Foul play is not suspected in deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife, authorities say, but it has not been ruled out

KOAT, CNN

By Lex Harvey and Andy Rose, CNN

(CNN) — While foul play is not suspected in the deaths of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, officials in New Mexico say they have not ruled it out as a possibility.

The couple was found dead in their New Mexico home on Wednesday along with their dog, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office told CNN. He was 95.

Their causes of death have not been confirmed, but “the circumstances surrounding the death of the two deceased individuals (are considered) to be suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation,” a sheriff’s deputy said, according to the affidavit for a search warrant obtained by CNN affiliate KOAT.

“There was no obvious sign or indication of foul play,” Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza told reporters Thursday, adding there was no sign of a struggle or that items had been taken from the home. The couple had been deceased for quite a while, Mendoza said.

In an initial public statement on the deaths, the sheriff’s office said, “Foul play is not suspected as a factor in those deaths at this time.” A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said Thursday they planned to issue an updated statement later in the day.

“The autopsy is going to be key, and the toxicology,” Mendoza said during a Thursday news conference. The investigation is ongoing and will be handled with caution and with facts, he said.

“We want to make sure that we get the investigation completed properly. And we want to release the proper information,” the sheriff said Thursday.

The bodies of Hackman and Arakawa were first discovered by someone who identified themself as a caretaker, according to a 911 call obtained by CNN Thursday. In the affidavit, the deputy had said maintenance workers found the couple dead.

The call was made just before 2 p.m. local time Wednesday, according to law enforcement.

The caller was emotional when they described the scene to the 911 dispatcher, noting they could not enter the home but could see two unconscious people through the window.

“No, dude, they’re not moving. Just send somebody out here really quick,” the caretaker told the dispatcher.

Upon arrival, the deputy who composed the affidavit said he found Arakawa lying on the ground inside a bathroom with a space heater near her head and an open bottle of prescription pills on a countertop nearby. A dog was found dead in the bathroom closet.

Hackman’s body was discovered on the ground in another room near the kitchen. The deputy “suspected the male individual (had) suddenly fallen,” the affidavit said. Both Hackman and Arakawa appeared to have died days earlier, the deputy said.

Two other healthy dogs were found in other parts of the property. The front door was open and unsecured, and there were no signs of forced entry or theft.

The investigation found no immediate signs of a carbon monoxide leak or natural gas leak, according to the document.

The search warrant application requested permission to look for any possible combustible materials, controlled substances, weapons, DNA and other potential evidence. It was not immediately clear if the more thorough search has taken place yet or what further evidence may have been seized.

Medical examiner’s reports with the final cause of death “generally take anywhere from 4-6 weeks to generate,” said Chris Ramirez, spokesperson for the New Mexico medical investigator’s office.

CNN has reached out to Hackman’s representatives.

In a family statement, Hackman’s daughters and granddaughter said the actor’s family is “devastated by the loss.”

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy,” the statement said. “He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him sorely.”

The Oscar-winning actor’s death comes just days before the Academy Awards this weekend.

A source familiar with behind-the-scenes planning at the Oscars told CNN Gene Hackman will be honored at Sunday’s ceremony.

Details are not locked in yet but one possible scenario, the source said, is editing the “In Memoriam” montage to include Hackman’s contributions to cinema. Another possibility is a scripted mention of Hackman’s passing on stage, perhaps by host Conan O’Brien or another entertainer who would pay tribute to the acting legend.

Throughout his five-decade career, Hackman won two Oscars and was nominated for five.

Hackman’s performances in such films as “The French Connection,” “Hoosiers,” “Unforgiven,” and “The Firm” elevated character roles to leading-man levels.

Hackman’s best roles were often of conflicted authority figures or surprisingly clever white-collar villains, such as the iconic, evil Lex Luthor in the “Superman” film series in the 1970s and ’80s. Many held a hint – sometimes more than a hint – of menace.

He won an Oscar for his portrayal in 1971’s “The French Connection” of New York cop Popeye Doyle, a detective who gets his man but at a high cost. His surveillance expert in 1974’s “The Conversation” is single-minded to the point of obsession, losing all perspective.

He won his second Oscar for his performance as Little Bill Daggett, the violent sheriff in Clint Eastwood’s 1992 film, “Unforgiven.”

Fellow celebrities and fans have begun sharing tributes on social media for the late Hollywood legend.

Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppola, who worked with Hackman in “The Conversation,” posted: “The loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration.”

“A great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity. I mourn his loss, and celebrate his existence and contribution,” Coppola wrote.

Actor and writer George Takei called Hackman “one of the true giants of the screen,” in a social media post.

“Gene Hackman could play anyone, and you could feel a whole life behind it. He could be everyone and no one, a towering presence or an everyday Joe,” Takei wrote. “He will be missed, but his work will live on forever.”

Hackman was 36 before he broke through in 1967’s “Bonnie and Clyde,” a role he got after losing the part of Mr. Robinson in “The Graduate.” Before that, he’d served in the Marines, struggled to make a living in California and New York – sometimes with a roommate, “Graduate” star Dustin Hoffman – and worked odd jobs, including truck driver and doorman.

He effectively retired from acting at the age of 74. “It’s probably all over,” he told CNN’s Larry King in 2004 – and did not take any subsequent on-camera work.

Hackman lived in Santa Fe in recent decades with Arakawa, a former classical pianist, largely staying out of the public eye.

Hackman had three children, whom he shared with his late ex-wife, Faye Maltese, who died in 2017.

This story has been updated with additional information.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

Todd Leopold and CNN’s Alex Stambaugh, Caroll Alvarado, Danielle Sills, Elizabeth Wagmeister and Amanda Musa contributed to this report.