Gene Hackman and wife, Betsy Arakawa 'may have been dead for weeks' before being found

According to TMZ who spoke with Santa Fe Fire Chief Brian Moya, due to the size of the property, it took responders some time to locate Gene’s body after finding Betsy’s body.

Moya told TMZ that paramedics responded to a "man down" call at Hackman’s residence on Wednesday, bringing both a fire engine and an ambulance. Upon entering the home through an unlocked front door, first responders found Betsy’s body on the floor of a bathroom near the entrance.

“Our team is trained to spot obvious signs of death, and it was clear Betsy had passed, so no resuscitation efforts were made,” Moya explained.

According to a search warrant affidavit obtained by TMZ, a Santa Fe detective expressed concerns due to several factors: the front door was found unsecured and open; a healthy dog was running loose on the property; another healthy dog was near Arakawa's body; a deceased dog was located 10-15 feet from Arakawa in a bathroom closet; a space heater had been moved; an open pill bottle with scattered pills was found next to Arakawa; Hackman was discovered in a separate room; and there were no obvious signs of a gas leak.

Arakawa was found lying on her right side in the bathroom near a countertop, with a black space heater close to her head. The deputy suggested the heater might have fallen if she collapsed suddenly. An open prescription bottle with pills scattered on the countertop was also observed. Her body showed signs of decomposition, including facial bloating and mummification of the hands and feet.

EMS workers waited for sheriff’s deputies to arrive before conducting a full sweep of the massive home. According to Moya, deputies eventually located Gene’s body in the mudroom kitchen. “Gene was obviously dead too, so no resuscitation efforts were performed,” Moya said.

During the initial response, paramedics were not aware of the presence of pills found near Betsy's body or a deceased dog discovered in a bathroom closet. However, Moya noted that there was nothing unusual at the scene aside from the two bodies.

Fire personnel checked the home for toxic fumes upon arrival, but testing did not detect the presence of carbon monoxide or any other hazardous substances. New Mexico Gas Company workers later conducted a secondary check, confirming the home was safe.

All information gathered was handed over to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office for further investigation. Sheriff Adan Mendoza told TODAY that the couple may have been deceased for several days or possibly even weeks before their bodies were discovered.

Moya said no cause of death has been determined yet and urged the public not to jump to conclusions. “The autopsy results will be key to getting the answers they need,” he stated.

A preliminary medical investigation has also found that neither of the deceased suffered external trauma leading to their death.

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 alarm was raised on the welfare of the couple after a maintenance worker doing pest control at the home became increasingly concerned over the fact he had not encountered either Hackman or Arakawa. The worker called 911 and told the responder that he could see what appeared to be Arakawa laying down.

Hackman’s daughter Elizabeth and Leslie, whom he fathered with ex-wife Faye Maltese, and his granddaughter Annie said they were “devastated by the loss”. In a statement, they said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy.

“He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”