Los Angeles [US], March 8(ANI): Hollywood legend Gene Hackman lived for a week in the same house as his wife's dead body before passing away, according to officials in New Mexico, reported The Hollywood Reporter.

The 95-year-old actor died of severe cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer's disease as a contributing factor.

As per the publication, officials discovered the couple, Gene and his wife Betsy Hackman, in their Santa Fe home on February 26 during a wellness check. Betsy had died a week earlier in their living room from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a severe respiratory illness caused by exposure to infected rodents. Hackman was found in another room, slumped over near the kitchen.

Investigators say Hackman may not have realized his wife had died due to his advanced Alzheimer's. Sheriff Adan Mendoza stated there were no signs of foul play, and officials believe Hackman was in a 'very poor state of health' before his death.

'There is no reliable scientific method to accurately determine the exact time or date of death. Mr. Hackman's initial pacemaker data revealed cardiac activity on Feb. 17, with subsequent pacemaker interrogation demonstrating an abnormal rhythm of atrial fibrillation on Feb. 18. Based on the circumstances, it is reasonable to conclude that Ms. Hackman passed away first -- with Feb. 11 being the last time that she was known to be alive,' Dr. Heather Jarrell, chief medical examiner at the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, said at a Friday press conference outside the Santa Fe Sheriff's Office.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell also reported that Hackman had a history of heart disease, previous heart surgeries, and chronic high blood pressure. His autopsy showed evidence of multiple heart attacks and severe kidney damage.

Betsy Hackman's last recorded activity was on February 11, when she was seen shopping. After that, she had no communication with anyone.

Hackman delivered an impressive array of performances that have only grown in stature over time. His Harry Caul in Francis Ford Coppola's 'The Conversation' is every bit as strong and well delineated now, as when the film debuted in 1974. The same is true of his stoic promoter in the Michael Ritchie ski film 'Downhill Racer.'

In 1990, around the time he and Arakawa made Santa Fe their home, Hackman underwent angioplasty due to congestive heart failure. He continued to work as a screen actor for 14 years, as per Variety.

Hackman also penned three novels with undersea archaeologist Daniel Lenihan: 'Wake of the Perdido Star' (1999), 'Justice for None' (2004) and 'Escape From Andersonville' (2008). His 2011 work, 'Payback at Morning Peak,' was a solo effort.

He was married twice and had three children. His first marriage to Faye Maltese lasted 30 years from 1956 to 86. Hackman married Arakawa in 1991. Arakawa was a classical pianist. (ANI)