The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference on Friday afternoon, where Sheriff Adan Mendoza provided updates regarding the ongoing investigation into the deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa.
According to Sheriff Mendoza, the Santa Fe Animal Control Division worked with the couple’s family to ensure the safety of their two surviving dogs.
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Investigators reported that there were no apparent signs of foul play at the scene.
“In the early hours of Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, Mr. Hackman and Ms. Arakawa were transported to the office of the medical investigator.
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An autopsy was performed.
Initial findings noted no external trauma to either individual,” Mendoza stated.
While the exact manner and cause of death remain unknown, the sheriff’s office confirmed that the official autopsy and toxicology reports are still pending.
Mendoza said he spoke with the pathologist from the state office of the medical investigator at 2:00 p.m. local time on Friday.
The doctor informed him that several tests were submitted on an expedited basis.
“She revealed to me the following information: Both individuals tested negative for carbon monoxide,” Mendoza said.
Investigators also conducted an initial interrogation of Hackman’s pacemaker.
“This revealed that his last event was recorded on Feb. 17, 2025,” Mendoza said, but noted that a “more thorough investigation will be completed.”
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During a media Q&A session, Mendoza stated that the pathologist has not yet determined whether Hackman or Arakawa died first.
Authorities also confirmed that no surveillance cameras were found on the property that could provide a timeline of events.
“There is no surveillance, as we know of right now, in the interior of the residence or the exterior of the residence, that’s going to help us determine a timeline for events that happened,” Mendoza explained.
The sheriff’s office currently possesses the couple’s cell phones but has yet to access their contents.
Mendoza said a process is in place for obtaining the data, and law enforcement can seek assistance from other agencies if necessary.
Regarding the timeline for autopsy and toxicology test results, Mendoza noted that it could “take months…three months or longer, in my experience.”
The investigation into the deaths of Hackman and Arakawa remains ongoing, with authorities awaiting further medical findings before drawing any conclusions.
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The house may of been struck by lightning on the rods, current traveled through the metal in house, they got enough of a zap to kill them, the dog in the kennel may of got zapped inside metal on kennel. Thats why she dropped her pills so abruptly and Gene possibly got nailed in there too, stumbled into the mud room and died. Was there a storm with lightning strikes in Santa Fe in past 5 weeks?? Investigators need to look for lightning markers on rooftop metal items. Just a hunch but retired or not, I still get hunches.
It Will eventually come out that this was a murder suicide by the wife over maybe a health issue or some other domestic dispute. She should have let the animals out when she decided to off herself and hackman.