One of the biggest new stories we are hearing recently is in regard to Gene Hackman and his death. The Oscar-winning actor was found dead in his multimillion-dollar mansion, as was his wife and one of their dogs.
According to the Santa Fe County Sheriff, they were found in their home in New Mexico but they may not have been discovered immediately upon dying. It is thought that they could have been dead for up to nine days before the two of them were discovered.
Sheriff Adan Mendoza released a statement, saying: “An initial interrogation was conducted of Mr Hackman’s pacemaker. This revealed that his last event was recorded on February 17, 2025, I was advised that a more thorough investigation will be completed.
“I think that is a very good assumption that that was his last day of life.”
Hackman died along with his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, and the two of them were discovered on Wednesday, February 26. The County Sheriff later confirmed the fact that the two of them had died along with one of their dogs.
At this point, they are not considering any possibility of foul play associated with their deaths. At the same time, they have not determined why the two of them and the dog passed away, and an official cause of death has not been released. They were married for 30 years before passing.
An affidavit for a search warrant said Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa were discovered in separate areas of the home. She was found in the bathroom near a space heater and an open bottle of pills. Her body also showed signs of ‘mummification’, so she may have been dead for quite some time. Hackman’s body was also described as showing ‘obvious signs of death’.
There were two dogs still living and found on the property. They are not sure which of the humans in the house died first and they may never be able to make that determination.
According to one of Hackman’s three children, it is suspected that they may have died from inhaling toxic fumes, possibly from a carbon monoxide leak. It is noteworthy that the Santa Fe City Fire personnel and the New Mexico Gas Company ran tests and there was no determination of a hazardous substance in the home.
