New details have been made public about the tragic deaths of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa.
Beloved actor Gene Hackman and his wife of 34 years, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home on Wednesday (February 26). The couple was discovered by a security guard who answered a call for a wellness check.
Hackman and Arakawa, along with a German shepherd, were found deceased in different areas of the home. There were no apparent signs of trauma or foul play. An investigation was launched, and authorities worked through the night to collect evidence and process the scene.
A search warrant was issued, and the following items were removed from the home for evidentiary purposes: Two cell phones, two bottles of medication, one bottle of over-the-counter Tylenol, a 2025 monthly planner, and some medical records.
Early Thursday morning, the bodies of the deceased were taken to the Office of Medical Examination, where a series of pathology tests were conducted.
In a press conference held Friday afternoon (February 28), Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza revealed the results of initial tests on the deceased.
Mendoza told the press that both individuals tested negative for carbon monoxide poisoning. He also revealed that the last activity noted on Hackman’s pacemaker was on February 17, 2025.
When asked if the last event captured on the pacemaker indicated the actor’s day of death, the sheriff replied, “According to the pathologist, I think that’s a very good assumption.”
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In the search warrant request, authorities wrote that Arakawa’s body “showed obvious signs of death, body decomposition, bloating in her face and mummification in both hands and feet.” Hackman‘s body was said to be in the same condition.
Mendoza emphasized that this is still an active investigation. Authorities will be gaining access to the cell phones and looking at cell phone data, text messages, events, and photos, to piece together a timeline of events leading up to the deaths.
The full autopsy report could take “3 months or longer,” the sheriff said.
Watch the press conference in the video below.