More harrowing details about the deaths of Hollywood icon Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa have emerged, with Santa Fe police releasing photos from the scene and bodycam footage which showed the moment the bodies were discovered at the couple’s New Mexico property. But a chilling discovery in the couple’s bed has raised more questions around their passing in February 2025.
On Wednesday (April 16) cops released footage from the home to the public, including a discovery made within the crumpled bedsheets of one of the unmade beds. In it, small blood stains and a dirty plaster were found – though it is currently unknown whose blood was on the bed or what caused the bleeding.
But days before her death, Betsy had asking Google questions about her illness, including the search term: “Flu and nosebleeds” and “Can Covid cause dizziness?” She had also ordered oxygen canisters from Amazon for “respiratory support”. Emails were also found to her massage therapist to cancel an appointment, explaining that Gene woke up with “flu/cold-like symptoms” but tested negative for Covid-19.
Betsy’s cause of death was listed as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rodent-borne disease which may have been linked to the rats’ nests in the outhouses of the couple’s home. She is believed to have died on February 12, while Gene’s estimated date of death is February 18, when the last activity was recorded on his pacemaker.
The star’s cause of death was given as heart disease, with complications from advanced Alzheimer’s disease which may have been the reason he didn’t realise his wife had died or tried to call for help.
Hackman’s family tried to block the release of documents and photos related to the scene, but Santa Fe County manager Gregory S Shaffer said: “The New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) placed the County in a difficult position.
“On the one hand, we deeply understand the family's need for privacy during this painful time. On the other, the County has a duty to follow the law and faced potential lawsuits, damages, and attorney's fees under IPRA if we withheld the records."
