Authorities have discovered new information shedding light on the timeline of when Academy Award-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, died at their New Mexico home. Initially, officials believed Betsy passed away on February 11, 2025, with Gene following about one week later. But the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office has since confirmed new evidence indicating otherwise.
According to the Sheriff's Office, Betsy made multiple phone calls to Cloudberry Health, a personalized concierge medical practice, on the morning of February 12, seeking medical assistance. This new finding contradicts earlier assumptions about her death. The clinic informed the BBC of her attempts to reach out for help, stating, "She called and described some congestion but didn't mention any respiratory distress, shortness of breath, or chest pain," stated Dr. Josiah Child, the clinic's lead physician.
Betsy initially scheduled her appointment for February 12 but canceled it two days prior, explaining she needed to care for her husband. That morning, she made three calls to Cloudberry Health, but her request for treatment could not be accommodated because no doctor-patient relationship existed. Dr. Child revealed, "There were calls back and forth to just schedule the appointment for the afternoon, but she never showed up. Our office called back several times and never got an answer."
On February 26, the couple was discovered dead by neighborhood security personnel after being unresponsive for several days. Chief Medical Investigator Dr. Heather Jarrell indicated, "based on the circumstances, it is reasonable to conclude [Betsy's] passed away first" from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, described as a rare rodent-borne respiratory illness. Authorities suspect Gene passed away on February 18—the date his pacemaker last indicated heart activity which showed signs of atrial fibrillation. His cause of death was determined to be severe heart disease, compounded by advanced Alzheimer's disease.
Experts discussing Gene's Alzheimer’s noted he might have been unaware of Betsy’s death, potentially leading him through various states of confusion before he also succumbed. A necropsy report revealed tragic news of one of the couple’s three dogs, who died from starvation and dehydration during this time.
Following the couple's shocking deaths, legal actions have been initiated by representatives of the Hackman and Arakawa estates. They've sought to prevent the release of body camera footage and other visual evidence related to the investigation. A New Mexico judge has already issued a temporary restraining order pending the outcome of court hearings set for March 31, 2025.
Gene Hackman, 95 at the time of his passing, is not only remembered for his remarkable career as an actor but also leaves behind questions about the fate of his estate, which is estimated at around $80 million. His will, executed back in 1995, allocates everything to Betsy; there’s no mention of his three children, which has raised eyebrows about potential future legal disputes.
Betsy Arakawa, who was 65, also left her assets primarily to Gene, with conditions implying charitable donations if they died within 90 days of each other. With the recent revelations of the timeline changes, significant attention is focused on who will inherit what and how these events unfolded so tragically.
While Gene Hackman is primarily recognized for his Oscar-winning performances spanning over four decades, his final years were marked by extreme privacy alongside his wife, sharing their lives within the confines of their Santa Fe community, which is revered as artistically and culturally rich.
The investigation continues as authorities work to clarify the circumstances surrounding both deaths. This case has not only drawn attention to the couple's lives and legacies but also the poignant questions of love, loss, and the complications of legal legacies.
Reported by multiple outlets, including the BBC and Fox News, as more information surfaces from authorities and the judicial process, the public remains eager to understand the full narrative behind this heart-wrenching story.
