(NEXSTAR) – The causes of death for actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were released Friday after days of mystery and speculation.
At a media conference Friday, Dr. Heather Jarell, chief medical examiner for New Mexico’s medical investigator office, identified Hackman’s cause of death as hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiac disease, with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributory factor. Arakawa’s cause of death was said to be hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were found dead in their Santa Fe home on Feb. 26. Hackman was found on the floor of the home’s mudroom alongside a walking cane and sunglasses, and Arakawa was found on a bathroom floor near a space heater. One of their dogs was discovered dead nearby.
An open prescription bottle was also found near Arakawa’s body, with pills scattered on the bathroom countertop. The medical examiner clarified Friday the pills were thyroid medications, which were being taken as prescribed and not believed to have contributed to her death.
A responding deputy had previously said he believed Hackman and Arakawa may have both fallen abruptly based on the position of the items found near their bodies, according to an affidavit. He observed no “immediate” signs of trauma, the document indicated. The medical examiner confirmed both Hackman and Arakawa had no signs of internal or external trauma.
The bodies did, however, show signs of decomposition, bloating and, at least in Arakawa’s case, “mummification” of her hands, the deputy said.
Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza and Jarell shared evidence that suggested Arakawa may have died several days before her husband. Email activity and surveillance footage shows she was alive on Feb. 11, communicating with others and running errands. However, there was no additional communication or comings and goings after that day.
Hackman’s pacemaker had registered cardiac activity on Feb. 17 with some abnormal activity on Feb. 18 – the last on record for the device. Based on the evidence, Jarell said it was “reasonable to conclude” Arakawa died first and Hackman died about a week later.
An autopsy revealed Hackman had “very extensive heart disease,” including multiple prior heart procedures and prior heart attacks. A look at his brain also showed “advanced” Alzheimer’s, Jarell said.
The couple was not discovered until Feb. 26.
Santa Fe County deputies are pictured on Feb. 27, 2025, outside of the Santa Fe house where Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead the day before. (AP Photo/Roberto E. Rosales)
The cause of death for the dog found dead inside the home is unknown. The sheriff said necropsy results for the pet were still pending.
Officials initially noted in the search warrant affidavit that there were no issues with the gas pipes and no signs of a carbon monoxide leak at the home. Sheriff Mendoza later said at a Feb. 28 news conference that both Hackman and Arakawa tested negative for carbon monoxide poisoning.
The New Mexico Gas Company, earlier this week, said its investigators had identified five “red tags” (i.e., safety concerns) at Hackman and Arakawa’s home, though none were “believed to be a factor in the deaths,” the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said. One of those red tags was issued due to a “minuscule” gas leak stemming from a stove burner, but it was not a lethal amount, officials said.
Hackman, a Hollywood icon, won two Oscars during a storied career in films including “The French Connection,” “Hoosiers” and “Superman” from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s.
Arakawa, born in Hawaii, studied as a concert pianist, attended the University of Southern California and met Hackman in the mid-1980s while working at a California gym.
Hackman dedicated much of his time in retirement to painting and writing novels far from Hollywood’s social circuit. He served for several years on the board of trustees at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, and he and his wife were investors in local businesses.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
