Body camera footage has been released from the investigation outside Gene Hackman’s home, where both the actor and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were discovered dead in late February. The redacted footage shows law enforcement interacting with workers who had reported seeing someone lying on the floor inside the house.
The deputies, upon finding no signs of forced entry or suspicious circumstances, discussed potential causes, including a gas leak or carbon monoxide poisoning. However, the workers dismissed this possibility, stating they didn’t notice anything unusual.
“Something’s not right,” one of the workers remarked, prompting further investigation.
A week later, medical investigators confirmed that Hackman, who had been struggling with heart disease and Alzheimer’s, passed away from heart complications. His wife’s death was attributed to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare disease transmitted by rodents, which took her life shortly before Hackman’s passing.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office released part of the body camera footage, but a New Mexico court recently granted a temporary restraining order to prevent the release of any images or video showing Hackman and Arakawa inside their home. Hackman’s estate filed the petition, arguing that the release would infringe upon the family’s right to privacy during their time of grief.
Workers who had maintained the couple’s property expressed respect for their privacy, with one worker describing Arakawa as a very private person.
In the footage, glimpses of one of the couple’s dogs running through the wooded property are also seen. A dog trainer who cared for the couple’s pets described the couple’s deep affection for their dogs, saying, “There’s toys everywhere around the property.”
In a separate interview, Arakawa’s hairdresser shared that she often brought her dogs with her, including the smallest one, which would sometimes join her at the salon. Tragically, this dog was found near Arakawa’s body, in a crate, and a veterinary report revealed it likely died from dehydration and starvation.
Elizabeth Hackman, the actor’s daughter, later spoke with authorities about the dog’s cremation, and arrangements were made with a local animal shelter.
