Cause of death for Gene Hackman and wife revealed

Authorities revealed what caused the mysterious deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa.

Dr. Heather Jarrell, who is the chief medical examiner for New Mexico at the Office of the Medical Investigator, said Hackman, 95, died of severe heart disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease as a "significant" contributing factor.

"He was in a poor state of health," Jarrell said Friday during a news conference.

Jarrell said Arakawa, 65, suffered from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which medical professionals described as a severe respiratory illness caused by a family of viruses that are transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodents.

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