RIP Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa

[silverscreenselect]

Actor Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, 63, were found dead in their Santa Fe, NM, home by police. No cause of death has been established yet, and the case is under investigation. The body of their dog was also found next to the couple, who had been married since 1991. Hackman won two Oscars, for The French Connection and Unforgiven, but retired from acting completely in 2004.

https://variety.com/2025/film/obituarie ... 236322100/

[Bob Juch]

Carbon monoxide?

[BackInTex]

Carbon monoxide?

A plausible theory.

[silverscreenselect]

It appears there's more to it. The front door of their home was unlocked and open. From the search warrant affidavit (to allow them to search the entire house):

Affiant believes that the circumstances surrounding the death of the two deceased individuals to be suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation because the reporting party found the front door of the residence unsecured and opened, deputies observed a healthy dog running loose on the property, another healthy dog near the deceased female, a deceased dog laying 10-15 feet from the deceased female in a closet of the bathroom, the heater being moved, the pill bottle being opened and pills scattered next to the female, the male decedent being located in a separate room of the residence, and no obvious signs of a gas leak,

[BackInTex]

It appears there's more to it. The front door of their home was unlocked and open. From the search warrant affidavit (to allow them to search the entire house):

Affiant believes that the circumstances surrounding the death of the two deceased individuals to be suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation because the reporting party found the front door of the residence unsecured and opened, deputies observed a healthy dog running loose on the property, another healthy dog near the deceased female, a deceased dog laying 10-15 feet from the deceased female in a closet of the bathroom, the heater being moved, the pill bottle being opened and pills scattered next to the female, the male decedent being located in a separate room of the residence, and no obvious signs of a gas leak,

RIP Gene and Betsy, and the dog.

Sounds like an episode of Law & Order, with a staged suicide, where there will be a chain of suspects with them becoming former suspects in light of new info and new suspects.

Me? I'd start with any kids or estate beneficiaries.

[silverscreenselect]

My two favorite Hackman movies are Hoosiers and Night Moves, a downbeat film noir in which he plays an ex-NFL player turned private detective. Completely different characters but excellent in both of them.

Hackman retired in 2004 after making a dreadful comedy, Welcome to Mooseport, with Ray Romano. He played the ex-President of the US who runs for mayor of the small town he retires to against Romano, who is a local shopkeeper. When Hackman announced his retirement after that film premiered, my first thought was that it was a shame he was going out on that sort of note. At the time, he was in good health (and doing a series of Home Depot voiceovers), and he could probably have had his pick of solid scripts. I know he kept active for years painting and writing several books, both thrillers and historical fiction. (There's always a question when a celebrity "writes" a book to what extent it was ghostwritten. But Hackman appears to have done a lot of his own writing.)

And to answer BiT's question, Hackman had three children from his first marriage, none from the second marriage (even though she was 30 years younger than him.)

[Bob Juch]

It appears there's more to it. The front door of their home was unlocked and open. From the search warrant affidavit (to allow them to search the entire house):

Affiant believes that the circumstances surrounding the death of the two deceased individuals to be suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation because the reporting party found the front door of the residence unsecured and opened, deputies observed a healthy dog running loose on the property, another healthy dog near the deceased female, a deceased dog laying 10-15 feet from the deceased female in a closet of the bathroom, the heater being moved, the pill bottle being opened and pills scattered next to the female, the male decedent being located in a separate room of the residence, and no obvious signs of a gas leak,

RIP Gene and Betsy, and the dog.

Sounds like an episode of Law & Order, with a staged suicide, where there will be a chain of suspects with them becoming former suspects in light of new info and new suspects.

Me? I'd start with any kids or estate beneficiaries.

They had been dead long enough that there was some mummification; no cause of death was apparent. Gene was found fully dressed in the mud room.

[silverscreenselect]

Oscars officials have stated that there will be a tribute to Gene Hackman at this year's ceremonies on Sunday. They will also have a previously announced musical tribute to Quincy Jones, who had been scheduled to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award last fall but died two weeks before that ceremony.

[jarnon]

Oscars officials have stated that there will be a tribute to Gene Hackman at this year's ceremonies on Sunday. They will also have a previously announced musical tribute to Quincy Jones, who had been scheduled to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award last fall but died two weeks before that ceremony.

Respect! (The NFL was even more responsive, including Virginia Halas McCaskey in the “In Memoriam” tribute at their awards show hours after she died.)

[Ritterskoop]

TCM has been running In Memory Of clips between movies.

It sounds like he may have had a fall, she may have taken pills, and the dog ate the pills. So it is sad and a little weird, but not criminal.

[silverscreenselect]

According to data recovered from Hackman's pacemaker, he died nine days before the bodies were discovered.

[Bob Juch]

TCM has been running In Memory Of clips between movies.

It sounds like he may have had a fall, she may have taken pills, and the dog ate the pills. So it is sad and a little weird, but not criminal.

The dog was locked in a closet for nine days without food or water.

[Ritterskoop]

Yeah, I learned more about the dog after I posted that.

It makes me want to do away with crates, or to require someone from outside check the house if a crate might be involved.

The friends on my walk today believed there will end up being something environmental, like a gas leak, which authorities initially said there wasn't any. It does help explain the open door, as if he was trying to get out, and fell.

They also said the pills were normal blood pressure medications or something else that was not a painkiller or thing you would OD on voluntarily.

But we are all going to need to be patient, and know that it was likely nothing sinister.

[Bob Juch]

The authorities are looking into Gene's ex-financial advisor, whom he fired days before he died. Apparently, Gene felt he was stealing from him. A large withdrawal was made the day after Gene's death.

[jarnon]

Gene Hackman cause of death released

[mrkelley23]

Gene Hackman cause of death released

Yikes. That's horrible.