Tragedy in the Hackman’s house: details of the death of the famous couple
28 february 2025 в 05:13
Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead along with their dog in their home in New Mexico on Wednesday, February 26, 2025.
Learn more about the reasons for their deaths and details of their relationship below.
The sheriff did not confirm the cause of death, but although the police initially stated that there were no suspicions of foul play, they now described the circumstances as «suspicious» in the search warrant.
In the initial report by Mendosa, authorities found an elderly man and his wife, both around 60 years old, dead. He assured the public, saying: «I want to assure the community and neighbors that there is no immediate danger to anyone. We do not believe that foul play was a factor in their deaths; however, the exact cause of death has not yet been determined».
Now, according to investigators, the scene was «suspicious enough in nature to warrant a thorough search and investigation» after several items were found, including an open and unlocked front door, a healthy dog running around the property, another «healthy dog» found near Arakawa, and a dead dog, as well as a moved heater found near Arakawa.
The search warrant further clarified that the couple was found in different rooms of their home in Santa Fe, and they had been dead for some time. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office noted that Hackman was found in a mudroom, and Arakawa was found in a bathroom next to the heater. An open bottle of prescription pills was found on the countertop next to Arakawa.
The Daily Mail also reported that firefighters were called to the property, but there were no signs of a gas leak. The publication added that Hackman was fully clothed, and his sunglasses were found next to his body, which may indicate that he died from a sudden fall.
The bodies of Hackman and Arakawa, described by the Daily Mail as «partially mummified», - were not officially identified until 12:30 on Thursday (2:30 Eastern Time). The couple had three dogs, and two of them were found alive, wandering around the property.
Hackman and Arakawa had been married since 1991. They began dating in the mid-1980s after Hackman divorced his first wife, Fay Maltese, whom he married in 1956 and divorced thirty years later.
In a 1989 profile in The New York Times, it was noted that Hackman had been living quietly for the past five years with «a 28-year-old woman named Betsy Arakawa, a classical pianist he met when she was working part-time at a fitness center in California».
Prior to this profile, Hackman clarified in a 1985 interview with the Florida South Sun-Sentinel that his divorce from Maltese was not due to him leaving her for a younger woman. He explained: «We just grew apart. We lost sight of each other. When you work in this business, marriage takes a lot of work and love».
By 1990, Hackman and Arakawa had settled in a newly built home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where they lived until their deaths.
Hackman and Arakawa did not have children together.
However, the actor had three children with his ex-wife Maltese. His son Christopher Allen Hackman was born in 1960, followed by daughter Elizabeth Jean Hackman in 1962 and daughter Leslie Ann Hackman in 1966
Learn more about the reasons for their deaths and details of their relationship below.
The sheriff did not confirm the cause of death, but although the police initially stated that there were no suspicions of foul play, they now described the circumstances as «suspicious» in the search warrant.
In the initial report by Mendosa, authorities found an elderly man and his wife, both around 60 years old, dead. He assured the public, saying: «I want to assure the community and neighbors that there is no immediate danger to anyone. We do not believe that foul play was a factor in their deaths; however, the exact cause of death has not yet been determined».
Now, according to investigators, the scene was «suspicious enough in nature to warrant a thorough search and investigation» after several items were found, including an open and unlocked front door, a healthy dog running around the property, another «healthy dog» found near Arakawa, and a dead dog, as well as a moved heater found near Arakawa.
The search warrant further clarified that the couple was found in different rooms of their home in Santa Fe, and they had been dead for some time. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office noted that Hackman was found in a mudroom, and Arakawa was found in a bathroom next to the heater. An open bottle of prescription pills was found on the countertop next to Arakawa.
The Daily Mail also reported that firefighters were called to the property, but there were no signs of a gas leak. The publication added that Hackman was fully clothed, and his sunglasses were found next to his body, which may indicate that he died from a sudden fall.
The bodies of Hackman and Arakawa, described by the Daily Mail as «partially mummified», - were not officially identified until 12:30 on Thursday (2:30 Eastern Time). The couple had three dogs, and two of them were found alive, wandering around the property.
Hackman and Arakawa had been married since 1991. They began dating in the mid-1980s after Hackman divorced his first wife, Fay Maltese, whom he married in 1956 and divorced thirty years later.
In a 1989 profile in The New York Times, it was noted that Hackman had been living quietly for the past five years with «a 28-year-old woman named Betsy Arakawa, a classical pianist he met when she was working part-time at a fitness center in California».
Prior to this profile, Hackman clarified in a 1985 interview with the Florida South Sun-Sentinel that his divorce from Maltese was not due to him leaving her for a younger woman. He explained: «We just grew apart. We lost sight of each other. When you work in this business, marriage takes a lot of work and love».
By 1990, Hackman and Arakawa had settled in a newly built home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where they lived until their deaths.
Hackman and Arakawa did not have children together.
However, the actor had three children with his ex-wife Maltese. His son Christopher Allen Hackman was born in 1960, followed by daughter Elizabeth Jean Hackman in 1962 and daughter Leslie Ann Hackman in 1966
© Smirnova Olga
