Gene Hackman and Wife’s Deaths Still Unexplained; Autopsy Results Could Take Months

The mystery surrounding the deaths of legendary actor Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa, and one of their dogs in their remote Santa Fe home continues to unfold as investigators work to determine what happened. The couple was discovered Wednesday afternoon, but authorities remain uncertain about the cause of their deaths.

Initial testing ruled out carbon monoxide poisoning as a factor in the deaths of Hackman, 94, and Arakawa, 63, according to Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza. Data from Hackman’s pacemaker suggests he had been deceased for approximately 10 days before being found.

Cause Unknown

The exact cause of death for both remains unknown pending full autopsy and toxicology reports, which could take three months or longer, Mendoza said Friday.

A German shepherd was also found dead near Arakawa’s body. A search warrant affidavit described the deaths as “suspicious,” prompting a thorough investigation.

Speaking to reporters, Mendoza reiterated that initial tests conducted by the Office of the Medical Investigator showed no signs of carbon monoxide poisoning. While additional testing is still needed, he indicated this finding likely rules out that possibility. He also confirmed that neither Hackman nor Arakawa had visible signs of external trauma.

Hackman’s pacemaker recorded its “last event” on Feb. 17, suggesting that was the day he passed away.

“According to the pathologist, I think that is a very good assumption that that was his last day of life,” Mendoza stated. However, it remains unclear whether Arakawa died at the same time.

Private Lives

Mendoza noted that the couple lived very private lives, and investigators found no surveillance cameras or similar security equipment at their home.

Court records indicate that investigators recovered several medications from the residence, including Tylenol, a thyroid medication, and high blood pressure medication—none of which appeared unusual.

According to the search warrant affidavit, Hackman was found in a mudroom, while Arakawa’s body was located in a bathroom next to a space heater. Nearby, an open prescription bottle and scattered pills were discovered on a countertop. The deceased German shepherd was also found close to Arakawa, though two other dogs in the home were alive. The affidavit also noted that Arakawa’s body showed signs of decomposition.

Deputies responded to the residence after receiving a 911 call from a caretaker who reported seeing the bodies inside but did not enter the home. In the call, he told a dispatcher the couple was “not moving” but could not confirm whether they were breathing.

Family Speaks

Hackman’s family released a statement saying, “He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just dad and grandpa. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”

Barbara and Daniel Lenihan, longtime friends of Hackman and Arakawa, told CNN that nothing seemed unusual the last time they saw the couple.

“Last time we saw them, they were alive and well,” Daniel Lenihan said. Barbara added that she had seen Arakawa at a shop in Santa Fe just weeks before.

“They were so delightful to be around,” she recalled. “Probably never seen a couple that got along and enjoyed each other so much.”

Early On

Born on Jan. 30, 1930, in San Bernardino, Hackman was raised in Danville, Ill. His father worked as a pressman for a local newspaper, and his mother was a waitress. His parents divorced when he was 13.

At 16, Hackman lied about his age to enlist in the U.S. Marines toward the end of World War II. He served four years as a radio operator before relocating to New York after his discharge. He briefly studied journalism in college but left after six months.

He began working in television production before moving to Pasadena to study acting. While attending the Pasadena Playhouse, he befriended a young Dustin Hoffman, then known as “Dusty.” The two later moved to New York, where they shared an apartment with Robert Duvall.

Hackman’s acting career spanned decades, with roles in some of Hollywood’s most celebrated films. He portrayed Lex Luthor in Superman (1978), high school basketball coach Norman Dale in Hoosiers (1986), and Senator Kevin Keeley opposite Robin Williams in The Birdcage (1996).

His most acclaimed performances came in The French Connection (1971) and Unforgiven (1992), both of which earned him Academy Awards. He won his first Oscar for playing New York detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection and his second two decades later as corrupt Sheriff “Little Bill” Daggett in Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven.

Other notable roles include a surveillance expert in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation (1974), an FBI agent in Mississippi Burning (1988), and a rigid submarine commander in Crimson Tide (1995) alongside Denzel Washington.

In His Words

Reflecting on his career in a 2011 interview with GQ, Hackman admitted to moments of doubt but ultimately felt he had made the right choice.

“You go through stages in your career that you feel very good about yourself. Then you feel awful, like, ‘Why didn’t I choose something else?’” he said. “But overall, I’m pretty satisfied that I made the right choice when I decided to be an actor. I was lucky to find a few things that I could do well as an actor and that I could look at and say, ‘Yeah, that’s all right.’”

With nearly 80 films over four decades, Hackman’s final role was in the 2004 political satire, Welcome to Mooseport. Throughout his career, he earned five Academy Award nominations, two BAFTA Awards, and eight Golden Globe nominations, winning three. In 2003, he was honored with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Cecil B. DeMille Award for his contributions to entertainment.

Hackman was married twice—first to Faye Maltese, with whom he had three children. They divorced in 1986. He later married Arakawa, a classical pianist 30 years his junior, in 1991. He is survived by his son and two daughters.