Getty
American actor Gene Hackman, renowned for his roles in The French Connection and Unforgiven, was found dead at 95 alongside his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 63, in their Santa Fe, New Mexico residence on February 26, 2025.
Following two weeks of investigation into the couple’s passing, New Mexico’s chief medical examiner Heather Jarrell revealed the couple’s cause of death – concluding that Arakawa died one week prior to Hackman as a result of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome – a rare infectious disease spread by rodents.
The investigation also shared that Arakawa was believed to have passed on February 11, with Hackman and the couple’s three dogs remaining inside the property until the actor’s death on February 18.
“Mr Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer’s disease. He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that’s what resulted in his death,” Jarrell told reporters, adding, “It’s quite possible he was not aware she was deceased.”
Hackman’s official cause of death was deemed as “hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributory factor,” with the autopsy revealing “evidence of prior heart attacks and severe changes of the kidneys due to chronic high blood pressure.”
The death of the couple’s 12-year-old Australian Kelpie Zinna, which was previously misidentified by investigators, remains the subject of an ongoing investigation however, the Santa Fe County Sherriff’s Department have since shared that the dog had been locked in a crate following a medical procedure on February 9, with autopsy results confirming that there was no food in the dog’s stomach.
It was also confirmed that the couple did not pass as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning or potential overdose. The Sheriff’s Office has described the deaths as suspicious however, autopsy results indicated no obvious signs of foul play.
Following the autopsy findings, Santa Fe Sheriff Adam Mendoza stated that while a cause of death has been confirmed, investigations into the couple’s passing will be ongoing.
“We consider this an open investigation until we close the loopholes of [Arakawa’s] cell phone until we finish out the necropsy results of the canine, and the other loose ends that we need to tie up.”
Hackman was married twice in his lifetime. He first wed Faye Maltese in 1956, and the couple had three children together: Christopher, Elizabeth, and Leslie. After their divorce in 1986, Hackman later found love again with Betsy Arakawa, a classical pianist, whom he married in 1991.
Sharing a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Hackman’s daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie, along with granddaughter Annie wrote, “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.”
The couple, married for over three decades, had resided in Santa Fe since the late 1980s. Hackman, a two-time Academy Award winner, retired from acting in 2004 and had since pursued writing.
Tributes from the film industry have begun to emerge, with director Francis Ford Coppola describing Hackman as “a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity.”
“There was no finer actor than Gene. Intense and instinctive. Never a false note. He was also a dear friend whom I will miss very much,” Clint Eastwood shared.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
