Gene Hackmans wife Betsy seen on surveillance footage in last public appearance the day before she died
Gene Hackman’s wife Betsy was seen making a final public appearance before her untimely death in surveillance footage released by New Mexico officials on Tuesday.Betsy, a k a Betsy Arakawa, is believed to have died on Feb.
12 at the Santa Fe home she shared with Hackman, according to New Mexico Medical Examiner Dr.Heather Jarrell, who has also revealed that the classical pianist’s cause of death was hantavirus — a rare rodent-borne illness.
On Feb.11, security footage obtained by The Sun showed Arakawa, 65, purchasing groceries at a Sprouts Grocery Market self-checkout in Santa Fe at approximately 4 p.m.The video, made public by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, also confirmed earlier reports that Arakawa wore a face mask on the shopping trip.
The Oscar-winner’s wife was seen minutes later at a nearby Shine Pet Food store.Arakawa shopped solo in the footage and did not appear to behave unusually in any way.Earlier that day, she emailed her therapist to cancel her Feb.12 appointment “out of an abundance of caution” because Hackman, 95, had woken up with flu or cold-like symptoms, though she said he tested negative for COVID.
Arakawa was the primary caretaker for the “French Connection” star in his final days.Records including emails, phone calls and internet searches released by law enforcement revealed she had researched COVID symptoms and considered seeking medical care for her husband in the days before she died.Questions about whether COVID could cause dizziness or nosebleeds were among Arakawa’s online searches.
Her final internet search on Feb.12 was for local health care providers.Hackman, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, died at home on Feb.
17 or Feb.18 and may not have known his wife had been dead for days in the same house.Officials said last month that Hackman’s cause of death was hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease listed as a contributing factor.Arakawa and Hackman’s...