What happened to Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy? Their death

Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy ArakawaThey were both found dead along with their dog in their New Mexico home on February 26, 2025. The late film star and pianist had been married since 1991. Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were discovered under mysterious circumstances, which initially worried many, especially with reports of Arakawa’s “mummification.” While authorities were investigating, they did not immediately confirm the cause of death or provide further details. However, at a press conference on March 7, authorities officially identified the cause as Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.

Below, we break down what we know so far about the deaths of Hackman and his wife.

Movies and TV shows by Gene Hackman

Hackman was known for a variety of film and television roles, but among his most famous are… French Connection, Unforgiven, Bonnie and Clyde, I Never Sang for My Father, Superman, Superman II and Burning Mississippi.

Among Hackman’s other popular roles were in The Poseidon Adventure, The Conversation, Loose Cannons, The Fast and the Dead, The Birdcage, Enemy of the State, Behind Enemy Lines, The Runaway Jury and Welcome to Mosport.

After packaging Welcome to Mosport, Hackman retired from acting and ventured into writing. The Oscar winner has published several books, including Perdido’s Star Wake, Justice for No One, Escape from Andersonville and Strive.

What happened to Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy?

Sante Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza He released a statement at the time the couple discovered the Santa Fe New Mexicovia The GuardianWhich read: “We can confirm that Gene Hackman and his wife were found dead on Wednesday.”

The Guardian She reported that deputies arrived at Hackman’s home in the gated Santa Fe Summit community known as Old Sunset Trail. However, it is not clear whether the police came to the house to investigate the death report or if they were conducting a welfare check.

In Sheriff Mendoza’s initial report, authorities stated that they found the bodies of an elderly man and a woman in her 60s. He sought to reassure the public, saying: “I want to assure the community and neighborhood that there is no immediate danger to anyone. We do not believe crime was a factor in their deaths; however, the exact cause of death has not been determined at this time.”

while police Starting male they an act no suspected Foul He plays, A Searching note Acquired by TMZ open Which A local Detective king described the Deaths like “Suspicious enough in nature to requires A comprehensive Searching and investigation.” In the affidavit, the investigator listed several troubling details: The front door to the home was found unsecured and unlocked; Deputies observed a healthy dog ​​running on the property, another healthy dog ​​near Arakawa’s body, and a deceased dog located 10 to 15 feet away in a bathroom closet. Additional red flags included a space heater that appeared to have been moved, an open prescription bottle with pills scattered nearby, and the fact that Hackman and Arakawa were found in separate rooms. Investigators also noted that there were no obvious signs of a gas leak.

The outlet also reported that Arakawa’s body was in a state of decomposition, with visible swelling on the face and signs of mummification on her hands and feet. Hackman was found dead in another room, fully clothed. Authorities suspected that he may have fallen, as his sunglasses were discovered next to his body.

Cause of death of Gene Hackman

After news of Hackman’s death first emerged, social media users speculated that carbon monoxide poisoning may have been the cause, especially in light of initial reports that there was no foul play and that Hackman, his wife Arakawa, and their dog had been found dead. However, according to the search warrant he obtained TMZAn investigator noted that there were “no obvious signs of a gas leak” in Hackman’s home.

More than a week after their deaths, the causes of Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths were revealed, according to E! news. Surveillance footage of Arakawa is believed to have died on February 11, 2025, and her cause of death was Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, an acute respiratory disease transmitted through rodent urine, droppings, and saliva, the outlet reported. However, new information emerged on March 16, indicating that Arakawa’s death likely occurred shortly afterward, as it was revealed that she made a phone call on February 12.

Dr. Josiah Childa former emergency care specialist and now owner of Cloudberry Health in Santa Fe, New Mexico, told the Daily Mail: “Ms. Hackman did not die on February 11 because she called my office on February 12. She called me two weeks before she died to ask me about having an echocardiogram.” [heart scan] To her husband. She wasn’t one of my patients, but one of my patients recommended Cloudberry. She made an appointment for herself on February 12th. It was for something unrelated to anything related to the respiratory system.

Dr. Child added that two days before the appointment, Arakawa canceled the appointment under the pretext of her husband’s illness. “She called again on the morning of February 12 and spoke to one of our doctors who asked her to come in that afternoon,” Dr. Child said. “We made an appointment for her but she never showed up. She showed no symptoms of shortness of breath. The appointment was not due to anything related to Hantavirus. We tried calling her several times with no response.”

On April 15, authorities released records showing that Arakawa searched online for flu-like symptoms and breathing techniques between February 8 and the morning of February 12.

Hackman’s pacemaker last showed activity on February 18, according to the medical examiner, indicating he “probably died around February 18.” The coroner also noted that Hackman was in “extremely poor health” at the time of his death and believes his heart disease likely contributed to his death. His cause of death was determined to be hypertension and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) – or hardening of the arteries – with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributing factor.

As for the deceased couple’s dog, a report revealed that the dog likely died of dehydration and starvation.