New Evidence Reveals That Gene Hackman's Wife, Betsy Arakawa, Was Alive For At Least One Full Day After Authorities Thought She'd Died

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18-03-2025

Earlier this month, the tragic details surrounding Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa's deaths were shared in a press conference, with authorities determining that Betsy, 63, had died a full week before her 95-year-old husband, who was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease.
For reference, the couple and one of their pet dogs were found dead in their Santa Fe home on Feb. 26, with it initially speculated that they had died due to carbon monoxide poisoning. It was later confirmed that the Santa Fe City Fire Department had not found any evidence of a leak in the property.
The search warrant affidavit also revealed that Hackman and Arakawa's bodies were found after two maintenance workers for the gated community where they lived called 911, and that nobody had seen the couple for two weeks.
Arakawa's body was found on the floor of a bathroom on the ground floor of the residence, with an orange prescription bottle close by and pills scattered on the counter. The affidavit stated that her body 'showed obvious signs of death, body decomposition, bloating in her face and mummification in both hands and feet.'
Hackman's body was found in a 'similar' condition in what is thought to have been a mud room close to the kitchen. The deputies on the scene suspected he had 'suddenly fallen,' and sunglasses and a walking cane were found close to his body.
It was later confirmed that the dead dog, Zinna, was found in a crate in the bathroom closet. Authorities said the pet had been picked up from a veterinary hospital on Feb. 9, following a procedure, which might be why it was kept in a crate in the couple's home. Two healthy dogs were also found on the property.
In a press conference with the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator's chief medical examiner, Dr. Heather Jarrell, on Mar. 7, it was said that Hackman had likely died on Feb. 18, as this was the last day any heart activity was recorded by his pacemaker. It is thought that the actor died of cardiovascular disease with Alzheimer's disease as a "significant contributory factor.' No food was found in his stomach at the time of his death.
Meanwhile, it was thought that Arakawa had died on Feb. 11, with Dr. Jarrell saying that her cause of death was hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare infectious disease carried by rodents that can cause flulike symptoms and affect the lungs and heart.
However, new evidence came to light on Monday, when the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office confirmed that Arakawa was actually still alive on Feb. 12. They said that the classical pianist made multiple calls to a health clinic for medical treatment one day after she was initially believed to have died.
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The sheriff's office explained that they only learned of the calls when they received the cellphone data from her phone, and that three calls were made to Cloudberry Health, a personalized medical practice in the local area, on the morning of Feb. 12.
She also received a call from the clinic that same day.
Cloudberry Health's Dr. Josiah Child told the BBC that Arakawa reached out to them for medical advice, but they never treated either her or Hackman. He added to the publication: 'She called and described some congestion but didn't mention any respiratory distress, shortness of breath, or chest pain.' Dr. Child also said that Arakawa had an appointment scheduled for Feb. 12, but canceled it on Feb. 10 because she needed to care for her husband. When she called seeking treatment on Feb. 12, the clinic told Arakawa that she needed to be seen in person.
"There were a couple of calls back and forth to just schedule that appointment for the afternoon, but she never showed up," Dr Child said. "Our office called back several times and never got an answer."
Addressing the confusion over Arakawa's date of death, the sheriff's office noted that they never officially reported it to be on Feb. 11; this was just the date of her last known activity. On Feb. 11, Arakawa is said to have exchanged emails with a massage therapist, visited a grocery store, pharmacy, and pet store, and returned home at around 5:15 p.m., according to data obtained from a garage clicker.
Either way, it is still thought that Arakawa died days before Hackman, and Dr. Jarrell previously shed some light on how difficult Hackman's final week of life would have been. She explained that due to his advanced Alzheimer's, it is "quite possible that he was not aware that she [his wife] was deceased.'
Officials found no evidence that Hackman communicated with anybody after Arakawa's death, and they could not determine if he would have been able to care for himself. Neurologist Dr. Brendan Kelley said that Alzheimer's disease can leave patients unable to act on their own emotional discomfort, including eating, sleeping, and bathing themselves.
"A person might feel worried or frightened, but at the same time they might not be capable to take the actions that you or I might normally think to do in order to alleviate that worry or concern, such as calling somebody else, or going to speak to a neighbor,' he said during the Mar. 7 press conference.
The update to the case's timeline comes after the BBC revealed that Hackman had left his entire $80 million fortune to Arakawa in his will, leaving uncertainty over who will inherit his estate.
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Hackman has three children with his late ex-wife, Faye Maltese, 65-year-old Christopher, 62-year-old Elizabeth, and 58-year-old Leslie, but none of them were mentioned in his legal documents.