New York Times
Deceased icon Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa shown here
Oftentimes, mysteries and unsolved situations present themselves, leaving nothing but confusion in their wake.
95-year old Gene Hackman, known for his performances in the films Unforgiven, and The French Connection was found dead in his home in Santa Fe New Mexico on February 26, 2025, having succumbed to heart disease as well as Alzheimer’s. As well as this, his wife 65 year old Betsy Arakawa was also found dead, both already in a state of decomposition by the time they were found.
Though found the same time as her husband, Betsy is presumed to have passed earlier than her husband. The leading theory currently as to why Hackman did not alert authorities to his wife’s passing is due to his known battle with advanced Alzheimer’s. Pairing the effects of Alzheimer’s on a human’s brain with Hacksman’s pacemaker data, which indicates his passing on February 17, authorities are under the impression that Hackman survived the week completely unaware of his wife’s passing.
Betsy’s death on the other hand seems to be a bit more confusing. Discovered in her bathroom, Betsy’s body was flanked by a portable heater, and a mess of prescription medications littering the floor. Her official cause of death adds to the confusion as she was determined to have died of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, a rare disease found in rats. This may raise alarm bells for some, as Betsy was reported to have nearly died due to ingesting rat poison back in 2014, though there is nothing linking the rat poison to the rat disease which she passed from.
A saddening story all around, the addition of their dogs into the story makes for a harrowing or hopeful ending depending on one’s interpretation. Betsy and Gene’s surviving dogs Bear and Nikita were a crucial part of the discovery of the couple. Following paramedics finding Arakawa, the dogs led the crew to the mudroom where they also found Hackman. Loyal to their owners’ end, Bear and Nikita are being recognized on social media and pop culture icons mourning the loss for assisting the situation.
Though the two are likely to end up in the care of relatives, they mourn another life in the form of their sibling Zinna, found deceased in her crate, attributed to either lack of food or complications from a recent surgery the canine had.
No foul play is suspected in the incident, and stars such as Clint Eastwood and Francis Ford Coppola have spoken out on their sadness over the couple’s passing. Hopefully with everything becoming more clear to the public, family and friends of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa can move forward in their grieving process free of suspicion and confusion.