Actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were discovered deceased in their New Mexico home, according to local law enforcement on Thursday. Officials labeled their deaths as “suspicious” and noted that Arakawa was found with pills scattered on a nearby counter.
Key Facts
– Hackman, 95, Arakawa, 64, along with one of their dogs, a German shepherd, were found unresponsive after police conducted a welfare check around 1:45 p.m. local time on Wednesday, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Denise Womack-Avila informed Forbes.
– Sheriff Adan Mendoza told reporters that there were no immediate signs of foul play but they remain open to the possibility. Everything is being considered in their ongoing investigation.
– Deputies responded to Hackman’s residence after a concerned neighbor reported issues, and an associate of the couple also made an emergency call after finding the bodies. Two other dogs were discovered alive in the home.
– Hackman was located on the floor of the mud room, while Arakawa was found lying on her side in a bathroom with pills scattered near an open prescription bottle, as per an affidavit mentioned by ABC News.
What Was Gene Hackman’s Cause Of Death
Details regarding the causes of their deaths remain unclear. However, the search warrant affidavit indicated that their situation was suspicious enough to warrant an extensive investigation due to “circumstances surrounding” the scene. Elizabeth Jean Hackman, the actor’s daughter, expressed her belief that her parents might have succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning, though inspections from the Santa Fe City Fire Department and the New Mexico Gas Company detected no carbon monoxide leaks in the residence. The affidavit also indicated that Hackman appeared to have suffered a sudden fall, and both he and Arakawa, whose body displayed signs of decomposition, showed clear evidence of death.
Big Number
2: The total number of Academy Awards Hackman won during his career, including “Best Actor” for his lead role in “The French Connection” (1971) and “Best Supporting Actor” for “Unforgiven” (1993). Hackman received five Oscar nominations overall.
Crucial Quote
Director Francis Ford Coppola, who collaborated with Hackman on “The Conversation” (1974), honored him on social media: “The loss of a great artist is always a cause for both mourning and celebration. Gene Hackman was a remarkable actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work. I mourn his loss and celebrate his contributions.” Edgar Wright called Hackman “The greatest…” while George Takei remarked, “We have lost one of the true giants of the screen. Gene Hackman could embody anyone, conveying a full life behind each role.”
Key Background
Hackman, who enjoyed a prolific acting career from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s, reportedly met Arakawa in the mid-1980s when she was working at a gym in California. Arakawa, a classically trained pianist from Hawaii, later moved in with Hackman near Santa Fe, where they constructed a new 2,300-square-foot home in 2000, valued over $1 million, according to the Associated Press. Hackman had three children from his previous marriage with Faye Maltese, who passed away in 2017. In 2012, he was airlifted to a hospital after an incident involving a car, though he sustained only minor injuries.
