Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa: A Final Curtain Call

Gene Hackman was posthumously honored at the Oscars. Shortly after the passing of the two-time Academy Award winner, the bodies of his wife and dog were found deceased in their New Mexico residence on Sunday night.

Actor Morgan Freeman expressed his sentiments regarding Hackman, stating, “Our community lost a giant and I lost a dear friend,” prior to an In Memoriam segment that paid tribute to actors and others who had died in the past year.

Hackman and Freeman shared the screen in the films “Unforgiven” and “Under Suspicion.”

Freeman remarked, “Like everyone who ever shared a scene with him, I learned he was a generous performer and a man whose gifts elevated everyone’s work.”

The deaths of Hackman, aged 95, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, aged 65, have raised several unanswered questions. Here is the information provided by investigators.

What were the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Betsy Arakawa and Gene Hackman?
Sheriff Adan Mendoza of Santa Fe County announced on Friday that the toxicology reports and autopsy findings are still awaited.

He indicated that tests for carbon monoxide poisoning returned negative results for both Hackman and Arakawa. Furthermore, upon the discovery of their bodies, the sheriff’s office reported no signs of blunt force trauma.

What was the timeline of the deaths of Arakawa and Hackman?
Mendoza noted on Friday that Hackman’s pacemaker recorded its last event on February 17, which was nine days before the bodies were found. The sheriff suggested that this may have been the last day of Hackman’s life.

According to a search warrant issued on the day the bodies were discovered, they exhibited signs of mummification in the hands and feet, facial bloating, and other indications of decomposition. The National Library of Medicine explains that mummification is a natural process that occurs when the skin dries out, preserving the body post-mortem.
Arakawa and Hackman were found in which location?

Upon the arrival of deputies at the residence around 1:45 p.m. local time on February 26, they discovered the deceased bodies of Hackman and Arakawa in their home situated outside Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Hackman was located in what is believed to be the mudroom of the residence. The search warrant indicated that he appeared to have fallen unexpectedly, as he was found wearing slippers, a long-sleeved T-shirt, and sweatpants.

The warrant further noted that Arakawa was found in a bathroom adjacent to the front entrance of the house, with the restroom door open.

Arakawa, attired in sweatpants and a sweatshirt, was lying on the floor. The warrant mentioned that an open orange prescription bottle and several pills were scattered on a nearby countertop. Additionally, a space heater was observed positioned close to Arakawa’s head.

The couple’s dog was also found deceased. The warrant indicated that one of Hackman and Arakawa’s dogs was discovered lifeless in the bathroom closet where Arakawa’s body was located. Mendoza reported that the dog had been kept in a crate or kennel.

The cause of death for the dog remains undetermined.

The warrant also stated that two additional dogs were found alive on the property when deputies arrived.

No clear signs of foul play were evident. The warrant revealed that the door to Hackman and Arakawa’s home was “unsecured and opened.” The sheriff’s office reported that they were initially alerted to the residence after a maintenance worker failed to receive a response and expressed concern. Deputies noted that there were no signs of forced entry or evidence suggesting that the house had been ransacked.

No evidence of a carbon monoxide leak was found. Deputies reported that there were no apparent signs of a gas leak at the residence. According to the search warrant, tests conducted at the scene by personnel from the New Mexico Gas Company and the Santa Fe Fire Department indicated no evidence of a carbon monoxide leak or issues with the piping.
In a recent update on Tuesday, the sheriff’s office reported that the gas company had issued five “red tags.” One of these tags was attributed to a “minuscule leak,” which was identified as 0.33% gas in the air at a stove burner; this level is not considered hazardous. The remaining tags were related to violations that did not pertain to carbon monoxide or gas leaks.

Each year, the colorless and odorless gas known as carbon monoxide claims the lives of hundreds of individuals. Investigators are working to establish a timeline of events. They are also seeking access to two cellphones that were seized as evidence from the residence of Hackman and Arakawa.

“We will be examining the data from the cellphones—phone calls, text messages, events, and photos—to help construct a timeline,” Mendoza stated on Friday.

Mendoza further noted that there is currently no available surveillance footage from either the interior or exterior of the house.

What films featured Gene Hackman? Over the span of his extensive career, Hackman appeared in numerous films. He portrayed a sheriff in Clint Eastwood’s “Unforgiven” (1992), a surveillance expert who suspects a murder in “The Conversation” (1974), and Detective “Popeye” Doyle in “The French Connection” (1971). He received the Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 1972 and 1993, respectively, for his performances in “The French Connection” and “Unforgiven.”

In 2004, Hackman chose to retire from public life. Additionally, he has co-authored or written several historical and adventure novels.

Who was Betsy Arakawa? As reported by the Associated Press, Arakawa was a concert pianist and co-founder of a home furnishings company, having been born and raised in Honolulu. The AP noted that she performed with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra later in her life, having first played at the Honolulu International Center Concert Hall at the age of eleven.
In the 1980s, Arakawa was employed part-time at a fitness center in California, where she encountered Hackman, as reported by a New York Times article.

As noted by the Associated Press, Arakawa co-founded Pandora’s in Santa Fe, a home décor store, in 2001.

Does Gene Hackman have any children?
Hackman and his first spouse, Faye Maltese, had three offspring: one son and two daughters.

In a statement issued on Thursday, his granddaughter Annie, along with daughters Elizabeth and Leslie, confirmed his death.

“To us, he was simply Dad and Grandpa, yet millions globally cherished and respected him for his remarkable acting career. We are devastated by this loss and will miss him profoundly,” they expressed.