Authorities believe that Gene Hackman’s pacemaker is shedding some light on the date of his death.
“Both individuals tested negative for carbon monoxide, [and] an initial interrogation was conducted of Mr. Hackman’s pacemaker,” Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said in a press conference on Friday, February 28. “This revealed that his last event was recorded on February 17, 2025. I was advised that a more thorough investigation will be completed.”
When asked whether that meant Hackman could have been dead since that last register moment, Mendoza stated it was very likely.
“According to the pathologist, I think that is a very good assumption that was his last day of life,” he said.
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However, Mendoza added that the deaths of Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, are still under “active investigation.” He also noted that it is hard to determine who died first and said authorities are still waiting on some pending tests, including a toxicology report.
Us Weekly confirmed on Thursday, February 27, that Hackman and Arakawa were found dead one day earlier inside their shared Santa Fe, New Mexico, home. The actor was 95, while his wife was 64.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman, and his wife, Betsy. He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa,” Hackman’s daughters — whom he shared with ex-wife Faye Maltese — and granddaughter told Us in a statement Thursday. “We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”
One day before news broke of the couple’s passing, a welfare check was initiated on Hackman and Arakawa after a maintenance worker called 911 to report that the pair were unresponsive. The worker was outside their home and noticed the bodies through the window.
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When police arrived at the scene, they found Hackman, Arakawa and one of their dogs deceased. Two additional healthy dogs were also found on the property.
According to the report, law enforcement discovered an open pill bottle with the medication scattered next to Arakawa’s body. Arakawa was reportedly in a “state of mummification.”
Hackman and Arakawa’s causes of death have yet to be determined. A preliminary autopsy revealed that neither Hackman nor Arakawa showed signs of “external trauma.” The possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning has been ruled out, per the authorities.
