Inside Gene Hackman's $6m Santa Fe mansion

News.com.au

23-04-2025

Santa Fe authorities have released photos taken inside Gene Hackman's $US3.8 million ($A6.1 million) home shortly after he and his wife, Betsy Arakawa's deaths.
The couple were both found dead in their New Mexico property on February 26. The Oscar-winner and his wife were 95 and 65, respectively.
Since their deaths, new details about the pair's living situation. According to a report, the compound had contained evidence of a rodent infestation.
The records obtained by CNN, stated that inspectors had found rodent faeces in three garages, two casitas, and three sheds, while the property's three detached garages were found to contain one live rodent, a dead rodent, and a rodent nest, Realtor reports.
Signs of a rodent infestation were also found inside two vehicles on the property, according to TMZ.
The local Sheriff's Department released photos and bodycam footage that were taken inside the primary residence, where the couple had been living for several decades before they died.
Though the home was found to have no evidence of rodent activity, the images reveal that the home was filled with the couple's personal items, while some rooms were piled high with boxes and clutter, some of which had been stacked on top of a large dog crate.
According to the New York Post, Hackman's daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie, had told authorities during a March 5 interview that their father and his wife were 'very private' and 'did not allow maids or cleaners into their home.'
The outlet also revealed that Arakawa had raised concerns about her husband's health shortly before she died, with police reporting that she had sent an email cancelling an appointment out of fears that Hackman might be contagious.
'Hi Katia, So, G woke up today with flu/cold-like symptoms, did a covid test, negative,' the email reads.
'But out of abundance of caution, I should cancel my appt tomorrow and rebook, say, in a couple of weeks, last week of Feb if something is available. Thank you! Best, B.'
One of the images taken inside the bathroom where Arakawa's body was found shows that there was a used Covid test in the garbage, alongside an empty bottle of coconut water.
Other photos of the bathroom show that the tub had been filled with opened packages, including boxes from the fashion website, GILT, and pet delivery company, Chewy.
A large dog crate that had been placed next to the bathtub was piled high with various pieces of unopened mail.
The countertop around the sink was littered with various skincare and makeup products, alongside two prescription bottles—one open and one closed. Both bottles had Arakawa's name listed as the patient.
A drawer under the sink was also filled with various medications, including a box of heartworm tablets for dogs.
In the kitchen, items on the countertops, including cooking utensils and various ingredients like oil, spices, and seasonings, are neatly arranged, while the fridges in the home appear fully stocked with food.
Garlic, sweet potatoes, and other vegetables are seen piled atop plates that sat on the counter, while empty Whole Foods bags that appear to have been used for recycling are pictured lined up beside a small set of shelves.
Evidence of the couple's beloved dogs is found in almost every room—they are featured in photos, a dog bed is pictured in the bathroom, and dog bowls can be seen on the kitchen floor.
One photo shows a dresser in the couple's personal rooms that was filled with framed pictures of the two of them together over the years, as well as several images of their dogs.
Perfume bottles are also seen atop the furniture piece, as well as a number of framed pieces of artwork.
As well as the photos taken inside the home, the Sheriff's Department also released new bodycam footage that documents officers walking through the couple's residence
The video shows one of the couple's German shepherds lying down just a few feet from Arakawa's body, seemingly guarding it from harm, a sight that prompted one of the attending officers to remark: 'Poor guy, he's sad.'
At one point, officers are seen opening windows to bring fresh air into the home, with one remarking that it 'smells like gas.'
The released footage and photos come not long after the Sheriff's Department shared video that had been taken outside of the home, capturing the grief of the workers who discovered Hackman and Arakawa's bodies.
All of the footage released at that point was taken outside of the home after lawyer Julie Peters, who has been appointed as the executor of Hackman and Arakawa's estates, filed a petition on March 13 to try to block the release of any footage or photos that show the property's interior or her late clients' bodies.
Hackman and Arakawa resided on the large compound until their deaths.
According to Realtor, the 'Unforgiven' star purchased the property in the 1980s for an undisclosed amount and spent years working to turn the home into an idyllic escape from the pressures of Hollywood.
The residence boasts at least four bedrooms and 360-degree mountain views that stretch as far as Colorado.
Despite their deaths and it being a 'breeding ground' for rodents real estate agents believe Hackman and Arakawa's home won't be 'tough' to sell.
Ken Martinez of Keller Williams Realty, Jer Collins of Exp Realty and Shak Bani from Santa Fe Properties told TMZ that the mansion's rat issues will be fixed and the home's secluded location will be a big hit among prospective buyers.
Realtors in New Mexico aren't required to disclose to potential buyers that both Hackman and his wife died in the 12-acre home, Page Six reports.
However, the real estate agents don't think that factor would matter much anyway.
The realtors said it was 'standard' for homes in the Santa Fe, NM, area to have pests and rodents and whoever owns the mansion next can do a better prevention.
Mr Collins told TMZ that the news coverage surrounding the home may fascinate some buyers.
There's no indication Hackman's home is going up for sale any time soon.
Arakawa died nearly a week earlier than her husband after she contracted a rare rodent-transmitted virus called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), according to an autopsy report.
Meanwhile, the 'Superman' star's cause of death was listed as hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with 'evidence of advanced Alzheimer's disease' as a significant contributory factor.
It's likely that Hackman did not know Arakawa was dead due to his Alzheimer's disease.
The couple, who tied the knot in 1991, were laid to rest following a small, private memorial that was attended by Hackman's three children — Christopher, 65, Elizabeth, 63, and Leslie, 58, whom he welcomed with his first wife, Faye Maltese.