Gene Hackman mystery as wife’s doctor claims she called him after she died
Many unanswered questions still surround the death of the actor and his wife.
Fresh mystery surrounding the death of Gene Hackman has been sparked after a doctor claimed that his wife, Betsy Arakawa, called his clinic 24 hours after the police said she died.
Hollywood icon Hackman was discovered dead in his home along with his wife last month, with their bodies already in a state of decomposition.
The French Connection actor, 95, was found with Arakawa in their New Mexico home, with his glasses and cane on the floor beside him.
While Hackman was found in the mud room, Arakawa, 65, lay upstairs in the bathroom, with pills scattered next to her, and a deceased dog nearby in a cage.
With many questions still unanswered, what has been revealed is that Hackman’s cause of death was due to heart disease, with Alzheimer’s being ‘a significant contributing factor’, while Arakawa is believed to have died a week prior from a rare infection known as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
However, these details have been thrown into doubt as a doctor alleges that Arakawa could not have died on February 11 as previously thought—because she called his clinic a day later.
Hackman and classical pianist Arakawa were married in 1991 (Picture: Getty Images)Dr Josiah Child, a former emergency care specialist who runs Cloudberry Health in Santa Fe, New Mexico, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Mrs Hackman didn’t die on February 11 because she called my clinic on February 12.’
He continued: ‘She’d called me a couple of weeks before her death to ask about getting an echocardiogram [heart scan] for her husband.
‘She was not a patient of mine, but one of my patients recommended Cloudberry to her. She made an appointment for herself for February 12. It was for something unrelated to anything respiratory.’
Many questions remain in the wake of tragedy (Picture: Getty Images)However, Arakawa was unable to make the appointment, calling in to tell Dr Child’s staff that she was otherwise occupied with her husband, who had fallen ill.
‘She called back on the morning of February 12 and spoke to one of our doctors, who told her to come in that afternoon,’ Dr Child continued.
‘We made her an appointment, but she never showed up. She did not show any symptoms of respiratory distress. The appointment wasn’t for anything related to hantavirus. We tried calling her a couple of times with no reply.’
The full timeline of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's deathsPolice say Hackman likely died on February 18, almost a week after his wife Arakawa is thought to have died, on February 11.
On February 9 Arakawa took the dog, who was found deceased in the crate, to the vets for a procedure.
On February 11 Arakawa sent her last email – to her massage therapist – at around 11am. In the afternoon, she took a trip to a farmer’s market, CVS pharmacy and a pet food shop.
Her car was used to gain access back into the gated community after 5pm. She did not have any ongoing communication or activity in the local area after February 11, although police are still waiting for her mobile phone data.
Gene Hackman’s pacemaker detected cardiac activity on February 17, and an abnormal rhythm on February 18, when activity stopped.
Their bodies were discovered on February 26, 15 days after Arakawa was thought to have died, and eight days after Hackman’s pacemaker recorded its last heartbeat.
If true, this revelation means that Arakawa would have been still alive one day after the date given by the coroner.
This adds a further air of mystery to the tragic deaths.
The deceased dog is being examined, with an official cause of death yet to be revealed, although Arakawa’s trip to the vets two days prior could explain why it was trapped in a crate.
Police are still waiting for mobile phone data to determine whether Hackman attempted to communicate with anyone in the days following his wife’s death, although, at the moment, there is no evidence of such efforts.
They are also waiting on Arakawa’s mobile phone data from February 11.
The actor’s daughters and granddaughter released a statement in the wake of his death (Picture: WireImage)Hackman’s daughters Elizabeth and Leslie joined granddaughter Annie in releasing a statement with the sad news.
‘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 and are devastated by the loss.’
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