Sheriff to give update on mysterious deaths of Gene Hackman, wife
Authorities will provide updates Friday in the investigation into the mysterious deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, who were found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home last week under “suspicious” circumstances.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza will speak at a news conference at 2 p.m. Mountain time. He’ll be joined by officials from the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigators, the Santa Fe City Fire Department and the New Mexico Department of Health, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Academy Award-winning actor, 95, and his wife, 65, were found dead during a welfare check on Feb. 26, with no obvious signs of how they died, the sheriff’s office said.
Gene Hackman arrives with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, for the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., Jan. 19, 2003.
Mark J. Terrill/AP
The couple’s cause and manner of death have not been determined.
They tested negative for carbon monoxide and the New Mexico Gas Company has concluded its investigation for carbon monoxide at the home, saying there were “no significant findings” of leaks.
Authorities said their deaths were “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation,” according to a search warrant affidavit.
The house owned by actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa, Feb. 27, 2025, in Santa Fe, N.M.
Roberto E. Rosales/AP
Hackman was discovered on the floor in the mud room, according to the search warrant. It appeared he fell suddenly, and he and his wife “showed obvious signs of death,” the document said.
Hackman is believed to have died on Feb. 17 — nine days before the bodies were found — Mendoza said, noting that was the date of the last recorded “event” on his pacemaker.
Arakawa was found lying on her side on the floor in a bathroom, with a space heater near her body, according to the search warrant. Her body showed signs of decomposition; there was mummification to her hands and feet, the document said.
On the counter near Arakawa was an opened prescription bottle, with pills scattered, according to the search warrant.
One of the couple’s three dogs was found dead in a crate about 10 to 15 feet from Arakawa’s body, officials said.
But their two other dogs were found alive. It appeared they had access to a doggy door; one dog was found near Arakawa’s body and the other was located outside, according to Mendoza.
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