Gene Hackman and Wife Showed 'No Signs of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning': Affidavit

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Ron Davis/Getty; Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Ron Davis/Getty; Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty

The bodies ofGene Hackmanand his wifeBetsy Arakawashowed no signs of carbon monoxide poisoning, according to an affidavit from a Santa Fe, N.M., detective who was seeking a search warrant for their home.

“New Mexico Gas Company responded to the residence and was conducting active testing on the gas line in and around the residence. As of now there are no signs or evidence indicating there were any problems associated to the pipes in and around the residence,” the affidavit continues.

New Mexico authorities believe the bodies may havebeen in the home for at least a daybefore they were discovered. Neither Hackman nor Arakawa showed any clear signs of trauma.

Still, the Santa Fe detective who sought the search warrant believed the couple’sdeaths were “suspicious,”citing an open pill bottle and pills scattered near the bodies and the fact that the door to the home was left ajar.

Arakawa was found lying on her side in a bathroom, with a space heater near her body, according to the affidavit. A deceased German Shepherd was found about 10-15 feet from Arakawa, while two other healthy dogs were also found on the property.

Arakawa’s body “was in a state of decomposition with bloating in her face and mummification in her hands and feet.”

Hackman, meanwhile, was “fully clothed” with his sunglasses found near his body, indicating that he may have fallen down.

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Hackman was a legendary screen actor with roles inThe French Connection, SupermanandThe Royal Tenenbaums. Hackman sharedthree childrenwith his first wife Faye Maltese — Christopher Allen Hackman, 63, Elizabeth Jean Hackman, 61, and Leslie Ann Hackman, 57.

The actor was a five-time Oscar nominee — and two-time winner. He had a diverse career with roles in the 1998 animated filmAntzand the 1996 comedyThe Birdcage. He retired from acting after 2004’sWelcome to Mooseport.

Arakawa, who was reportedly born in Hawaii in the early ’60s, avoided the spotlight and was a classical pianist and an entrepreneur. For years she’d served as co-owner of a Santa Fe-based home furnishings store, perTheNewYorkTimes.

The couple were married in 1991.

source: people.com