Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa deaths linked to hantavirus as bodycam footage reveals tragic home scene
Police bodycam footage released by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office reveals heartbreaking scenes inside the home of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, whose bodies were discovered in February. The 11-minute video shows deputies entering the couple's $4 million Santa Fe residence, where their German shepherd sat beside Arakawa's lifeless body, visibly distressed.
Authorities discovered Arakawa, 65, in the bathroom on February 26, the same day Hackman's body was found nearby in a mudroom. A deputy noted signs of rigor mortis, adding that it appeared Hackman had collapsed while trying to exit the home. A second dog, a 12-year-old Kelpie mix, was found deceased in a nearby crate — likely from starvation and dehydration, according to a necropsy report.
Carbon monoxide poisoning was initially considered but later ruled out. Medical examiners determined Arakawa died around February 12 from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare illness contracted through rodent droppings and urine. Hackman, reportedly unaware of her death due to severe health decline, passed away six days later from heart disease, worsened by Alzheimer's and kidney disease.
The home was cluttered with clothes, documents, and personal items. A follow-up inspection by the New Mexico Department of Public Health revealed rodent infestations in the property's garages, sheds, and casitas. The department described the home as a 'breeding ground' for hantavirus, though the main living areas were relatively clean.
Arakawa had searched online for flu and COVID-related symptoms in the days before her death. Her will specified that if she and Hackman died within 90 days of each other, their estate would be donated to charity. Hackman and Arakawa were laid to rest in a private Santa Fe ceremony, attended by the actor's three children.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Express Tribune
Eastwood slams 'phony' Austrian daily interview
An Austrian newspaper came under fire Tuesday after Hollywood star Clint Eastwood said an alleged interview with him published by the paper to mark his 95th birthday was "entirely phony". The row was sparked by a purported interview with the Oscar-winning actor and director carried by the German-language Kurier newspaper Friday. In the interview, which was picked up widely by American media over the weekend, Eastwood criticises a lack of fresh ideas in the current film industry as "we live in an era of remakes and franchises". "I long for the good old days when screenwriters wrote films like Casablanca in small bungalows on the studio lot. When everyone had a new idea," he was quoted as saying. "My philosophy is, do something new or stay at home." In a statement to Deadline magazine published Monday, Eastwood said "I thought I would set the record straight". "I can confirm I've turned 95. I can also confirm that I never gave an interview to an Austrian publication called Kurier, or any other writer in recent weeks, and that the interview is entirely phony," he added. On Tuesday, the Vienna-based Kurier's editorial team said its freelancer Elisabeth Sereda had compiled the interview by citing from "a total of 18" round table conversations with Eastwood. But since the article was published as an interview and not as a profile, the daily said it would cut ties with the author. "Even though no quotes have been fabricated, the interviews are documented and the allegations of falsification can be refuted, we will not be working with the author in the future because transparency and our strict editorial standards are paramount to us," Kurier said in a statement published on its website. The newspaper had recently published interviews by Sereda with celebrities such as Jude Law and Elton John. afp
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Express Tribune
China hits back at Marco Rubio's remarks on Tiananmen Square crackdown
The Chinese flag at Tiananmen Square flies at half-mast in memory of late former Chinese premier Li Keqiang, in Beijing, China on November 2, 2023. PHOTO: REUTERS Listen to article Beijing hit back on Wednesday at US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for saying the world will 'never forget' the deadly Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989, describing his remarks as an 'attack' on China. Troops and tanks forcibly cleared peaceful protesters from Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989, after weeks-long demonstrations demanding greater political freedoms. The exact toll is unknown, but hundreds died, with some estimates exceeding 1,000. China's communist rulers have since sought to erase any public mention of the crackdown, with censors scrubbing all online references. Police were seen by AFP on Wednesday at the entrance to Wan'an Cemetery, a site in west Beijing where victims of the crackdown are known to be buried. Officers were also posted at several intersections leading into Tiananmen Square. On Wednesday evening, a line of buses and a cherry picker partially blocked screens at the German and Canadian embassies showing images of candles, a symbol commonly used to pay tribute to Tiananmen victims. 'Never forget' Rubio said in a statement that the 'world will never forget' what happened on June 4, even as Beijing 'actively tries to censor the facts'. 'Today we commemorate the bravery of the Chinese people who were killed as they tried to exercise their fundamental freedoms, as well as those who continue to suffer persecution as they seek accountability and justice for the events of June 4, 1989,' Rubio said. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian hit back during a briefing in the capital, saying Beijing had 'lodged a solemn protest' over the American politician's comments, which 'maliciously distort historical facts … and seriously interfere in China's internal affairs'. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te echoed Rubio's remarks, vowing to preserve the memory of victims of the bloody crackdown. 'Authoritarian governments often choose to be silent and forget history; democratic societies choose to preserve the truth and refuse to forget those who have contributed to the ideal of human rights and their dreams,' Lai said on Facebook. China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to seize the democratically run island by force. 'Reaffirm our commitment' In Hong Kong, jailed activist Chow Hang-tung began a 36-hour hunger strike on Wednesday, a dogged attempt to individually commemorate the anniversary in a city that once hosted huge public remembrances. The former lawyer used to help organise an annual vigil that drew tens of thousands to the city's Victoria Park. Hong Kong had been the only place under Chinese rule where commemoration of the crackdown was tolerated. Slogans at the candlelight vigil sometimes called for democracy in China and an end to one-party rule. But after huge and sometimes violent protests roiled the city in 2019, Beijing brought in a wide-ranging national security law that has quashed political dissent. The public memorial has effectively been banned and Chow imprisoned, facing a potential life sentence on subversion charges. On Wednesday, AFP journalists saw at least seven people taken away by police around Victoria Park, including two schoolgirls holding white flowers — which often signify mourning in Chinese culture — and a man standing in silent tribute. Some people were stopped and searched by police. 'It's a shame that there's no more [vigils] … In fact, no one will ever forget [the vigils],' a man named Yuen, 49, who did not give his first name, told AFP. Over the last few years, activists have been detained for 'offences in connection with seditious intention' around the anniversary. In a social media post, Chow said her hunger strike would 'commemorate this day and reaffirm our commitment' and urged authorities to apologise over her 'wrongful' imprisonment. 'History tells us that [the apology] will likely take a very long time — the Tiananmen Mothers have been waiting for 36 years and still have not received an apology,' she said, referring to an activist group made up of families of victims of the crackdown. A video featuring 87-year-old Zhang Xianling, whose 19-year-old son was killed in 1989, circulated online last week. China's authorities have never addressed the group's plea for dialogue around the issue — instead, they have used all means to monitor and wiretap members of the Tiananmen Mothers, Zhang said. 'The lights in Victoria Park may have been blown out by the gales, but the sparks of justice will glow in the hearts of every conscientious person,' she added. At a vigil on Wednesday in Taipei's Liberty Square, 20-year-old American student Lara Waldron told AFP: 'I feel like this June 4 is very close to me right now. 'As a college student, I'm of the age of many organisers and participants — people [who] lost their lives in Tiananmen. '
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Express Tribune
Tom Girardi sentenced to seven years for defrauding clients of millions
Tom Girardi, the once-powerful attorney known for winning multimillion-dollar lawsuits and appearing on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills as Erika Jayne's husband, has been sentenced to seven years and three months in federal prison. His downfall - one of the most dramatic in recent legal history - reached its final chapter as a Los Angeles court found him guilty of stealing more than $15 million from vulnerable clients, including victims of plane crashes and industrial accidents. Girardi, now 85, was disbarred in 2022 and diagnosed with Alzheimer's, a factor his defense team leaned on heavily. But the court remained firm in holding him accountable, marking a turning point in celebrity-legal scandal narratives. Federal prosecutors said Girardi used his status to pilfer money from clients, whom he represented in cases involving severe injuries. While his relationship with Erika Jayne is estranged, she has not been criminally charged. Yet, the couple's extravagant lifestyle remains a stark backdrop to the pain of those defrauded.
