The 95-year-old actor and his 65-year-old spouse were found dead under suspicious circumstances in their New Mexico home.
An emotional 911 call from a maintenance worker who discovered the bodies of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, has been made public. In the call, the worker can be heard repeatedly saying “damn” as he observes Arakawa’s lifeless body from outside the window of the couple’s Santa Fe residence. He urgently requests immediate assistance, describing the house as locked.
Hackman, aged 95, Arakawa, aged 65, and one of their pet dogs were found dead on Wednesday after a welfare check by the authorities. Another two dogs, in good health, were present on the property. The actor’s body was located in a mudroom, while Arakawa’s was found in the bathroom next to a heater. Investigators believe the couple had been deceased for several hours.
A prescription bottle and scattered pills were found near Arakawa’s body, prompting authorities to label the deaths as “suspicious enough” to warrant further investigation. Despite an initial review of the scene revealing no external trauma or gunshot wounds, there was also no sign of forced entry, and the door to the house had been left ajar.
Santa Fe police confirmed that the couple’s deaths appear unnatural but stressed that more thorough tests, including toxicology reports and post-mortem examinations, are required to establish the cause of death. The local utility company also investigated the house for possible carbon monoxide leaks after Hackman’s daughter raised the possibility of poisoning, but no issues were found with the gas lines.
Hackman was widely recognised for his remarkable career, winning two Academy Awards for his performances in The French Connection and Unforgiven, and for playing the villain Lex Luthor in the Superman films. Tributes have poured in from across the globe, with notable figures including the Prince of Wales, actor Morgan Freeman, and director Clint Eastwood praising Hackman’s immense contribution to cinema.
