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\nAfter Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa and their pet dog were found dead in their Santa Fe home, speculation ran wild about their \u201csuspicious\u201d deaths. Now, a leading forensic expert has put forth a chilling theory, suggesting their tragic deaths were the result of a heartbreaking accident.<\/p>\n
On February 26, Hollywood was rocked by the tragic news that legendary actor Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found dead in their Santa Fe home. One of their beloved dogs was also found dead, while two other dogs in the home survived.<\/p>\n
Peculiar details
\nThe search warrant application reveals some intriguing details about the discovery of the bodies, raising further questions about the circumstances of their deaths.<\/p>\n
When officers entered the home, they \u201cimmediately observed a bathroom to the left of the front door. The door to the bathroom was opened.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arakawa was discovered on the bathroom floor, \u201ca black in color space heater near the female\u2019s head,\u201d and an open prescription bottle with scattered pills were found on the counter.<\/p>\n
The body of a German-Shepard dog was also found, \u201capproximately 10-15 feet from the deceased female in a closet of the bathroom.\u201d<\/p>\n
Upon further inspection of the home, the Unforgiven star was found on the ground of what\u2019s \u201cbelieved to be a mudroom,\u201d a cane and sunglasses on the ground near him.<\/p>\n
Both Hackman and Arakawa, who he married in 1991, showed signs of decomposition and appear to have fallen suddenly.
\nTheories ruled out
\nAccording to Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza, the reclusive couple \u201chad been deceased for quite a while.\u201d He later revealed that Hackman\u2019s pacemaker recorded its last heartbeat on February 17.<\/p>\n
Despite the unusual scene, authorities noted that neither Hackman nor Arakawa displayed any signs of blunt force trauma and that there were no visible signs of forced entry, ruling out an obvious break-in.
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\nGene Hackman and his wife were found dead in their Santa Fe home on February 26, 2025. Credit: Shutterstock
\nAnd, after finding no traces of the toxic gas in the home, Santa Fe City Fire Department eliminated the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning.<\/p>\n
Wife tried to help
\nRecently, Dr. Michael Baden, the former chief medical examiner in New York City, spoke with Fox News and suggests that Hackman\u2019s pacemaker offers a hint into the circumstances surrounding all three deaths.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat event would have been a cardiac arrest caused by an abnormal pulse rate,\u201d Baden said. \u201cThe pacemaker keeps track of the pulse, and when it gets down too low, it discharges. And that\u2019s all in the record.\u201d <\/p>\n
According to the forensic pathologist, the actor likely suffered a fatal heart attack.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo the autopsy showed he didn\u2019t have any injury,\u201d Baden said. \u201cThere was no carbon monoxide. And he had \u2013 the most common cause of death in this country \u2013 severe heart disease, coronary artery disease and high blood pressure perhaps, from what\u2019s been released. So that would cause him, having cardiac arrest in the mudroom, to collapse right there.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for Arakawa, Baden suggests she was still alive when Hackman had his episode.
\nHis wife was found in the bathroom. They haven\u2019t released the information about her findings, except that she did not have carbon monoxide in her,\u201d Baden said. He next explains that before she died, she was likely rushing to get his blood pressure pills from the bathroom when she spilled the pills, slipped and had the space heater strike her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe may have struck her head on the way down and had some internal injury to the brain that doesn\u2019t show up on the outside or bleeding in the inside of the brain,\u201d the doctor said. \u201cOr that she may also, at 65, had severe heart disease and excitement can cause a trigger to the cardiac rhythm causing death under those circumstances. I think the first, that striking her head would be more common.\u201d<\/p>\n
Evidence found at the scene supports this possibility. Pills were discovered near her body, suggesting she had managed to locate the medication but never made it back to her dying husband.<\/p>\n
Trapped dog
\nThe couple had three dogs. The deceased dog was found \u201c10-15 feet\u201d away from Arakawa \u201cin a closet of the bathroom\u201d and two others, healthy and alive, were discovered on the property.<\/p>\n
According to the warrant, \u201cone of the healthy dogs was initially observed near the deceased female (inside the bathroom) and the other healthy dog was observed outside the residence.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was perplexing to me initially with the release was the death of a dog also, which I thought was free in the house,\u201d Baden said, referring to the affidavit that claims the dog was in a bathroom \u201ccloset\u201d and other reports that say he was trapped in a kennel.<\/p>\n
\nSee Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa\u2019s last public sighting 1 year before couple was found dead in home https:\/\/t.co\/pIUODpOfgI<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/ZO26CGmp1g<\/a><\/p>\n
— Page Six (@PageSix) February 27, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n