BREAKING NEWSGene Hackman and Wife Betsy Arakawa's Causes of Death Revealed After Pair's Puzzling Passings
Gene Hackman and his wife's cause of death were recently revealed.
Dr. Heather Jarrell, Chief Medical Examiner for New Mexico at the office of the Medical Investigator, revealed the causes of death of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa.
According to Dr. Jarrell, Hackman passed away due to hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer's disease as a significant contributing factor. The authorities believe he died on February 18.
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's deaths have been called 'suspicious.'
On the other hand, Arakawa's cause of death was revealed as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, with the report stating, "the cause of death is natural."
Officials believe she passed away on the evening of February 11. The family received the autopsy findings before they were shared with the press.
Pills were found near Betsy Arakawa, which are being called 'very important evidence.'
Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 64, were tragically found dead inside their residence in Santa Fe, New Mexico, as confirmed by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office.
The Sheriff's Office reported the incident as follows: "On February 26, 2025, at approximately 1:45 pm, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to an address on Old Sunset Trail in Hyde Park where Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa and a dog were found deceased. Foul play is not suspected as a factor in those deaths at this time. However, [the] exact cause of death has not been determined."
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Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arawaka, were found dead on February 26.
After news broke of Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths, the pair were mourned by their loved ones in a statement.
"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy," Hackman’s daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie, and granddaughter Annie said. "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 'caretaker' made the 911 call after discovering Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's bodies.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza released a statement after the preliminary investigation was underway, saying the department was "waiting on approval of a search warrant."
After obtaining a warrant on Thursday, February 27, authorities reportedly called the circumstances "suspicious."
A detective wrote in the affidavit: "The death of the two deceased individuals to be 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 10-15 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."
