A Pathologist’s Theory on Deaths of Gene Hackman and Wife: ‘Broken Heart-Type Thing’ (Exclusive)

The circumstances surrounding the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy continue to mystify the public.

The longtime couple was found dead in their Santa Fe, N.M., home on Feb. 26. Although the causes of death has yet to be determined, police are investigating what happened to Gene, 95, who was discovered in the home’s mudroom, and Betsy, 65, who was found dead in the bathroom, where prescription pills were scattered on a counter.

It looked like both had been dead for a number of days, said authorities.

James Gill, Chief Medical Examiner, with the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, is not investigating Hackman’s death in his professional capacity. But he theorizes that the couple may have both died from natural causes.

“From the initial kind of circumstances, it seems like he may have collapsed,” he says. “He’s got a history of heart disease. He’s got a pacemaker. So that would not be unusual.  But the unusual part is that why then did she also collapse? Assuming she would’ve found him. Then you start wondering about: There is this thing where the stress of seeing someone die that could have triggered a natural death in her.”

Gill says another possibility could be that Betsy died first and Gene “found her and was going out to get help or get his phone, and he then collapsed from the stress of that, too. Just as likely. He’s older, he’s got known heart disease. But the autopsy would certainly show if she had heart disease or cancer or what have you.”

Gill says two natural deaths around the same time “has been known to happen, kind of a broken heart-type thing, almost.”

“Suddenly finding your loved one dead on the floor that can increase your adrenaline and that stimulates your heart to beat faster, and that can put your heart into an irregular rhythm,” he says.

Gill says there are also instances where, after finding a loved one, “people get very despondent and they do something to take their own life, and that may be with pills or what have you. I think the toxicology workup will be helpful in excluding causes such as an intoxication or injuries.”

“I think the autopsy and the toxicology testing is what’s needed to be seen in order to make that final determination,” he says. “Otherwise, it’s kind of speculation at this point.”

On Tuesday, March 5, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that carbon monoxide or another other gas is “not believed to be a factor” in the deaths of the couple but they did find a “minuscule” gas leak at one of the stove burners.

Last week, authorities said the couple showed no signs of carbon monoxide poisoning.

A pest control worker called a neighborhood security officer on Feb. 26 when he stopped by the couple’s home and they didn’t answer. The neighborhood security officer called 9-1-1 when he saw the bodies through a window.