Following their discovery at their Santa Fe home on Wednesday, February 26, further information about the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa has finally been made public.
Hackman and Arakawa had been dead for’some time’, according to a search warrant issued by Santa Fe police, when they were discovered in separate rooms.
Arakawa was found dead in a bathroom, while Hackman was found dead in a mudroom, which is a space used for damp or dirty shoes and clothes.
According to the police, the tabletop close to where Arakawa was discovered had multiple pills and an open prescription bottle.
Although authorities have stated that they do not suspect foul play, they have not revealed the cause of the couple’s deaths.
“We can confirm that both Gene Hackman and his wife were found deceased Wednesday afternoon at their residence on Sunset Trail,” read the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s original statement, which stated that there was a “active investigation” into the tragedy.
“This is an active investigation – however, at this time we do not believe that foul play was a factor.”
In an interview with the Santa Fe New Mexican, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza stated that there was no immediate evidence of foul play in the deaths of the two.
“All I can say is that we’re in the middle of a preliminary death investigation, waiting on approval of a search warrant,” Mendoza told reporters.
He continued, “I want to assure the community and neighbourhood that there’s no immediate danger to anyone.”
Two decades had passed since the pair was last seen together in public, and the devastating news was received a year later.
In 1991, Hackman, who had a ten-year Hollywood career that earned him two Academy Awards and four Golden Globes, married Arakawa, a classical pianist.
After packing up their things and moving to the tranquil state of New Mexico in the 1980s, Hackman finally declared his intention to retire from show business.
“I haven’t held a press conference to announce retirement, but yes, I’m not going to act any longer,” he said to Reuters in 2008. “I really don’t want to do it any longer.”
Hackman claimed that the couple’s decision to go to Santa Fe was motivated by Arakawa’s excessive privacy, which has kept them apart ever since. She has no known social media accounts or interviews regarding her love life.
He told the Irish Independent in 2000, “You can live your own life and not be bothered by the latest gossip where we live, in Santa Fe.”
The Heartbreakers star’s three children from his former marriage to Faye Maltese were stepmothered by Arakawa, even though he and Arakawa are not parents.
“Being a celebrity’s son or daughter is difficult,” Hackman added. “I couldn’t always be home with them when they were growing up and then, living in California, they’ve had my success always hanging over their heads.”