Preliminary autopsies conducted on the bodies of the late Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, showed no signs of “external trauma to either individual.”
The Oscar winner and his wife were examined by the Santa Fe, New Mexico, medical investigator’s office Thursday, February 27, after they were found dead at their Santa Fe home a day earlier.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office in New Mexico conducted examinations on the Oscar winner and his wife Thursday, February 27, after they were found dead at their Santa Fe home a day earlier.
In a news release obtained by CNN and People, the sheriff’s office said Thursday that the couple’s causes of death has yet to be determined. “This remains an open investigation,” the department said, noting that official autopsy and toxicology reports are still pending.
The sheriff’s office also noted that carbon monoxide and toxicology tests have been requested for both Hackman and Arakawa, per CNN.
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Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza reiterated in Thursday’s news release that there were “no apparent signs of foul play” in the deaths, but said the circumstances were “unusual.” (An initial statement from the sheriff’s office, obtained by Us Weekly, said that “foul play is not suspected as a factor” in the deaths.”)
Us Weekly has reached out to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department for comment.
Earlier Thursday, a Santa Fe detective deemed the circumstances of the couple’s death to be “suspicious” in an affidavit to obtain a search warrant.
The detective wrote that the circumstances were “suspicious enough” 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.”
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The bodies of Hackman and his wife were discovered, along with one of their three dogs, on Wednesday, February 26. The affidavit noted that Arakawa displayed signs of “mummification” and “bloating,” suggesting that she may have been dead for some time before being discovered.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the couple’s deaths in a statement to Us on Thursday.
“On February 26, 2025, at approximately 1:45 p.m., Santa Fe County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to an address on Old Sunset Trail in Hyde Park where Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64, and a dog were found deceased,” the statement said.
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“Foul play is not suspected as a factor in those deaths at this time, however, [the] exact cause of death has not been determined. This is an active and ongoing investigation by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office,” the statement continued.
“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,” Hackman’s daughters and granddaughter told Us in a statement Thursday. “We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”
