Gene Hackman and wife found dead at New Mexico home

Two-time Oscar winner Gene Hackman and his wife, pianist Betsy Arakawa, were found dead at their home in New Mexico, according to officials. No foul play is suspected, but authorities have deemed the circumstances “suspicious enough in nature” to warrant a thorough investigation.

Their bodies were discovered at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Wednesday after maintenance workers reported finding two deceased individuals inside the residence, according to a search warrant affidavit.

At midnight on Thursday, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirmed the couple’s deaths, along with their dog, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.

The sheriff’s office believes that the circumstances surrounding the couple’s deaths are ‘suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation,'” the affidavit stated.

Upon entering the residence, deputies found the front door “unsecured and opened.” Inside, they observed a deceased female, later identified as Betsy Arakawa, on the bathroom floor. A space heater was lying near her head, and an open prescription pill bottle with scattered pills was found nearby.

Gene Hackman’s body was discovered on the ground in a mudroom near the kitchen, according to the affidavit. Deputies noted signs suggesting he had collapsed suddenly.

Both bodies showed “obvious signs of death,” the affidavit stated. A German Shepherd was also found dead inside the residence, in a closet about 10 to 15 feet from the bathroom.

No signs of forced entry or stolen items were found in the home, with a deputy noting that nothing appeared “out of place.”

Examinations conducted by the Santa Fe City Fire Department and the New Mexico Gas Company found no indications of a carbon monoxide leak, poisoning, or issues with the gas lines in or around the property.

The bodies showed no signs of blunt force trauma. Their official cause and manner of death remain unknown, according to the search warrant.

Born on January 30, 1930, in San Bernardino, California, Eugene Allen Hackman, 95, appeared in more than 80 films and television shows during a career that spanned over four decades. One of his most iconic roles was as the relentless detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection, earning him the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1971.

He also starred as the sinister Lex Luthor in Superman and its sequels, the introspective Harry Caul in The Conversation, and the ruthless Little Bill Daggett in Unforgiven, securing the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1992. His final film role was in 2004’s Welcome to Mooseport, after which he retired to pursue a career in writing.

Hackman had lived quietly in Santa Fe since retiring, alongside Arakawa, 63, whom he married in 1991. Over his career, he received two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. He is survived by his three children from his first marriage to Faye Maltese.