No 'external trauma' on Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa, preliminary autopsy shows

The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office stated today that preliminary autopsy results for Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, showed "no evidence of external trauma" on either of them.

However, the sheriff's office wrote in a search warrant affidavit that investigators believe the two deaths are "suspicious in nature and require a thorough search and investigation." Hackman, 95, was found dead in an adobe house, and his 63-year-old wife, Betsy Arakawa, was found dead in the bathroom next to a space heater. An open bottle of prescription drugs and scattered pills were found on a counter near Arakawa.

Police said a deceased German Shepherd was found in a bathroom closet near Arakawa. Two healthy dogs were found on the property. Sheriff Adan Mendoza told the media this morning (Thursday afternoon local time) that while there were no obvious signs of homicide, they were not ruling it out.

"I'm not ruling that out. This is an investigation, so we're considering all possibilities," he said. "I think the autopsy will tell us a lot, as well as any evidence we collect, but I haven't ruled out anything." He stated that nothing appeared to have been taken from the house. Mendoza said the two had been deceased for "quite some time," but did not specify a timeframe.

He also mentioned the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning and confirmed that the house had been tested to ensure it was safe for officers to enter. "We've been in and out of the house," he said. "I don't know if that would affect, you know, the concentration if there was any gas, including carbon monoxide, so, you know, that remains to be determined." The sheriff's office said official autopsy and toxicology reports are still pending. According to released information, both Hackman and Arakawa had requested carbon monoxide and toxicology tests.

Sheriff's Office spokesman, Dennis Avila, previously stated that there were no indications that Hackman, Arakawa, or their dogs had been shot or had other types of wounds. A man identifying himself as a maintenance worker for the property called 911 to report the bodies. "I think we just found one or two dead people in the house," he said in a recording obtained by CNN. "No, they're not moving, please get someone here ASAP."

State gas company confirmed Thursday morning (early Friday AEST) that it was assisting with the investigation, suggesting authorities may suspect carbon monoxide poisoning as the culprit. According to the search warrant, the utility tested the gas lines inside and outside the house after the bodies were discovered. At the time, it found no signs of any problems. One detective noted that people exposed to gas leaks or carbon monoxide may not show signs of poisoning, but also noted that there were no obvious signs of a gas leak.

New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator spokesman, Kris Romero, said forensic reports containing the final cause of death "typically take four to six weeks to generate." Avila said deputies received a request to conduct a welfare check on the house and discovered the bodies at approximately 1:45 p.m. Wednesday (7:45 a.m. Friday AEST). Two workers told police that they rarely saw the homeowners, and they had last been in contact with them about two weeks ago.

Mendoza did not offer a cause of death for the actor, one of the industry's most respected and lauded performers, or his wife, Arakawa, who had been married for over 30 years. "All I can say is we're conducting a preliminary death investigation pending the approval of a search warrant," he told The Santa Fe New Mexican on Wednesday night (Thursday AEST). "I want to reassure the community and the neighbors that there is no direct threat to anyone," he said. He said the sheriff's department had obtained permission from the fire department to enter the property. "We're not going to speculate whether this was an accident or natural causes," he said.

Loyola Marymount University law professor, Laurie Levenson, said the search warrant affidavit suggests police appear to have a preliminary theory that there was "some sort of gas poisoning," but they don't know yet and are not ruling anything out. "They don't have definitive evidence that it's any type of homicide, but they're asking for blunt instruments or other weapons that might have been used," Levenson, who is not involved in the investigation, said. "It's also not like some sort of planned double suicide."

William & Mary Law School professor, Jeffrey Bellin, said it's somewhat unusual to apply for a search warrant because investigators submitting a search warrant usually believe a specific crime has occurred. Bellin said no alleged crime was mentioned in this case. Bellin said police tend to overstate what they know, but this was the opposite, and he is also not involved in the investigation. "It strikes me as being very cautious, and search warrant affidavits usually are not," he said.

New Mexico Gas Company spokesman, Tim Korte, told The Associated Press that the company is cooperating with the sheriff's department in the investigation. He had received Oscar nominations for "Mississippi Burning," "I Never Sang for My Father," and "Bonnie and Clyde." "He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but for us, he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him terribly and are heartbroken by his loss," his daughter and granddaughter said in a statement Friday morning.

Tributes poured in quickly from Hollywood. "The passing of a great artist is always both a moment of mourning and celebration: Gene Hackman was a great actor, inspiring in his work and complexity," director Francis Ford Coppola posted on Instagram.

The New York Times reported in 1989 that Hackman met Arakawa, a classical pianist who grew up in Hawaii, in the mid-1980s when she was working part-time at a gym in California. They soon moved in together and moved to Santa Fe at the end of the decade. Their Southwestern-style ranch on Old Sunset Trail sits atop a hill in a gated community with views of the Rocky Mountains. According to Santa Fe County property tax records, the 808-square-meter, four-bedroom house, built in 1997, sits on six acres and has an estimated market value of just over $4 million ($6.4 million AUD).

The popular leading man, known for his versatility and rugged looks, was born in San Bernardino, California, ran away from home at 16, joined the Marines, and worked in journalism before entering the theater and film industries. Hackman's best roles were often authority figures with inner conflicts or unexpectedly intelligent white-collar villains. Many had a hint—sometimes more than a hint—of menace.

His first role in the 1964 Broadway play "Any Wednesday" caught the attention of Hollywood agents, leading to a collaboration with Warren Beatty in "Lilith." In 1967, Beatty also stood by Hackman when he played Buck Barrow in "Bonnie and Clyde," which earned him his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Four years later, his outstanding performance as maverick detective Popeye Doyle in "The French Connection" cemented Hackman's stardom.

William Friedkin's police drama about a New York Police Department detective investigating a Marseilles heroin smuggling gang was a huge commercial and critical success, earning Hackman the Oscar for Best Actor. He then played a series of important roles in dramas and lighthearted films, including Lex Luthor in 1978's "Superman." In 1988, he returned to the awards stage for his role as Little Bill Daggett in Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven," winning Best Supporting Actor.

"There was simply no better actor than Gene. Intense and instinctive. Never out of tune. He was also a dear friend and I will miss him greatly," Hackman's "Unforgiven" co-star, actor, and director Clint Eastwood, said in a statement. "Star Trek" darling George Takei said that Hackman would be missed, but his work would live on forever. "We have lost a true giant of the screen," he said on social media. "Gene Hackman could play anyone, and you felt a complete life behind him. He could be everyone, and he could be anyone, a towering figure or an everyman Joe."

He effectively retired from acting at the age of 74. "It's probably all over," he told CNN's Larry King in 2004—and did not do any subsequent on-camera work. Hackman had three children with his late ex-wife, Faye Maltese, but he and Arakawa had no children. They were known for raising German Shepherds. Even his most mundane outings attracted media attention. The British newspaper The Independent reported on his attendance at a performance at the Renwick Performing Arts Center in 2018. The New York Post reported on him pumping gas, doing backyard work, and buying a chicken sandwich at Wendy's in 2023.

Apart from appearing at awards ceremonies, he rarely appeared in Hollywood social circles and retired from acting about 20 years ago. His retirement was a rare, truly lasting retirement in Hollywood. Hackman told the film magazine Empire in 2020 that he and Arakawa enjoyed watching DVDs she rented. "We love the simple stories that some low-budget films are able to make," he said. Hackman, who moved to Santa Fe in the 1980s, was often seen around town and served on the board of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in the 1990s, according to The New Mexican.

Hackman also co-authored three novels, first the adventure novel "Wake of the Perdido Star" with Daniel Lenihan in 1999, according to publisher Simon & Schuster. He then wrote two novels on his own, the last being "Pursuit" in 2013, about a female police officer chasing a predator.