Hollywood legend Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead alongside one of their pet dogs at their home in Santa Fe as mystery continues to shroud their death

Police have shared an update after the death of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa.

The Hollywood actor and his beloved wife were sadly found dead at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Mystery continues to shroud their deaths, with police investigating their passing after a maintenance worker saw one of the bodies from the window whilst at the property to do some routine maintenance.

Today, at a press conference, Sheriff Adan Mendoza spoke about the incident. Both Gene and his wife tested negative for carbon monoxide. Mendoza added: “An initial interrogation was conducted of Mr. Hackman pacemaker. This revealed that his last event was recorded on February 17, 2025, I was advised that a more thorough investigation will be completed that’ll conclude my statement.” Currently, the police are unsure who died first. There is also no CCTV to assist with their investigation.

“There is no surveillance as we know it right now, in in in the interior of the residence or the exterior of the residents,” Mendoza added. Police will also not be releasing the names of the pills found with Betsy. He commented: “We’re going to go through the planner. We’re contacting workers, maintenance workers, family members, security. We’re going to be talking to security. There’s in and out that’s, I believe, is documented. So we’re working with them to try to determine, you know, when the last contact was, and that’ll help us put together that timeline.”

The Sheriff continued: “An autopsy was performed. Initial findings noted no external trauma to either individual. The manner and cause of death has not been determined. The official results of the autopsy and toxicology reports are pending.”

Hollywood icon Gene Hackman was found dead in his home at the age of 95 ( 
Image:
Getty Images)

Gene’s beloved wife Betsy was found partially mummified in their home ( 
Image:
Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

A 911 call was made and police rushed to the property. In a new update, police confirmed early on Friday that they will hold a press conference at 3pm local time (10pm UK time). At Gene and Betsy’s shared property earlier this week, police discovered two ‘mummified’ bodies and also that of a deceased dog. Two surviving dogs were found – one in the house and one in the garden. The police are now investigating due to a multitude of reasons including a number of puzzling observations at the house.

There was an “unsecured and opened door, (how) deputies observed a healthy dog running loose on the property, another healthy dog near the deceased female, a deceased dog laying 10-15 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.”

Sheriff Adan Mendoza said that the couple had not died from carbon monoxide poisoning ( 
Image:
Jonathan Buckmaster)

An initial autopsy found there was no signs of “external trauma” and carbon monoxide and toxicology tests were ongoing. 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. An autopsy was performed. Initial findings noted no external trauma to either individual. Carbon monoxide and toxicology tests were requested for both individuals. The manner and cause of death has not been determined. The official results of the autopsy and toxicology reports are pending. This remains an open investigation.”

The family – Gene’s daughters Elizabeth and Leslie, and granddaughter Annie – released a statement. Speaking to pay tribute to Gene and Betsy, 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.”

A statement from the Santa Fe County Sheriff in New Mexico said there is an “active investigation” into the pair’s death. They said: “We can confirm that both Gene Hackman and his wife were found deceased Wednesday afternoon at their residence on Sunset Trail. This is an active investigation – however, at this time we do not believe that foul play was a factor.”