Santa Fe, New Mexico. On Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, the bodies of actor/writer Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64, were found in their 3.3 million dollar estate. Time of death can be ascertained from Hackman’s pacemaker: Feb. 17th, meaning he had been dead for ten days. A pair of sunglasses and a cane were found near his body in the foyer.
Betsy Arakawa accompanies actor Gene Hackman. She was formerly a classical pianist.
Betsy Arakawa was found in the bathroom near a bottle of spilled prescription pills. Police have seized three types of medication: Diltiazem (for high blood pressure), a thyroid supplement and Tylenol. Two cell phones and a yearly planner were also confiscated.
Their secluded home. Hackman & wife helped design their estate which appeared in “Architectural Digest”
Strangely, their dog was also found dead. Conflicting reports state the dog was either in a closet or a crate. Two other dogs survived. All three were German Shepherds.
WHAT HAPPENED? – CLUES
Originally, police reported no foul play and assumed it was caused by a gas leak. Since then, these tests have proven negative.
Possibilities. Mr. Hackman may have died from a heart attack or stroke. His wife may have run in the bathroom for medication, then suddenly suffered the same fate.
The dog who died may have been on his way to the veterinarian or was dying. If this was Hackman’s favorite dog, the stress could have killed Hackman.
MURDER
It’s impossible to rule out murder. How or why is unknown. It is unfortunate that celebrities attract some insane fans. Death could have been caused by poisoning. It’s almost unheard of for two people to die suddenly without explanation and be left alone for a week and a half.
CAREER
Gene Hackman was one of the most popular actors of the 1970’s. He received two Academy Awards for “The French Connection” (1971) and “Unforgiven” (1992.) There were three other Oscar nominations for “Bonnie & Clyde” (1967), “I Never Sang for My Father” (1970) and “Mississippi Burning” (1988.)
BAFTA Awards. The British equivalent of the Oscar won Hackman three awards for “The French Connection”, “The Poseidon Adventure” and “Unforgiven”.
The Golden Globes (Hollywood Foreign Press) awarded him for “The French Connection”, “Unforgiven” and “The Royal Tenenbaums” and he was given the Cecil B. DeMille Award. (Similar to a lifetime achievement award.)
“The Conversation” (1974) also received two nominations for his acting. (BAFTA and the Globes.)
Commercial Hits. Gene Hackman was both a critics and audience favorite: “Superman” (1978) and “Superman II” (1981), “Uncommon Valor” (1983), “Hoosiers” (1986), “The Firm” (1993) “Get Shorty” (1995) and “The Birdcage” (1996.) The list goes on…
It could take weeks, months or these deaths may go unresolved.
Text © 2025 – EricReports
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