On February 26, Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 63,
were discovered deceased in their Santa Fe residence. Authorities have
acknowledged that one of their dogs died, but they have not revealed the
cause of death. According to Sheriff Adan Mendoza, an initial inquiry is
still in progress. In a statement, Hackman’s granddaughter Annie and
daughters Elizabeth and Leslie said, “To the world, he was a brilliant actor,
but to us, he was Dad and Grandpa.” He will be greatly missed. Despite the
fact that no external trauma was discovered, authorities have not ruled out
foul play. The front door was unlocked when a maintenance worker found the
couple. Betsy had a spilled prescription bottle next to her on the bathroom floor
by a space heater. Hackman appeared to have fallen suddenly because he was
discovered in another room with sunglasses and a cane. Betsy was in a state of decay.
The Santa Fe Fire Department and New Mexico Gas Company did not discover any leaks,
so investigators ruled out carbon monoxide poisoning. Since the situation is still
“suspicious enough” to call for additional investigation, police are conducting a thorough search.