Gene Hackman and Wife Betsy Arakawa Found Dead Feb. 26, 2025

Gene Hackman and his woman of 33 years, Betsy Arakawa, were recovered dormant successful their Santa Fe, N.M., location connected Feb. 26 by 2 attraction workers who spied their bodies done a model from extracurricular the house. According to authorities, they alerted the caretaker successful the gated assemblage wherever the mates lived and that idiosyncratic called 911.

"No, they are not moving," the caller told 911, per an audio recording. "Please nonstop idiosyncratic retired present quick."

When Santa Fe County sheriff’s deputies arrived, they recovered Arakawa, 65, connected the level of a bath to the near of the frontdoor. She was clad successful a sweatshirt and sweatpants, according to a Feb. 27 hunt warrant affidavit obtained by E! News, and determination was an unfastened medicine pill vessel and escaped pills scattered connected the countertop.

Hackman, 95, was connected the level successful what deputies described arsenic a mudroom adjacent the kitchen, per the warrant. A walking cane and sunglasses adjacent the body.

One of the couple's 3 dogs—initially misidentified arsenic their German shepherd Bear, it was really their Australian Kelpie premix Zinna—was recovered dormant successful a closet of the bathroom, according to the warrant. Another healthy-looking canine was recovered adjacent Arakawa's assemblage and the other, besides seemingly healthy, was moving astir outside.

A hunt warrant was executed connected the location astatine astir 9:30 p.m. Feb. 26 and Hackman and Arakawa's bodies were removed the pursuing morning.

Gene Hackman Death Deemed "Suspicious Enough" to Conduct Investigation

While the sheriff's bureau said Feb. 27 that determination were nary signs of foul play, investigators determined "the circumstances surrounding the decease of the 2 deceased individuals to beryllium suspicious capable successful quality to necessitate a thorough hunt and investigation," the warrant stated.

The warrant noted determination were nary signs of evident blunt-force trauma, c monoxide poisoning oregon forced introduction into the home. Rather, deputies said they recovered the beforehand doorway ajar.

There were besides signs that Hackman and Arakawa had been dormant for awhile: One lawman observed that her assemblage was partially decomposed, with mummification astir her hands and feet, according to the warrant, portion Hackman's assemblage showed "similar and consistent" signs of death. It was besides noted that some looked arsenic if they whitethorn person fallen to the crushed suddenly.

The idiosyncratic who archetypal saw the bodies told investigators helium had past spoken with the mates astir 2 weeks beforehand, per the warrant, and that helium usually communicated with Arakawa implicit telephone calls and texting.

"All I tin accidental is that we’re successful the mediate of a preliminary decease investigation,” Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza told the Santa Fe New Mexican. "I privation to guarantee the assemblage and vicinity that there’s nary contiguous information to anyone."

Items of Interest Found successful Gene Hackman's Home

A Timeline Slowly Comes Into Focus

Sheriff Mendoza said astatine a Feb. 28 quality league that Hackman's pacemaker past recorded activity connected Feb. 17, calling it "a precise bully presumption that it was his past time of life.”

They were continuing to analyse "cell telephone data, telephone calls, substance messages, events, photos successful the compartment phone," Mendoza said, "to effort to portion a timeline together."

But it wasn't going to beryllium easy.

As the sheriff explained on TODAY, "We recognize that is simply a situation due to the fact that they were precise backstage individuals and a backstage family. We're trying to enactment each that accusation unneurotic close now.”

Gene Hackman's Family Speaks Out

"It is with large sadness that we denote the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy," the actor's daughters Leslie and Elizabeth and granddaughter Annie said successful a statement. "He was loved and admired by millions astir the satellite for his superb acting career, but to america helium was ever conscionable Dad and Grandpa. We volition miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss."

Leslie Anne Allen—one of 3 children the histrion shared with archetypal woman Faye Maltese—told Fox News Digital that she hadn't seen her begetter for "a fewer years" due to the fact that she lived successful California and helium nary longer traveled much, but they had "been successful interaction implicit the past mates of months."

“I loved him dearly,” she said. "He was a genuinely good-hearted person." And, Leslie said she knew him to beryllium successful bully health, practicing yoga and pilates regularly.

As days went by, household members said they were trying to tune retired the sound astir what might person happened portion whey they waited for authoritative answers.

"We’re waiting connected toxicology," nephew Tim Hackman, whose dada was the actor's member Richard Hackman, told Us Weekly in an interrogation published March 3. "That volition archer america everything. It’s hard to theorize. There are tons of theories retired determination and I don’t privation to speculate. It’s casual to speculate antagonistic theories.” 

He added, "My uncle was 95 years aged astatine an property wherever you deliberation about, 'OK, it’s time.' But from the circumstances present things person changed a bit. It’s a large change.”

Inside Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's Private Life successful Santa Fe

Hackman, whose past movie recognition was 2004's Welcome to Mooseport, had lived successful Santa Fe with Arakawa since the precocious 1980s. A creator himself, helium was progressive successful the section arts country and sat connected the committee of the Georgia O'Keefe Museum from 1997 until 2004.

“He was a beauteous low-key idiosyncratic adjacent though helium was idiosyncratic who had astonishing stories to archer astir Hollywood and different celebrities,” longtime person and assemblage proprietor Stuart Ashman told the Los Angeles Times. “He was conscionable a regular guy."

Santa Fe movie commissioner Jennifer LaBar-Tapia told reporters that some Hackman and Arakawa were "deeply woven into the cloth of Santa Fe."

But sightings of Hackman had go progressively rare, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Friend Daniel Lenihan told People the actor—who utilized to locomotion his dogs and thrust his bicycle astir their vicinity and patronize section businesses—had been "essentially benignant of home-bound" successful caller months. His lad Aaron Lenihan said Arakawa "was inactive trying to support him arsenic progressive and engaged and steadfast arsenic possible," but Daniel said Hackman was "really slipping."

Daniel's woman Barbara Lenihan said Arakawa, a classical pianist, had been successful "perfect health" and was "so fit."

The last paparazzi shot of a frail-looking Hackman and Arakawa retired successful nationalist unneurotic was published by Page Six successful March 2024.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, Gas Leak Ruled Out

Tests connected Hackman and Arakawa's bodies for signs of c monoxide poisoning came backmost negative, Sheriff Mendoza told reporters Feb. 28. But, helium noted, implicit autopsy and toxicology results could instrumentality "three months oregon longer."

The New Mexico Gas Company stated March 4 that, portion a "minuscule leak" was recovered successful a stove burner, it didn't emit capable c monoxide to person proved fatal, nor did their probe uncover immoderate further leaks oregon state enactment issues.

Investigators said determination were respective different codification violations successful the home, but thing having to bash with state oregon c monoxide.

Cause of Death Determined for Gene Hackman, Betsy Arakawa

Arakawa died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a uncommon respiratory corruption caused by vulnerability to rodent feces, urine oregon saliva, New Mexico Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said during a March 7 quality conference.

Hackman, meanwhile, "showed grounds of precocious Alzheimer’s disease,” Jarrell said. "He was successful a precise mediocre authorities of health. He had important bosom disease, and I deliberation yet that’s what resulted successful his death."

Arakawa whitethorn person experienced flu-like symptoms earlier she died, the aesculapian examiner said.

New Mexico authorities nationalist wellness veterinarian Erin Phipps said the mates were astatine "low risk" for vulnerability from their location but determination were signs of rodents successful different structures connected the property.

A full of 122 cases and 52 deaths from hantavirus were reported successful New Mexico betwixt 1993 and 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Heartbreaking Death Timeline Revealed

According to the coroner, it looked arsenic if Arakawa—last known to person tally errands connected Feb. 11—had been dormant for astir a week earlier Hackman died, seemingly connected Feb. 18 going by his past pacemaker enactment (a time aft primitively noted by authorities).

Their bodies weren't discovered for different 8 days, truthful 15 days aft Arakawa died.

As acold arsenic authorities know, Hackman was unsocial successful the location with his wife's assemblage until helium himself passed.

“It’s rather imaginable he was not aware she was deceased," Jarrell said. Hackman didn't person nutrient successful his tummy erstwhile helium died, she noted, but helium was not dehydrated.

Their canine Zinna had been successful a crate successful the bath and died of starvation and dehydration, according to authorities vet Phipps.

Why Gene Hackman Couldn't Live Without His Wife

“At this point," Sheriff Mendoza said March 7, "there’s nary denotation that determination was a caretaker astatine the home."

Arakawa had fundamentally been managing her husband's beingness for years, scheduling his play games and visits with friends, according to pal Tom Allin, who told the New York Times helium knew Hackman for 20 years but it was ever the actor's woman helium spoke to connected the phone.

“She was precise protective of him," Allin said," and Hackman would person died "long ago" if not for her.

“All of america that knew him should person been checking connected him," Hackman's person Ashman told the Washington Post. "I had nary idea...It’s conscionable truly sad. And that she died a week earlier him. My God."

On the evident past time of Arakawa's life, she emailed her massage therapist successful the morning, went to a market store successful the day and stopped astatine a pharmacy earlier going to a favored store. She was backmost location by astir 5:15 p.m., according to authorities, and responded to nary emails aft Feb. 11.

Sheriff Mendoza said helium believed she wore a disguise portion moving her errands, which friends said she regularly did for fearfulness of bringing immoderate illnesses location to her husband.

Unexpected Timeline Twist

While the coroner determined Arakawa died astir Feb. 11, a section doctor says helium spoke to her the pursuing day.

"She called backmost connected the greeting of February 12 and spoke to 1 of our doctors who told her to travel successful that afternoon,” Dr. Josiah Child, who runs Cloudberry Heath successful Santa Fe, told the DailyMail successful an interrogation published March 17. "We made her an appointment, but she ne'er showed up."

The assignment was not related to hantavirus, helium added, noting, "We tried calling her a mates of times with nary reply."