Gene Hackman and wife's 'suspicious' deaths: Mummified bodies, scattered pills and no obvious signs of gas leak

Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead with their dog in their New Mexico homes. Their signs of mummification. Pills were found scattered.

Hollywood legend Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead with their dog in their multi million dollar home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A search warrant described their deaths as “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation," NBC News reported.

Law enforcement officials talk outside the home of actor Gene Hackman on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog were found dead in the home a day earlier. (Roberto Rosales/ AP)

What we know so far -

1. The couple’s bodies were discovered by maintenance workers who had not seen them for two weeks, reported the New York Post.
2. The door to their home was found “unsecured and open,” with no signs of forced entry.
3. According to the search warrant affidavit obtained by Daily Mail, Betsy Arakawa's body showed signs of mummification and bloating. Hackman’s body exhibited similar signs of decomposition.
4. An open orange pill bottle was found in Arakawa's room, with pills scattered around her, the New York Post reported.
5. A space heater was found near Arakawa's head, and authorities suspect it may have fallen.
6. Hackman's body was discovered in a mudroom near the couple’s kitchen. He fully clothed, with his sunglasses and walking cane found nearby.
7. One of their three dogs, a German Shepherd, was found dead in a closet near Arakawa, about 10 to 15 feet away. A surviving dog was found alive near Arakawa's body, while a second dog was roaming the property.
8. Firefighters responded to the scene, but no signs of a gas leak were found, NBC News reported.
9. The Sheriff’s office confirmed that Gene and Betsy had been “dead for some time,” according to Sky News.
10. Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza said that there were no indications of foul play, though the investigation remains ongoing, as reported by The New York Times. "No suicide note was found and there were no obvious signs of trauma to the bodies," Mendoza said. "At this stage in the process there isn’t anything obvious like that. The autopsy is going to tell us more. We’re not going to guess this was an accident or natural causes... It wasn’t typical."