‘Mummified’ bodies and scattered pills: What we know about Gene Hackman and wife’s ‘suspicious’ deaths

The world has been rocked by the death of Gene Hackman, whose body was found with that of his 65-year-old wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa.

Hackman, a two-time Oscar winner who starred in films including The French Connection, Unforgiven and The Royal Tenenbaums, was 95.

The couple, who had been married since 1991, were found Wednesday dead in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, along with one of their pet dogs. Two healthy dogs were also on the property.

A pair of maintenance workers found the bodies on Wednesday then alerted police, telling officers they hadn’t seen the homeowners in about two weeks.

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza initially said that foul play was not suspected, although a search warrant affidavit has since ruled their deaths “suspicious” enough to require further investigation.

The affidavit states that the front door of the residence was found unsecured and opened. There were no immediate signs of a break-in.

Arakawa was found in a bathroom, with an open pill bottle and medication scattered nearby.

Police also found a space heater near Arakawa’s head, leading a deputy to write in the search warrant it may have fallen if Arakawa suddenly hit the floor.

The dead dog, a German Shepherd, was 10-15 feet from Arakawa, in a closet in the bathroom. One of the healthy dogs was observed running loose on the property.

Arakawa’s body “showed obvious signs of death, body decomposition, bloating in her face and mummification in both hands and feet,” according to the warrant, obtained by Variety and TMZ.

Hackman’s body was found in “similar and consistent” condition.

The actor was discovered on the ground near the kitchen in a “mudroom”, an entryway where shoes and coats are often removed, and he appeared to have fallen “suddenly”. A cane and sunglasses were found on the ground nearby.

Police say there’s no immediately clear cause of death, and that they have not discovered any kind of note or final statement. “There was no indication of a struggle,” Mendoza told the media.

“There was no indication of anything that was missing from the home or disturbed that would be an indication that there was a crime that had occurred.”

Preliminary findings from a medical investigation found that the pair suffered “no external trauma”.

A statement from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said: “In the early hours of Thursday, February 27 2025, Hackman and Arakawa were transported to the Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI).

“An autopsy was performed. Initial findings noted no external trauma to either individual.”

The official results of the post-mortem examinations and toxicology reports are pending and the manner and cause of death have not yet been determined, according to the sheriff’s office. It could take weeks for the results to come in.

Putting together the timeline has been a “challenge,” Mendoza said. The sheriff’s office plans to dig through the planner and cellphones, which authorities found at the Santa Fe home, to help establish a timeline.

But one recent development might provide some crucial context. Recordings from Hackman’s pacemaker revealed that he could have died as early as February 17, more than a week before the couple’s bodies were discovered.

"An initial interrogation was conducted of Mr Hackman's pacemaker. This revealed that his last event was recorded on February 17, 2025,” Mendoza said at a Friday afternoon press conference. “I was advised that a more thorough investigation will be completed,” he added, but “according to the pathologist, I think that is a very good assumption that that was his last day of life.”

It’s not immediately clear whether Hackman and Arawaka died at the same time; the cause of death is under investigation.

Hackman’s daughter Elizabeth Jean had earlier speculated that carbon monoxide poisoning may have been the cause.

Testing and observation of the house’s systems from the Santa Fe Fire Department and New Mexico Gas Company did not reveal immediate signs of a leak. Both tested negative for carbon monoxide poisoning, Mendoza said Friday.

In a 911 call, a distressed maintenance worker, who last saw the couple two weeks OK, said he was unable to get inside the house when asked if the people inside were breathing.

“I have no idea,” he said. “I am not inside the house. It’s closed. It’s locked. I can’t go in. But I can see she’s lying down on the floor from the window.”

Since retiring from acting in 2004, Hackman had been open about his health struggles, revealing in 2009 that his doctor wanted him to quit Hollywood due to the stress on his heart.

Hackman told Empire: “The straw that broke the camel’s back was actually a stress test that I took in New York. The doctor advised me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress.”

The actor previously told CNN interviewer Larry King that he had angioplasty surgery to heal his angina in the 1990s.

Angioplasty is a medical procedure that restores blood flow to the heart muscle after the coronary arteries become blocked.

“I try to take care of myself,” he said at the time. “I don’t have a lot of fears. I have the normal fear of passing away. You know, I guess we all think about that, especially when you get to be a certain age.

“I want to make sure that my wife and my family are taken care of. Other than that, I don’t have a lot of fears.”

Hackman had three children – Christopher, Elizabeth and Leslie – with his first wife, Faye Maltese. The pair were married from 1956 to 1986. Maltese died in 2017.