Overview

• Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found deceased in their Santa Fe home on February 26, 2025, along with one of their dogs.
• Medical examiners confirmed Arakawa died around February 11 from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare virus spread by rodents, while Hackman passed a week later from heart disease with Alzheimer’s as a contributing factor.
• Investigators believe Hackman, in an advanced stage of Alzheimer’s, may not have realized his wife had died and was unable to seek help for himself.
• The couple’s bodies were discovered by maintenance workers after neighbors reported not seeing them for weeks; authorities ruled out foul play in their deaths.
• Hackman, a two-time Oscar winner, had credited Arakawa for her devoted care in his later years, with friends noting her role as his primary caregiver after his Alzheimer’s diagnosis.