Gene Hackman “was in very poor health” before his death, which was caused by heart problems and advanced Alzheimer’s disease, officials revealed on Friday. New Mexico Chief Medical Examiner Heather Jarrell shared the details of Hackman’s health in his final days at a press conference in Santa Fe alongside Sheriff Adan Mendoza.
The actor’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, died of a respiratory illness linked to rodent droppings, New Mexico officials said, while Hackman had Alzheimer’s, which contributed to his death from heart disease