New details about the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were revealed in a Friday, March 7, press conference.
“Mr. Hackman probably died around February 18,” Dr. Heather Jarrell, chief medical examiner for the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, explained. “Based on the circumstances, it is reasonable to conclude that Mrs. Hackman died first, likely around February 11.”
Hackman and Arakawa were found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home on February 26.
“On February 26, 2025, at approximately 1:45 p.m., Santa Fe County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to an address on Old Sunset Trail in Hyde Park where Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64, and a dog were found deceased,” the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said in a February 27 statement to Us Weekly. “Foul play is not suspected as a factor in those deaths at this time, however, [the] exact cause of death has not been determined. This is an active and ongoing investigation by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.”
What to Know About Gene Hackman, Wife Betsy’s Deaths
Hackman’s family subsequently confirmed the news in a statement to Us.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman, and his wife, Betsy,” Elizabeth, Leslie and Annie Hackman said. “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.”
Amid the investigation, police told TMZ that Arakawa’s body was “in a state of decomposition” with a bloated face and mummification in her hands and feet when she was found. Maintenance workers who discovered the couple’s bodies said they had not seen them in approximately two weeks. Arakawa was found in a bathroom, while Hackman was located in a separate room near the kitchen.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza shed new light on the pair’s deaths during a February 28 appearance on the Today show.
Gene Hackman and Wife Betsy Arakawa’s Relationship Timeline
“It’s very difficult to put a timeline together even with the help of the office of the medical investigator,” Mendoza said. “Just based on their body and other evidence on the body, it looked — it appears [that they were deceased for] several days, even up to a couple of weeks.”
During a February 28 press conference, Mendoza revealed that Hackman’s pacemaker was last active on February 17, noting that it was “a very good assumption” Hackman died that day. He also confirmed that Hackman and Arakawa’s bodies tested negative for carbon monoxide exposure.
