What Happened to Gene Hackman and His Wife? What We Know So Far About Their Deaths (2025)

• Gene Hackman and his wife and dog were found dead in their New Mexico home on Feb. 26
• Authorities initially shared there was no foul play suspected in his death and no immediate signs or evidence of carbon monoxide poisoning
• Betsy's cause of death has been determined to be hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, while Hackman died of severe heart disease, high blood pressure andadvanced Alzheimer's disease
  

The legendary Gene Hackman has died at 95 years old — and questions are slowly being answered about his sudden death.

After retiring from acting in 2004, Hackman shifted to a quieter life alongside his wife, Betsy Hackman (née Arakawa), a classical pianist whom he married in 1991. The couple moved to Santa Fe, N.M., where they were tragically found dead alongside their dog on Feb. 26.

On March 7, New Mexico's chief medical examiner, Heather Jarrell, confirmed the causes of the couple's deaths. Betsy had died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome caused by hantavirus, a virus that is transmitted via rodent droppings and urine, with Hackman following several days later when he died of a combination of severe heart disease, high blood pressure and Alzheimer's disease.

Although Hackman was no longer living a life in the spotlight or on the big screen following his retirement, the actor wrote novels and occasionally spoke with the media to look back on his legendary career.

When asked during a 2011 interview with GQ about how he would like to be remembered, Hackman replied, "As a decent actor."

"As someone who tried to portray what was given to them in an honest fashion," he said. "I don’t know, beyond that. I don't think about that often, to be honest."

Here's everything we know so far about Gene Hackman's death.

He was found dead alongside his wife and dog

Hackman and his wife, who was 65 years old, were found dead at their home in Santa Fe Summit on Feb. 26 at approximately 1:45 p.m local time, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office confirmed to PEOPLE. Their bodies were discovered alongside their deceased dog.

They were last seen just under a year before their deaths

Before they died, the couple had been living a private life for years. They were last pictured together during a rare outing on March 28, 2024. Hackman was spotted holding onto Betsy's arm as the pair grabbed lunch together at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen in Santa Fe.

A neighbor called the police to do a welfare check

The sheriff's office toldlocal stationKOB 4that they had been dispatched after a neighbor called the police to carry out a welfare check, which is when they discovered Hackman and Betsy's deceased bodies.

Later, Sheriff Adan Mendoza said that their bodies were found after a pest control worker had come to the door. When no one answered, he contacted a neighborhood security officer, who saw the bodies through a window and called for emergency services.

Hackman and his wife’s dead bodies were in their home for some time before being found

One day after Hackman and his wife's bodies were found, Mendoza shared on the Today show that it's "very difficult to put a timeline together," though they were likely dead for some time before being discovered.

“Just based on their body and other evidence on the body, it looked — it appears [that they were deceased for] several days, possibly even up to a couple of weeks," he said.

Hackman's pacemaker data would later reveal that he had been dead since Feb. 17, which was nine days before his body was found.

Mendoza further explained that it was "very difficult to determine" if they had died at the same time, though they would continue to investigate.

“There was no indication that anybody was moving about the house or doing anything different, so it’s very hard to determine if they both passed at the same time or how close they passed together,” he said. “We’re trying to put that information together … and I think the autopsy report is going to be key to this investigator.”

The bodies were found in separate rooms, with Hackman near the kitchen and Betsy in a bathroom.

Additionally, Mendoza told TMZ that two of Hackman and Betsy's three dogs had survived.

Police reported that Hackman's wife's body was partially mummified

Per the affidavit, Hackman appeared to have fallen as his sunglasses were found next to his body as he was "fully clothed."

However, Betsy appeared to have been dead for some time, as her body "was in a state of decomposition with bloating in her face and mummification in her hands and feet."

There was no immediate indication of foul play in their deaths, but hours later the case was ruled "suspicious"

Upon finding Hackman and his wife's dead bodies, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office confirmed to PEOPLE that foul play was not suspected. TMZ additionally reported that there was no visible trauma discovered on the bodies of the couple according to Mendoza.

Although the cause of death has yet to be determined, there is an active and ongoing police investigation to look further into it.

Hackman's daughter Elizabeth Jean Hackman, whom he welcomed with ex-wife Faye Maltese, told TMZ that although the family remains unsure what happened, they suspect toxic fumes, such as carbon monoxide poisoning, might have been involved.

Mendoza told the outlet that the gas company and fire department were at the scene to ensure that no toxic fumes would harm the deputies as they entered the home.

However, hours later, an affidavit released by New Mexico authorities revealed that the deaths are “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation,” per Variety.

It added that police found the front door unlocked and opened while a dog was running around the property and another was near Betsy's dead body.

Additionally, a heater was moved, a pill bottle was opened with pills scattered near Betsy and Hackman was found in a separate room, all leading to authorities' ruling to investigate further as there were "no obvious signs of a gas leak." Police later recovered Tylenol from the home, along with thyroid and blood pressure medications.

During his appearance on Today, Mendoza said that he was "pretty confident" no foul play had been involved, though it hasn't been ruled out yet.

With no immediate signs of carbon monoxide poisoning, police are calling the prescription bottle found near Betsy "very important evidence"

In an affidavit obtained by PEOPLE from a Santa Fe detective, officials also noted that there were "no signs or evidence indicating there were anyproblems associated to the pipes in and around the residence."

But during his appearance on the Today show, Mendoza said that it remained unclear whether or not a leak may have contributed to their deaths.

When asked whether there a leak could have dissipated in the time after the pair’s deaths but before their bodies were found, he replied, “it possibly could. That was a home with natural gas in it, so it could have [dissipated]. There’s a lot of unanswered [questions] there.”

Mendoza further said that the prescription pill bottle found near Betsy is "very important evidence" for their investigation.

"That’s obviously very important evidence at the scene," Mendoza said of the scattered pills. "That information was collected, that information was passed to the office of the medical investigator to help them make a determination."

He added, "So we’re looking at that specifically and other medications that were possibly in the residence. So that is something of concern."

Mendoza further shared that a toxicology report "could take up to three months or even possibly longer."

Betsy was determined to have died several days before Hackman

As New Mexico chief medical examiner Heather Jarrell told reporters on March 7, Betsy was determined to have died first after suffering from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome caused by hantavirus, a flu-like virus that is transmitted through rodent droppings. Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza said her last outgoing email communication appeared to take place on Feb. 11.

Jarrell said that it was "reasonable to conclude" that Betsy died first, with Hackman following several days later. The last activity on Hackman's pacemaker was registered on Feb. 17, making it likely that he died the next day since he was found with no food in his stomach at the time of his death.

Hackman died of a combination of severe heart disease, high blood pressure andadvanced Alzheimer's disease.

However, the exact date of Betsy's death became less clear when ABC News reported that she had called a medical concierge service called Cloudberry the morning of Feb. 12, a day after she was thought to have died.

Cloudberry confirmed to Good Morning America that she had called to ask about "esoteric treatment" and that though the office called her back twice, there was no answer.