Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead, along with their pet dog, at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico in February 2025, sparking intense online speculation about the cause of death.

Betsy Arakawa — the classical pianist married to Gene Hackman — died last month of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare infectious disease linked to rodents, New Mexico authorities announced Friday.

The partially mummified bodies of Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were discovered in February at their home in New Mexico.

Betsy Arakawa died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome at the age of 65, New Mexico health authorities said. Here’s what to know about the rare but deadly disease.

Betsy Arakawa, a classical pianist and the wife of actor Gene Hackman, died of hantavirus, according to authorities.

Betsy Arakawa died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare rodent-spread disease with a mortality rate up to 50% in the American Southwest, officials said.

The dog was found dead in a crate in a bathroom closet near Betsy Arakawa’s body, while two other dogs survived.

A week after officials confirmed the causes of death for actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, a necropsy has revealed that the dead dog discovered with their bodies likely died from severe dehydration or starvation.

Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's dog Zinna's cause of death has been revealed. The Australian kelpie likely died due to dehydration and starvation, per a report from the Santa Fe County animal control agency obtained by The Associated Press on Friday,