Gene Hackman and his wife's deaths have officially been ruled suspicious in a search warrant. Legendary star Hackman was found dead in his Sante Fe home at the age of 95 on February 26, 2025. Also deceased was his wife, Betsy Arakawa, who he married in 1991, and their dog. Hackman was known for critically acclaimed films such as The French Connection, The Royal Tennenbaums, and The Conversation.

Per Variety, Hackman and Arakawa's deaths have been ruled "suspicous" following a search warrant. This news is based on a search warrant affidavit that could not confirm the cause of death. Though no foul play was initially suspected when Hackman and Arakawa were found, the affidavit now states that the deaths are "suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation." A fuller excerpt from the affidavit can be found below:

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

The New York Times provides additional details. The bodies were found after the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office received an emergency call from an associate of Hackman's on Wednesday, February 26. The home will continue to be searched on Thursday. No note was left by either of the couple and there were "no obvious signs of trauma." Regarding the lack of trauma, Sheriff Adan Mendoza of Santa Fe County had this to add:

At this stage in the process there isn’t anything obvious like that. The autopsy is going to tell us more. We’re not going to guess this was an accident or natural causes. It wasn’t typical.

What This Means For Hackman & Arakawa's Deaths

The Police Deputy Made Some Initial Hypotheses

The new details surfacing surrounding Hackman and Arakawa's deaths are certainly concerning. If there had been a "gas leak" that killed the couple overnight, as the affidavit suggests, it may have been more likely that the pair would have been in a bedroom. Also, a gas leak may have been apparent when police came to the scene. These details make the death seem more suspicious than the initial reports would indicate.

The affidavit continued on with more details surrounding the state of Arakawa's body. The police deputy on the scene observed a space heater near Arakawa's head that "could have fallen in the event the female abruptly fell to the ground." As for Hackman, his body was found in the mud room, and the deputy figured he may have "suddenly fallen." Like Arakawa's case, Hackman's body "showed obvious signs of death, similar and consistent with the female decedent." Moving forward with the investigation, authorities will continue to search the residence.

Our Take On The New Update

Hackman's Legacy Should Not Be Overshadowed By A Suspicious Death

Above all, the news that Hackman and Arakawa's deaths are "suspicious" adds more complication and tragedy to the situation. Hackman had a prolific career that left an indelible impact on the film industry, and one would hate to see his legacy in any way overshadowed by any sensationalism related to his death. Tributes for Hackman from high-profile talents such as Francis Ford Coppola and George Takei have been present in the wake of his death. Such kind words will hopefully be the continued focus as the investigation into his cause of death continues.

Source: Variety and The New York Times