Authorities have released body camera footage taken by officers outside the home of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, when they were found dead in late February. The edited video shows officers speaking with two workers who had previously called 911 after seeing someone lying on the floor inside the house.
Read Also...:
Top US officials shift blame for Signal chat leak to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth
03-26, 2025
Trump says national security advisor doesn't need to apologise after journalist was added into group text discussing war plans
03-26, 2025
FBI launches task force targeting anti-Tesla 'domestic terrorism'
03-26, 2025
Papua New Guinea shuts down Facebook in test to stop 'pornography, misinformation, hate speech'
03-26, 2025With no signs of forced entry or other evidence of suspicious circumstances, officers inquired about the possibility of a gas leak or carbon monoxide poisoning. The workers stated that they believed this was unlikely. "Something's not right," one of the workers said, expressing their unease with the situation.
Investigators quickly determined that there were no potentially fatal leaks, further intensifying public speculation. About a week later, the medical investigator confirmed that Hackman died of heart disease, with complications from Alzheimer's disease. His wife, Arakawa, died about a week before Hackman, from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare rodent-borne disease.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office has only released portions of the investigative video footage. A New Mexico court issued a temporary restraining order last week prohibiting the release of any photos and videos showing Hackman and his wife inside the house. The administrator of Hackman's estate has filed an application to withdraw these images, citing the need to protect the family's privacy in their grief under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The workers responsible for maintaining the property told investigators that they had always respected Hackman and Arakawa's privacy. One worker described Arakawa as a very private person. The body camera video also showed the couple's dog briefly appearing on the wooded hills of their Santa Fe-area property. A dog trainer who identified himself as responsible for taking care of the couple's pets told officers that the couple loved their dogs very much. "There were toys all over the property," he said, highlighting the care they provided.
In another video, Arakawa's hairdresser told investigators that his client took her dog everywhere, and the smallest dog often played with them in the salon when she came for her appointments. The dog was found dead in a crate not far from Arakawa's body. An Associated Press report from the state Department of Agriculture's veterinary diagnostic laboratory indicated that the dog likely died of dehydration and starvation.
Hackman's daughter, Elizabeth Hackman, told authorities that she wanted the dead dog cremated. Authorities have directed her to contact a local animal shelter to discuss the matter further, ensuring the proper handling of the animal's remains.
