The Tragic Deaths of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa

Authorities in northern New Mexico released on 15 April 2025 body camera footage and other public records as part of the investigation into the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa.

The two were found dead in their home in Santa Fe on 26 February 2025.

Hackman, 95, died of heart disease complicated by Alzheimer's disease, approximately one week after Arakawa, 65, died of hantavirus.

The records detail some of Arakawa's final emails, phone calls, and internet searches, indicating she was looking for information about flu-like symptoms and breathing techniques. The documents and video recordings were released after a court ruled that most of them are publicly accessible, but ordered that images of the couple's bodies must remain sealed from the public.

What do the videos and body camera recordings tell us?

Arakawa's computer showed that between 8 February and the morning of 12 February she had been researching medical conditions related to COVID-19 and flu-like symptoms, according to records released by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.

In an email to her masseuse, she wrote that Hackman had woken up on 11 February with flu- or cold-like symptoms and that she needed to reschedule their appointment to the following day.

Her search history on the morning of 12 February showed that she looked up a medical concierge service in Santa Fe. A call to that service lasted less than two minutes, and she later missed a return call in the afternoon, according to investigators.

Dark images from the police camera showed officers searching the apartment and finding no signs of forced entry or anything unusual about the contents of the apartment. Investigators noticed prescription medications on a bathroom counter, while in the background one of the couple's dogs was barking.

Initially, all photos, videos, and documents from the investigation were sealed by a temporary court order. Hackman's estate and Arakawa's mother asked a judge to extend the order, citing privacy concerns. The Associated Press, CBS News, and CBS Studios intervened in the matter, stating in court filings that they would not distribute images of the couple's bodies.

The court cleared the way for the release of investigative reports, as long as there are no videos or photos of the couple's bodies.

What we know about the deaths

As chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell reported, both died of natural causes. Hackman's death was linked to a heart condition, to which Alzheimer's disease was a contributing factor. Authorities linked Arakawa's death to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal illness transmitted through the droppings of infected rodents.

Hackman's pacemaker showed an abnormal heart rhythm on February 18 – the day he most likely died – Jarrell said.

Although there is no reliable way to determine the exact time of death, all indications suggest that the two died approximately one week apart, Jarrell said.

Hackman's body was found in the entryway of the house; Arakawa's body was found in the bathroom. Thyroid medications that had been prescribed to Arakawa were found nearby and were not listed as a cause of her death, Jarrell said.

Investigators found personal items in the apartment, including a monthly planner and two cell phones. One of the couple's three dogs was found dead in a crate near Arakawa. Authorities had initially misidentified the breed.

What is hantavirus?

The virus typically occurs in spring and summer, when people come into contact with mouse droppings in houses, sheds, or poorly ventilated spaces. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it can cause a severe, sometimes fatal lung infection known as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.

According to a report by the New Mexico Department of Health, an environmental inspection of the Hackman property found rodent droppings in several outbuildings and live traps on the premises. The interior of the house was clean, with no signs of rodent activity.

The Hackman house sits amid piñon and juniper hills overlooking Santa Fe and is no different from other homes in the area, as mice are widespread in the surrounding landscape.

This was the first confirmed case of hantavirus in New Mexico this year. Hantavirus is not transmissible from person to person.

Early symptoms include fatigue, fever, and muscle aches. As the disease progresses, coughing, shortness of breath, or tightness in the chest may occur as the lungs fill with fluid, according to the CDC. About one-third of people who develop respiratory symptoms may die, the agency says.

How Hackman made a name for himself

Hackman appeared in a wide variety of film roles dating back to 1961, when he made his debut in "Mad Dog Coll". He played, among other roles, the arch-villain Lex Luthor in the "Superman" films and a coach who finds his redemption in the sentimental fan favorite "Hoosiers".

He was nominated for an Academy Award five times, winning the Best Actor prize in 1972 for "The French Connection" and, two decades later, the Best Supporting Actor prize for "Unforgiven". He retired in the early 2000s.

Who was Arakawa?

Arakawa was born in Hawaii in December 1959 and grew up in Honolulu. She studied piano and, as an 11-year-old sixth-grader, performed in youth concerts before thousands of students at the Honolulu International Center Concert Hall, as the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reported in 1971.

She attended the University of Southern California and was a cheerleader for the Aztecs, a professional soccer team in the North American Soccer League. She also worked as a production assistant on the television game show "Card Sharks," the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported in 1981.

In the mid-1980s, she met Hackman while working a part-time job at a California fitness studio. They soon moved in together and relocated to Santa Fe at the end of the decade.

Arakawa was vice president of Pandora’s, a home furnishings and decoration store in Santa Fe, according to New Mexico business records.

Where did Hackman and his wife live?

Their home in the typical Pueblo Revival style sits on a hill in a gated residential complex overlooking the Rocky Mountains, far from Hollywood. The area is known as a preferred location for artists and as a retreat for celebrities.

The house was featured in a 1990 article in Architectural Digest. The estimated market value of the 808-square-meter, four-bedroom home on a 2.4-hectare lot was approximately $4 million, according to Santa Fe County tax records.

Hackman could be spotted in the state's historic capital, but in his later years he largely disappeared from the public eye. His hobbies included painting, deep-sea diving, and later writing novels.