By Benno Schwinghammer

Santa Fe (USA) - Acting legend Gene Hackman (†95) and his wife Betsy Arakawa (†63) have died of natural causes, according to investigators. This was the result of the autopsy of the two bodies.

However, the investigation indicated that Arakawa died a week before her husband - and the Oscar-winning actor Hackman, who was seriously ill with Alzheimer's, lived on for days afterwards with her body in the house on the estate in Santa Fe in the US state of New Mexico.

"It may well be that he was not aware of her death," medical investigator Heather Jarrell said at a press conference.

Jarrell announced that the autopsy of Arakawa's body had revealed that the 65-year-old had probably already died on February 11 from a disease caused by so-called hantaviruses.

The pathogens affect the respiratory tract. Hackman herself probably only succumbed to a cardiovascular disease a week later, on February 18.

The examinations also confirmed the 95-year-old's advanced Alzheimer's disease.

"He was in a very poor state of health and had severe heart disease. And I believe that was ultimately the cause of his death," concluded the doctor.

Accordingly, everything points to Arakawa having died first, Jarell continued.

Sheriff Adan Mendoza said it could be assumed that Hackman had lived in the house next to his dead wife for days.

The massive investigation has been underway since the dead couple was discovered along with a dead dog on Wednesday last week.

An analysis of Hackman's pacemaker revealed that the last heart activity was recorded on February 18.

Arakawa was last seen on surveillance camera footage from a drugstore.

There was no sign of life from her after February 11. E-mails, for example, remained unanswered.

While Arakawa's body was lying on the floor in the bathroom, Hackman's lifeless body was found in the entrance area of the house.

The wording of a search warrant showed that the front door was ajar. However, the investigators ruled out foul play early on in the case.

The initial results showed no evidence of external violence. Carbon monoxide poisoning, for example due to a gas leak, was also not detected.

Although the investigation now appears to be largely complete, there are still no clear answers to some questions.

There has been speculation on social networks and in the US media as to why the bodies of the two were apparently only discovered days or weeks after their deaths.