Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their New Mexico home on February 26, 2025. Initially, police reported no signs of foul play. However, hours later, a search warrant revealed “suspicious” activity surrounding the couple’s death. Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 63, were discovered under mysterious circumstances, with reports mentioning the “mummification” of Arakawa, which raised concerns.
Now, the causes of death for both the actor and the pianist have been revealed.
Below, we’re breaking down everything we know about the details surrounding Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths.
According to initial reports, the Santa Fe sheriff informed the community that they did not suspect foul play.
“I want to assure the community and neighborhood that there’s no immediate danger to anyone,” Sheriff Adan Mendoza said. “We do not believe foul play was a factor in their deaths; however, exact cause of death has not been determined at this time. … All I can say is that we’re in the middle of a preliminary death investigation, waiting on approval of a search warrant.”
Hours after the news broke, a search warrant obtained by TMZ indicated that a Sante Fe detective wrote in an affidavit that Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths were “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation because the reporting party found the front door of the residence unsecured and opened, deputies observed a healthy dog running loose on the property, another healthy dog near the deceased female, a deceased dog laying 10 to 15 feet from the deceased female in a closet of the bathroom, the heater being moved, the pill bottle being opened and pills scattered next to the female, the male decedent being located in a separate room of the residence, and no obvious signs of a gas leak.”
The outlet further reported that Arakawa was discovered on the ground in a bathroom, with a space heater near her head. The deputy believed that the heater could have fallen if she fell to the ground, per TMZ. The deputy also saw a prescription bottle of pills scattered on a countertop near Arakawa, and her body was in a state of decomposition because her face was bloated and there were signs of mummification in her hands and feet.
