Inside Gene Hackman's 'rat infested' Santa Fe mansion where star spent his last days

and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, spent their final days in their $4million mansion in Santa Fe. However, a new report says the property was a "breeding ground for infestation." A week after their bodies were discovered, the New Mexico Department of Public Health investigated their mansion and found dead rats and feces all over the premises. They added that there were no signs of an infestation in the couple's primary residence. Their initial report confirms that they found one live rodent, one dead rodent, and a whole rodent nest, according to .

Bodycam footage showed the state of the mansion when the bodies were discovered. Piles of clothes, documents, pictures and other items were scattered around several rooms. In one room, boxes upon boxes were piled up in a bathtub, whilst dog mattresses were strewn around. There were also piles of clothes, whilst one dressing table was stacked with personal items and close to toppling over.

Gene died in the tenth house that he created. Located on 12 acres of piñon-covered hilltop in Santa Fe, he transformed the existing 1950s property into the personal setting he dreamed of. Stephen Samuelson of Studio Arquitectura said, "It was a 1950s block building that had sat empty and had deteriorated. But it was a great site, and the foundation had been well placed on the land."

The mansion now comprises an open floor plan and French doors, which creates a moviemaker's sense of illusion, which is what Gene wished for. Three small rooms later became the centerpiece of the house and an ultramodern stereo system was also included to fill the house with Gene's favourite music.

The actor also implemented a traditional stamped-tin ceiling, a vast living area with tree-trunk columns, and ceilings raised to as high as twenty feet. He also fully furnished the property himself by going to antiques shops and New York auctions.

Gene was a two-time Oscar-winning actor known for roles in The French Connection, Unforgiven, I Never Sang for My Father, and Bonnie and Clyde. On Wednesday, February 26, he was found on the floor of a wet room in the couple's mansion in Santa Fe.

His wife, Betsy, was found in a bathroom next to a heater, and one of their three dogs was discovered dead in a cupboard. The remaining two were rescued alive.

Authorities confirmed in a press conference on 7 March that Gene, 95, died from hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. A contributing factor was "evidence of advanced Alzheimer's disease".

Betsy, 65, died up to a week earlier from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare disease transmitted by rodents. Meanwhile, Gene tested negative for hantavirus, and authorities have suggested he may not have been aware of his wife's death due to his condition.

Gene's pacemaker last recorded activity on 18 February, showing an abnormal heart rhythm, which is believed to indicate the date of his death. The last known communication from Betsy was on 11 February.

But her primary care physician, Dr Josiah Child, told the Daily Mail: "She called (my) clinic on 12 February." He added she had cancelled an appointment on 10 February because "her husband was not well".

The physician said, "We made her an appointment, but she never showed up... we tried calling her a couple of times with no reply."

The officials from the Health Department later found eight other buildings and two vehicles had signs of rodents.