasons. The duo have been married since 1991 but rarely made public appearances.

Following his retirement, Hackman relocated from Los Angeles to New Mexico. He told Empire Magazine in a 2009 interview that his health was the major reason why he decided to end his acting career.

"The straw that broke the camel's back was actually a stress test that I took in New York," Hackman said. "The doctor advised me that my heart wasn't in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress."