Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's Deaths: New Details on Causes and Estate Uncertainty

The couple died of unrelated natural causes, with their dog succumbing to dehydration and starvation; disputes over Hackman’s $80 million estate may arise.

• Gene Hackman, 95, died of heart disease with Alzheimer’s as a contributing factor, while Betsy Arakawa, 65, succumbed to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare rodent-borne illness.
• The couple’s dog, Zinna, was found deceased in a crate, with a necropsy revealing starvation and dehydration as the likely causes of death.
• Two of the couple’s dogs survived and one played a role in guiding first responders to Hackman’s body in their Santa Fe home.
• Hackman’s estate, reportedly worth $80 million, was left to Arakawa in a 1995 will, but a clause may redirect the assets to charity due to their deaths occurring within 90 days of each other.
• Hackman’s son has reportedly hired an estate attorney, suggesting potential legal challenges to the will, while the couple’s estate seeks to block the public release of investigative records.

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