Gene Hackman’s wife searched online for flu and Covid symptoms
Betsy Arakawa, the wife of actor Gene Hackman, searched the internet for information about flu and Covid symptoms and breathing techniques in the days before she died, police records have revealed.
Arakawa asked Google questions including whether Covid could cause dizziness or nosebleeds, according to files released by the Santa Fe Sheriff and reported by the Associated Press and New York Times.
The 65-year-old pianist died of hantavirus, which can cause flu-like symptoms and develop into a life-threatening lung condition.
Authorities believe she died around 12 February, and her husband, 95, who had Alzheimer’s disease, died on 18 February. Their bodies were found on 26 February.
The Sheriff files include details of the police investigation along with photos of the couple’s cluttered house in New Mexico, and bodycam footage.
They show that on 10 February, Arakawa searched online for “can Covid cause dizziness?” and “Flu and nosebleeds”.
The following day, she emailed her massage therapist to cancel an appointment, saying her husband had woken up with “flu/cold-like symptoms” but had tested negative for Covid.
She also ordered oxygen canisters from Amazon for “respiratory support”.
Police have previously said Arakawa made multiple calls to a health clinic on 12 February for medical treatment, which she never received.
She was found to have contracted hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare respiratory illness carried by rodents. Nests and some dead rodents were found in outbuildings of the couple’s house.
Authorities believe Hackman died on 18 February – the date of his last recorded pacemaker activity, which showed an abnormal rhythm of atrial fibrillation.
His cause of death was severe heart disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease listed as a contributing factor. Experts believe the Oscar-winning actor’s Alzheimer’s may have prevented him from realising his wife of more than 30 years was dead in the home where he was living.
Their bodies were discovered more than a week later by neighbourhood security.
One of the couple’s three dogs, which had been in a crate while recovering from surgery, died from starvation and dehydration.
The couple’s children had tried to block the release of the latest sheriff’s records by Santa Fe County, but news organisations challenged that under New Mexico’s freedom of information laws.
“The New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) placed the County in a difficult position,” said County manager Gregory S Shaffer.
“On the one hand, we deeply understand the family’s need for privacy during this painful time.
“On the other, the County has a duty to follow the law and faced potential lawsuits, damages, and attorney’s fees under IPRA if we withheld the records.”
