Gene Hackman's Wife Betsy's Final Internet Searches Were A Cry For Help

Betsy Arakawa was desperately searching for answers in the days leading up to her death…

Gene Hackman and his wife were found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home in February, along with one of their dogs, under mysterious circumstances. They had already been dead for days. Tragic. Police later determined the classical pianist passed away around February 12 from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare disease that spreads through rat and mouse urine and droppings. Unfortunately, they had been dealing with a bad rodent infestation, with feces, nests, and dead or live rodents found throughout their property and cars. This is likely how Betsy caught the deadly virus. But sadly she had no clue what was causing her to feel so unwell before her death!

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While dismissing law enforcement’s initial timeline that Betsy died February 11, Dr. Josiah Child — who runs Cloudberry Health in Santa Fe — claimed she scheduled an appointment at his office that week “for something unrelated to anything respiratory.” He did not expand on what was wrong but said she was supposed to visit the doctor on February 10. However, she had to cancel since Gene wasn’t well enough for her to leave their home. Betsy called again on February 12 and talked to a doctor who told her to come in that afternoon — though she never made it in.

But what did Betsy think was wrong before her tragic passing? Her final internet search is giving some insight into the matter. A new report from New Mexico officials, obtained by TMZ, revealed that a search of Betsy’s computer showed she had several open bookmarks on February 8 and again on the morning of February 12. She was researching symptoms, apparently coronavirus- and flu-like symptoms.

The classical pianist typed in questions like whether COVID-19 causes dizziness or nosebleeds. The poor woman… According to the CDC, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome causes symptoms like fatigue, fever, muscle aches — especially in the thighs, hips, back, and sometimes shoulders, headaches, dizziness, chills, and abdominal problems, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. It then worsens after 4 to 10 days to coughing, shortness of breath, and tightness in the chest, where you feel like the lungs are filled with fluid.

And get this. The CDC states that “early symptoms” of hantavirus “are easily confused with influenza.” COVID-19 also has similar signs like fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. So no wonder why she thought she caught the flu or coronavirus! They’re obviously both much more common.

As we mentioned, of course, Betsy was not the only one under the weather. Gene wasn’t in great shape, either. TMZ reported she emailed her masseuse that the 95-year-old actor woke up on February 11 with flu or cold-like symptoms, but the COVID test came back negative. Still, the musician didn’t risk it! Betsy said she needed to reschedule her appointment for the next day “out of an abundance of caution.” While it is unknown, Betsy may have thought she and Gene were experiencing the same illness at the time when that wasn’t the case…

That same day, per TMZ, she purchased several Boost Oxygen canisters. She may already have been struggling to breathe by then — even though Dr. Child claimed she hadn’t complained about respiratory problems when making her appointment. Could Betsy have been waiting until she was in the office to bring it up?

Her last internet search had been for a healthcare provider in Santa Fe on the morning of February 12. Perhaps she was looking for the Cloudberry Health number or someone else to help treat her symptoms. No other details were given at this time. Regardless, we know Betsy was trying to get help. It was just too late by that point. If only the 65-year-old had made it to the February 10 appointment, things may have turned out differently for her… We’ll never know.

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[Image via WENN]