A note found in the home of late actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Bette Araka, evokes deep emotion in those who read it.
Last February, at the age of 95, Hackman passed away from heart disease complicated by Alzheimer's disease about a week after his 65-year-old wife, Betty, died from hantavirus.
Police officers discovered small bloodstains and dirty bandages on crumpled bed sheets while investigating the couple's home. It remains unclear whose blood was on the bed, and the cause of the bleeding is known to be completely unrelated to the causes of death for Hackman or Araka.
Additionally, authorities in northern New Mexico released several documents found inside the couple's home, which included notes they wrote to each other.
Hackman expressed gratitude to his wife, at times referring to her as "darling girl," and almost always signed his letters "love, G." Such heart-wrenching handwritten notes demonstrate his affection for his wife.
Moreover, notes dated and found scattered throughout the couple's home provide a glimpse into the final moments shared between the two.
On one morning, Hackman wrote a note about what he was "thinking" of Betty. He wrote, "Darling, good morning. Thinking of you and the other little ones. Love, G."
Another record shows that Hackman, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, was aware that he was fighting this illness. He also left a note stating, "I survived. Because I am (literally) still alive. (But sometimes, I can barely keep alive.) Love, G."
In a more playful letter, Hackman seemed to inform his wife that he was going out for some business. "I'll go down to that building past the hot tub you're sitting in, and do what people have to do in such buildings. I might remember when I get down there. Love, what was his name again?"
Meanwhile, Betty wrote in a letter that she needed to take their dog to the veterinary clinic. She stated, "Hey, G! I'll take Gene to obedience training and a veterinary appointment."
Meanwhile, Hackman's body was found at the front door of their home, while Betty's body was discovered in the bathroom. One of the couple's three pet dogs was found dead in a box near Betty. This case also marks the first confirmed hantavirus case that has occurred in New Mexico this year.
Hackman debuted in the 1961 film "Mad Dog Call" and appeared in various films. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for the 1972 film "The French Connection" and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the 1992 film "Unforgiven." He retired in the early 2000s.
Bette was born in December 1959 in Hawaii and grew up in Honolulu. She majored in piano and attended the University of Southern California, and also worked as a cheerleader for the professional soccer team Aztecs in the North American Soccer League (NASL). She also worked as a production assistant on the TV game show "Card Sharks." She met Hackman while working part-time at a gym in California in the mid-1980s. The two soon moved in together and relocated to Santa Fe in the late 1980s.
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