Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa appeared to have been dead for “quite a while” when the couple and their dog were found dead on February 26 at their home in New Mexico, police say.
The 95-year-old Oscar-winning actor was discovered in a side room near the kitchen of the house in Santa Fe, while his wife Betsy Arakawa, a 65-year-old classical pianist, was found in a bathroom.
Authorities reported no signs of injury but deemed the deaths “suspicious enough” to investigate and have not ruled out foul play. No cause of death was given.
In a wide-ranging career, Gene Hackman won two Academy Awards for The French Connection and Unforgiven.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office confirmed the deaths.
“On 26 February, 2025, at approximately 1:45pm, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to an address on Old Sunset Trail in Hyde Park where Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa, and a dog were found deceased,” the office said.
In a news conference on February 27, Sheriff Adan Mendoza said: “It sounds like they had been deceased for quite a while, and I don’t want to guess in reference to how long that was.”
He added: “There was no immediate sign of foul play. Haven’t ruled that out yet.
“This is an investigation, so we’re keeping everything on the table.”
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
A sheriff’s detective who responded to the scene said that they believed the couple had been dead for some time because of Betsy Arakawa’s “decomposition” and “mummification” in the hands and feet.
“The male decedent also showed obvious signs of death, similar and consistent with the female decedent,” said the search warrant.
Near Betsy Arakawa’s head was a portable heater, which the detective determined could have been brought down in the event that she abruptly fell to the ground.
Authorities say they have requested carbon monoxide and toxicology tests for both Gene Hackman and his wife, and that a cause of death has not yet been determined as they await the results of the autopsy.
A prescription bottle and scattered pills were on the bathroom countertop close to her body. The couple’s German Shepherd dog was found dead in a bathroom closet near to Betsy Arakawa.
Gene Hackman was discovered wearing grey tracksuit bottoms, a blue long-sleeve T-shirt and brown slippers. Sunglasses and a walking cane were next to the body.
The detective suspected that the actor had fallen suddenly.
The circumstances of their death were “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation”, said the search warrant, because the person who called emergency services found the front door of the property open.
However, the detective observed no sign of forced entry into the home. Nothing appeared out of place inside. Neither was there any indication that belongings had been rummaged through, or that any items had been removed.
Two other, healthy dogs were discovered roaming the property – one inside and one outside.
Gene Hackman’s last big-screen appearance came as Monroe Cole in Welcome to Mooseport in 2004, after which he stepped back from Hollywood for a quieter life in New Mexico.