In a press conference with the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator’s chief medical examiner, Dr. Heather Jarrell, on Mar. 7, it was said that Hackman had likely died on Feb. 18, as this was the last day any heart activity was recorded by his pacemaker. It is thought that the actor died of cardiovascular disease with Alzheimer’s disease as a “significant contributory factor.” No food was found in his stomach at the time of his death.
Meanwhile, it was thought that Arakawa had died on Feb. 11, with Dr. Jarrell saying that her cause of death was hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare infectious disease carried by rodents that can cause flulike symptoms and affect the lungs and heart.
However, new evidence came to light on Monday, when the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Arakawa was actually still alive on Feb. 12. They said that the classical pianist made multiple calls to a health clinic for medical treatment one day after she was initially believed to have died.
Cloudberry Health’s Dr. Josiah Child told the BBC that Arakawa reached out to them for medical advice, but they never treated either her or Hackman. He added to the publication: “She called and described some congestion but didn’t mention any respiratory distress, shortness of breath, or chest pain.” Dr. Child also said that Arakawa had an appointment scheduled for Feb. 12, but canceled it on Feb. 10 because she needed to care for her husband. When she called seeking treatment on Feb. 12, the clinic told Arakawa that she needed to be seen in person.
Addressing the confusion over Arakawa’s date of death, the sheriff’s office noted that they never officially reported it to be on Feb. 11; this was just the date of her last known activity. On Feb. 11, Arakawa is said to have exchanged emails with a massage therapist, visited a grocery store, pharmacy, and pet store, and returned home at around 5:15 p.m., according to data obtained from a garage clicker.
Either way, it is still thought that Arakawa died days before Hackman, and Dr. Jarrell previously shed some light on how difficult Hackman’s final week of life would have been. She explained that due to his advanced Alzheimer’s, it is “quite possible that he was not aware that she [his wife] was deceased.”
The update to the case’s timeline comes after the BBC revealed that Hackman had left his entire $80 million fortune to Arakawa in his will, leaving uncertainty over who will inherit his estate.