LOS ANGELES, March 10 -- Gene Hackman spent his final days alone and disoriented in his Santa Fe home, unaware that his wife, Betsy Arakawa, had already passed away.

Arakawa, who had been his primary caregiver, died first from hantavirus, leaving Hackman, who suffered from Alzheimer's, without support.

According to The Guardian, authorities believe he was too frail and confused to seek help, surviving for about a week before succumbing to heart disease.

"Autopsy examination and a full body postmortem CT examination demonstrated no acute findings of internal or external trauma, and showed severe heart disease including multiple surgical procedures involving the heart, evidence of prior heart attacks, and severe changes of the kidneys du...