Overview

• Gene Hackman’s $80 million estate was left to a trust with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, as the sole beneficiary, but her death raises questions about inheritance.
• Hackman’s estranged children, excluded from his will, may challenge the estate using New Mexico legal precedents citing 'suspicious circumstances.'
• Body camera footage released on March 21 shows the scene outside the couple’s home but was redacted to protect privacy, with further restrictions on investigative materials in place.
• Betsy Arakawa reportedly expressed fears of being followed by an unknown man months before her death, adding a layer of complexity to the case.
• The couple’s deaths have been ruled as natural causes—Arakawa from hantavirus and Hackman from heart disease complicated by Alzheimer’s.