New Mexico police are investigating the deaths of longtime Hollywood actor Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa, and their dog. According to the Associated Press, deputies discovered the family’s deceased bodies during a wellness check on February 26. Hackman was 95 years old, and Betsy was 65.
Editor’s Note: This article was published on February 27 and updated on March 1 to include new information about the family’s deaths. Keep reading to the end for all updates.
More Details About The Triple Death Discovery
As mentioned, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office deputies realized that the family had perished while checking in on Wednesday at about 1:45 p.m. local time. TMZ obtained an audio recording of a 911 call made by a male employee who spotted the bodies through the window of the home.
TMZ reportedly spoke to local Sheriff Adan Mendoza, who revealed that deputies found the deceased bodies of the couple and one of their dogs. The couple’s other two dogs were alive. After finding the corpses, the sheriff said their deputies pulled back and obtained a warrant to investigate further.
TMZ also obtained information from the search warrant, which paints a better picture of the scene in the home. Apparently, deputies found the door of the home unsecured and opened. One living dog was roaming the property freely, while another was near Betsy’s body. The dog that died was between 10 to 15 feet away from Betsy, too, inside a bathroom closet.
Additionally, there was allegedly a pill bottle open with pills scattered on a counter close to Betsy. A space heater was also seemingly moved out of place and near her body. Her face allegedly showed some decomposition signs, including facial bloating and mummification featured on her hands and feet.
Meanwhile, Gene Hackman’s body was allegedly found in another room in the home. His sunglasses were reportedly nearby. According to Sheriff Mendoza, investigators believe Hackman has been deceased since February 18, per his peacemaker stats, which stopped that day.
What About The Cause Of Death?
Despite this potential timeline for Gene’s death, it’s unclear when Betsy and their dog passed away or what caused the triple death. Initial reports, including from AP, didn’t suspect any foul play in the deaths. Also, TMZ reports that there was no visible trauma to the bodies upon discovery.
This week, Sheriff Adan Mendoza allegedly said the couple and their dog could’ve passed away in a double homicide, suicide, accidental death, or natural causes. So, it appears that officials aren’t ruling anything out as the investigation continues.
Recent testing shows negative results for carbon monoxide in Gene and Betsy Arakawa, but the Santa Fe fire chief hasn’t fully ditched the poisoning theory yet. Given the discovery timeline, it’s possible that any harmful fumes that were in the home have already dissipated.
More Details About Gene Hackman & His Wife
If you didn’t know, Gene Hackman did his thing on the screen from the 1960s to the early 2000s. He’s been awarded for his talents, including two Oscar wins out of five nominations. His notable roles in ‘The French Connection’ and ‘Unforgiven’ led to his Academy Award wins. Hackman retired from acting about 20 years ago, per AP. His Hollywood pop-ins in recent years have been limited to red-carpet events, but even those appearances have been rare.
Meanwhile, he and Betsy Arakawa were married for decades after meeting in the mid-1980s. They’ve been residents in the Santa Fe area for about that long, too. The home the couple seemingly died in was worth a little over $1 million and sits behind a gated community after being built in 2000. The property reportedly doesn’t have any surveillance cameras on the inside or out.
Gene Hackman’s death isn’t the only one to rock Hollywood this week. Reports on Wednesday revealed the passing of ‘Gossip Girl’ and ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ star Michelle Trachtenberg at age 39. Like Hackman, officials are still investigating her death, but the New York City Police Department reportedly does not suspect foul play.
