The authorities have published files related to the death of Gene hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa Tuesday, including images of cameras from the interior of the house, photographs of the scene and a long investigation report detailing some of the last email and internet research by Arakawa.
Arakawa died in February from Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome – a rare disease and transmitted by rodents that can lead to a range of symptoms that include pseudo -Grippal diseases, headache, stunning and severe respiratory distress, investigators said. Hackman would have died about a week later from heart diseasewith complications from Alzheimer’s disease.
The partially mummified remains of Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were found in their santa fe house on February 26When maintenance and safety workers arrived at home and alerted the police.
Photos, hours of sequences and other documents were made public on April 15 after a recent order of the court which obliged any representation of the deceased couple would be blocked. Authorities said additional records, including dashboard cameras sequences, could be published on a later date.
An undated image provided by the Sheriff’s Bureau of the County of Santa Fe taken during their investigation and their search for the house of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa. The two were found dead on February 27, 2025 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Sheriff of the County of Santa Fe via AP
Santa -feared Santa Police Police Images showed that the investigators worked inside the house when they were trying to reconstruct what happened to the couple.
Investigators found one of the German shepherds of Arakawa keeping his body in front of the bathroom door.
An officer said that the dog “seemed quite sympathetic”, but another warned that the dog had “growled” against an officer while he was trying to approach the toilet.
The images also showed that the officers discovered the body of Zinna, an Australian Kelpie, who died in a box. The dog recovered from the gallbladder and the spleen surgery. Zinna has probably died of dehydration and famine, according to a report by a veterinary laboratory.
The police then went to the other side of the house, where Hackman was found dead.
“Two areas totally separated from the house,” said an officer. “MHM is strange,” said another.
The images showed them cross rooms from the house and finding nothing ordinary and no sign of forced entrance. Investigators can also be seen by counting money that was found in the house and looking at the prescription medication on the bathroom counter while one of the couple’s dogs was barking in the background.
An environmental assessment of the property by state health personnel has found rodent excrement in three garages and two small guest houses, as well as live traps on the property. There was no proof of activity of rodents inside the house.
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According to the long investigation report, an examination of the Arakawa computer has shown that it actively sought medical conditions linked to the COVVI-19 and the pseudo-grapple symptoms between February 8 and the morning of February 12. Research included the question of whether COVVI-19 could cause dizziness or nose bleeding. She also ordered Amazon oxygen cartridges for “respiratory support”.
“These data suggest that Betsy actively sought medical conditions linked to COVVI-19 and pseudo-Grippal symptoms in the days preceding his death,” said the report.
In an email with her massage therapist Katia Van Horn on February 11, Arakawa wrote: “So, G woke up today with influenza / cold symptoms, does a clay, negative test. But by abundance of caution, I should cancel my appt tomorrow and re -author, for example, in a few weeks, the last week of February if something is available. “
Arakawa’s history of research has also shown a request for a concierge medical service in Santa Fe in the morning of February 12. An examination of her telephone files by the investigators showed that she had a call with the service which lasted less than two minutes and missed a return call later in the afternoon.
Investigators reviewed the history of calls to home phone and vocal messages and store security images that Arakawa had visited on February 11.
In a police interview with the two daughters of Hackman, they said that he did not know how to use a mobile phone and could not send emails, According to the New York Times.
They said they knew that Hackman had memory problems, a report by Santa Fe County Det. Joel Cano said, according to the point of sale.
“They recalled that on January 30, 2024, Gene had to remember three times that it was her birthday,” he wrote.
In A press release published on April 15The County of Santa Fe explained his decision to publish the public archives concerning the death of Hackman and Arakawa.
“The law on the inspection of the New Mexico of Public files (IPRA) has placed the county in a difficult position,” said Gregory S. Shaffer, director of the county. “On the one hand, we deeply understand the need for the family’s privacy during this painful period. On the other hand, the county has a duty to follow the law and faced proceedings, damage and lawyer fees under IPRA if we hide the files. ”
In March, a New Mexico court granted a temporary prohibition order Against the publication of certain files related to the investigation into deaths.
The order was in response to a request from Julia Peters, a representative of their succession. She urged in a request tabled earlier in March than the court sealed in the case to protect family rights to private life in sorrow under the 14th amendment to the American Constitution.
Peters underlined the possibly shocking nature of photographs and videos in the survey and the potential of their dissemination by the media.
But the county asked the Council Court “which would honor both the fundamental wishes of the family and protect our community from potential responsibility under the EPRA”, according to the press release.
“Our statutory and fiduciary responsibility for taxpayers obliges us to find compatiating and achievable solutions that meet both the transparency requirements of the public and the dignity of a mourning family,” said Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza.
In the press release, the County Commissioners’ Council and the Santa Fe County Sheriff also extended their “sincere appreciation to the first stakeholders who managed this devastating situation with exceptional care and professionalism, in particular under the attention of the intense media”.
“We offer our sincere condolences to the Hackman family in time of loss and fully respect the preliminary injunction of the first court of judicial district,” added the press release.
The request to seal the files initially noted that the couple had placed “a significant value in their privacy and took affirmative vigilant measures” to protect their privacy during their lifetime, including after having moved to Santa Fe and Hackman retired.
“The personal representative seeks to continue to preserve the privacy of hackmans after their tragic death and to support the constitutional law of the family of memory and desire to cry in peace,” said the document.
March 25, Authorities have published images of body cameras outside the Hackman house And officers were seen arriving on the scene for the first time and speaking with two maintenance workers who alerted the authorities after Discover a lying body facing downwards through a window.
“Something is wrong. Something is not going well,” said one of the workers to the officers in the images.
“My concern is a carbon monoxide problem,” said an officer after traveling the house window.
The authorities quickly determined that there were no leaks that could have been fatal, still fueling a mystery that drew public attention.
“Then we continued to walk, and I saw something that was lying there. Suddenly to see this, both, my brother, is – sorry,” said one of the maintenance workers, fighting tears.
The bodycam video also shared the moment when the officers called Hackman’s daughter, Elizabeth, to broadcast the heartbreaking news of her father’s death.
“I’m really sorry for your loss,” said the officer at Elizabeth.
Elizabeth asked that the couple’s deceased dog be cremated and buried with Arakawa.
“If the dog wore a pass, could you save this for me?” Elizabeth asked.
In A previous declarationThe daughters of Hackman, Elizabeth and Leslie, and the granddaughter Annie said: “He was loved and admired by millions of people around the world for his brilliant acting career, but for us, he was still just dad and grandfather. We will miss it deeply and is devastated by the loss. ”
– With files from the Associated Press
