Legendary actor Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa, and their dog were found dead in their New Mexico home in late February. Authorities discovered their bodies on February 26, after a maintenance worker conducted a welfare check. Investigators believe they had been deceased for approximately nine days before being found and there were no obvious signs of how they died.
On March 7, officials revealed the causes of death. Hackman, 95, died of heart disease, with Alzheimer’s disease listed as a contributing factor. Arakawa, 65, had her death attributed to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare but serious illness spread through rodent droppings. Supposedly, Arakawa died on February 11 and Hackman on the 18th.
On March 15, it was announced that one of the couple’s dogs had died from dehydration.
Hackman, a two-time Academy Award winner, was widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of his generation, known for roles in The French Connection, Unforgiven, and The Royal Tenenbaums. His impact on cinema has left a lasting legacy.
La Jolla High School Drama Department member Stacey Allen reflected on his career. “He was an amazing actor. He won an Academy Award for The French Connection and Unforgiven with Clint Eastwood,” she said. “I really liked him in Unforgiven because he played a mean guy who was really scary but very well.”
Shelley Villegas of the La Jolla High attendance office noted the ongoing speculation surrounding his death. “Gene Hackman was in a lot of movies, his first big one in ‘71. I know he was recently found deceased along with his wife and his dog, and carbon monoxide was ruled out,” she said. “So his death is still under investigation, which is really fishy.”
Authorities have not indicated any signs of foul play but continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the couple’s deaths.