US actor Hackman died of heart disease days after wife's death

He had advanced Alzheimer's and may not have been aware wife had died, says official

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SANTA FE, New Mexico — American actor Gene Hackman was in an advanced state of Alzheimer's and died of heart disease and other factors, likely days after his wife Betsy Arakawa died of a rare virus spread by mice, according to autopsy results released on March 7 in New Mexico state.

The 95-year-old Oscar-winning actor and 64-year-old Ms Arakawa, along with one of their dogs, were found dead on Feb 26 in separate rooms of their Santa Fe home.

Mr Hackman's heart disease and the hantavirus pulmonary syndrome that caused Ms Arakawa's death were announced at a press conference at the Santa Fe sheriff's office.

Mr Hackman's wife died days before he did, results showed. A reporter asked Sheriff Adan Mendoza if Mr Hackman's Alzheimer's had hindered him from perceiving her death.

"I would assume that is the case," Mr Mendoza told reporters.