Hollywood icon Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, had reportedly been deceased for an extended period before their bodies were discovered in separate rooms of their Santa Fe, New Mexico, residence earlier this week, according to a newly released warrant.
News of the 95-year-old actor’s passing, along with his 63-year-old wife, broke yesterday, sending shockwaves across social media as fans mourned and speculated about the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
Hackman’s daughter, Elizabeth, shared her thoughts in an interview with TMZ, suggesting that carbon monoxide poisoning may have been the cause. “The house is fairly modern, built in 2000, but we don’t know if there were any issues with gas leaks or if there were any recent service calls to the property,” she explained.
As investigators work to piece together what happened inside the home, new details have emerged. According to a search warrant from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, Hackman’s body was found in a mudroom, while Arakawa was discovered in a bathroom near a space heater.
The warrant also noted the presence of an open prescription bottle and scattered pills on the bathroom counter. However, authorities, including sheriff’s office spokesperson Denise Avila, confirmed that neither Hackman nor Arakawa displayed any signs of physical trauma or gunshot wounds.
The exact duration of their passing before discovery remains unclear, but MailOnline reports that their remains were in a partially mummified state.
Despite the devastating loss, Elizabeth reflected on her father’s peaceful life in retirement. After stepping away from Hollywood in 2004, Hackman and Arakawa embraced a quiet existence in New Mexico, where the Oscar-winning actor devoted himself to painting. According to Elizabeth, one of her father’s most cherished roles was in The French Connection, a performance that solidified his legacy as one of cinema’s greatest talents.
Over the span of his illustrious career, Hackman appeared in more than 70 films. In a 2009 interview, he revealed that his decision to retire from Hollywood was prompted by a concerning stress test result that raised red flags for his doctors.
“The straw that broke the camel’s back was actually a stress test that I took in New York,” he told Empire. “The doctor advised me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress.”
As for the circumstances surrounding his and Arakawa’s passing, the investigation remains ongoing.
911 Call Released in Gene Hackman’s Passing
The emotional distress of the caller was evident in the recently released 911 audio related to Gene Hackman’s death. The person who contacted emergency services told the dispatcher that they could not enter the house but had spotted two unresponsive individuals through a window.
“No, dude, they’re not moving. Just send somebody out here really quick,” the caretaker urgently told the dispatcher.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza emphasized that toxicology results would play a crucial role in determining what happened. Meanwhile, Leslie Hackman, one of Hackman’s three children, stated that the family has not ruled out the possibility that toxic fumes, potentially from a carbon monoxide leak, may have caused the deaths. However, the official affidavit noted that there were no immediate signs of a gas leak or plumbing issues in the home.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Leslie shared that the circumstances of her father and stepmother’s passing remain unclear. “There was no indication that there was any problem,” she said, adding that the family is still coming to terms with the devastating loss.
Despite Hackman’s advanced age, Leslie emphasized that he was in remarkably good shape. “He was in very good physical condition,” she explained. “He liked to do Pilates and yoga, and he was continuing to do that several times a week. So he was in good health.”