New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife

Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, in 2003

The couple's German shepherd was also found dead

(Image credit: Jeffrey Mayer / WireImage)

published 28 February 2025

What happened

Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their New Mexico home on Wednesday, investigators said Thursday. "There was no obvious sign or indication of foul play," Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza told reporters. But the "circumstances surrounding the death" were "suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation," the sheriff's office said in an affidavit for a search warrant.

Who said what

Hackman, 95, was found in an entryway after having apparently "suddenly fallen," the affidavit said, while Arakawa, 65, was discovered on her side in the bathroom, with a kenneled German shepherd dead nearby in a bathroom closet. The couple were discovered by workers at their Santa Fe gated community and they were believed to have been dead for several days, the affidavit said.

Arawaka's body showed signs of decomposition and "mummification in both hands and feet," and Hackman's body was in a similar state, the sheriff's department said. Preliminary autopsy results showed "no external trauma to either individual" and examinations of the house by the gas company and fire department found no signs of a gas or carbon monoxide leak. Results of carbon monoxide and toxicology tests are pending.

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What next?

The affidavit suggests police have a working theory about "some kind of gas poisoning" but are keeping an open mind, Loyola Marymount law professor Laurie Levenson told The Associated Press. Reports with the final cause of death "generally take anywhere from 4-6 weeks to generate," New Mexico medical investigator's office spokesperson Chris Ramirez said to CNN.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.