Huge twist in Gene Hackman mystery as police confirm wife Betsy called doctor 24 hours after ‘she died’

Gene Hackman's wife Betsy Arakawa called a doctor the day after she was thought to have died, police have confirmed.

The bodies of the couple had been found at their home in Santa Fe on 26 February, with officials saying that famous actor Hackman had died from cardiovascular disease and that Alzheimer's had also been a significant contributing factor.

It is believed that the 95-year-old actor had died on 18 February, around a week after his wife Betsy's death, with officials saying that in his final days it was possible he did not know that his wife had died.

Betsy, 65, was found to have died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome on what was believed to have been 11 February.

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a rare disease which people can contract from coming into contact with infected rodent droppings or saliva; human to human transmission is not possible.

Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa were found dead at their home in a Santa Fe gated community last month (RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

Dr Heather Jarrell, chief medical examiner for New Mexico, said it was 'reasonable to conclude' that the 65-year-old had died from the disease on 11 February.

However, new information indicates that calls had been made on her phone the day after she was thought to have died.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office confirmed that she called a medical service in the early hours of 12 February, despite her previously being believed to have died on 11 February.

They told Fox News: "We can now confirm that Mrs. Hackman’s phone was utilized on the morning of February 12 to call a medical center in Santa Fe called Cloudberry Health.

"A total of three calls were made that morning, all to the medical center. One incoming call was made to Mrs. Hackman from the same medical center that afternoon.

The couple were found dead days later, along with one of their dogs (Facebook)

"That appeared as a missed call on Mrs. Hackman’s cell phone."

Appearing on Good Morning America, Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza said that the phone calls made by Betsy on 12 February 'would indicate to me that she was seeking medical advice or medical help and may have not been feeling well'.

The show contacted Cloudberry Health, who told them she had called that morning to ask about an 'esoteric treatment' and that during the call they did not hear signs of her struggling to breathe or sounds of distress.

Also found dead at their home was the couple's dog Zinna, with authorities ruling that the faithful hound most likely died of dehydration and starvation.

The couple's other dogs Bear and Nikita survived, and first responders described how the dogs led them to their bodies.