Gene Hackman and wife's final moments from 'sudden fall' and scattered pills to mummification

The tragic deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa continue to raise questions.

The Hollywood megastar, who won two Oscars, two BAFTAs and four Golden Globe Awards, and his classical pianist wife were found dead on Wednesday afternoon in their Santa Fe home. The couple and their beloved German Shepherd dog, who also died, were discovered by two maintenance workers.

It was initially thought that the three of them had succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning but the mystery deepened when a further investigation found no gas leaks. Authorities have labelled the tragedy as 'suspicious', but have said there are no signs of foul play. Here, the Mirror takes a look at everything we know about how they were found...

Scattered pills

Maintenance workers Roland Lowe Begay and Jesse Kesler discovered the bodies of Gene, 95, and Betsy, 63, at their home, having not seen the pair for weeks. In a 911 call, one of the workers said they were unable to get inside the house. Asked if the couple was breathing, they replied: "I have no idea. I am not inside the house. It's closed. It's locked. I can't go in. But I can see she's laying down on the floor from the window."

Betsy was found lying on the bathroom floor with an open orange bottle of prescription pills scattered across a countertop. It remains unclear what the pills were. Her body was decomposing with bloating to her face and mummification on her hands and feet. A space heater was positioned close to Betsy's head, and investigators are considering whether it may have fallen.

'Sudden fall'

Meanwhile, Gene's body was discovered in a similar state of decomposition in a mudroom near the kitchen. He was fully dressed, in grey joggers, a long-sleeve T-shirt, brown slippers and a walking cane, with sunglasses lying beside him - a detail that hints he may have collapsed unexpectedly.

The report said cops "observed a pair of feet and legs on the ground near the kitchen area" which they found to be Gene. It added: "Based on Deputy Thomas' training and experience he suspected the male individual has suddenly fallen."

One of their three dogs, a brown German Shepherd, was discovered lifeless inside a closet near the bathroom, approximately 10 to 15 feet from Betsy's body. Initial reports mistakenly stated that the dog had died inside a kennel. The couple's other two surviving dogs were unharmed. One was found near Betsy's remains, while the other was seen wandering around the property.

Open door

Investigators noted that the front door was ajar, but there were no indications of forced entry. Sheriff Adan Mendoza told The Santa Fe New Mexican: "I want to assure the community and neighbourhood that there's no immediate danger to anyone." The sheriff told the media there was "no indication of a struggle" or anything missing from the home. He said there was no indication a crime had occurred.

In a search warrant obtained by TMZ, the official who requested the search warrant wrote that he believed "the death of the two deceased individuals to be suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation".

It read: "The reporting party found the front door of the residence unsecured and opened, deputies observed a healthy dog running loose on the property, another healthy dog near the deceased female, a deceased dog laying 10-15 feet from the deceased female in a closet of the bathroom, the heater being moved, the pill bottle being opened and pills scattered next to the female, the male decedent being located in a separate room of the residence, and no obvious signs of a gas leak."

No external trauma

An autopsy has since been carried out which ruled out any external trauma to both the actor and his late wife. A statement from the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office said: "In the early hours of Thursday, February 27, 2025, Hackman and Arakawa were transported to the Office of the Medical Investigator. An autopsy was performed. Initial findings noted no external trauma to either individual."

It went on: "Carbon monoxide and toxicology tests were requested for both individuals. The manner and cause of death has not been determined. The official results of the autopsy and toxicology reports are pending. This remains an open investigation."

New Mexico Gas Company tested gas lines in and around the home after the bodies were discovered and while no signs of problems were found, a detective noted that people exposed to gas leaks or carbon monoxide may not show signs of poisoning.

Caring wife

Oscar-winning actor Gene, known for his performances in iconic films The French Connection and Unforgiven, lived a quiet life with his second wife Betsy, whom he married in 1991. He had three children with his first wife, Faye Maltese; son Christopher Allen and daughters Leslie Anne and Elizabeth Jean. Hours after Gene's death was announced, daughters Elizabeth and Leslie, and granddaughter Annie, said he will be "sorely" missed and they have been left "devastated" by the news.

Leslie described Gene and Betsy's bond as a "wonderful marriage". She said: "I give credit to his wife, Betsy, for keeping him alive. She took very, very good care of him and was always looking out for his health. I am appreciative to her for that, and I'm very saddened by her passing."

Good health

Leslie told MailOnline that there was "no indication" that there was anything wrong with Gene before his death. She said: "Despite his age, he was in very good physical condition," before adding that her father did not have any major surgeries these last few months. "He liked to do Pilates and yoga, and he was continuing to do that several times a week. So he was in good health."

Lesie added that because she lives in California, it had been a 'few months' since she had last seen or heard from her father, who had become reclusive in the latter years of his life. "We were close. I hadn't talked to them for a couple months, but everything was normal and everything was good," Leslie shared.

Gene had previously opened up about his scenic Santa Fe home in an interview with Architectural Digest back in 1990, having remodelled his house on 12 acres of hilltop land with a 360-degree view. The 1950s block building was renovated for Gene and his wife Betsy into a "part pueblo, part colonial New Mexico, part Spanish Baroque" property. "It had a kind of magic in it," Gene said in the interview. " It's totally different from my other houses. The Montecito house was very formal."

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