What Did Gene Hackman and His Wife’s Friend Reveal After Exchanging Emails with Her in the Final Weeks of Her Life?

Betsy Arakawa’s mother had not heard from her in months, breaking a long-standing routine. A close friend exchanged emails with her weeks before her death, unaware it would be their last contact. Meanwhile, Gene Hackman’s pacemaker data revealed critical details about his final moments.

Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico home on February 26, 2025. The circumstances surrounding their deaths were unclear, but investigators noted several unusual details at the scene, prompting a deeper inquiry.

While the couple had grown more reclusive in recent years, Betsy had still been in touch with a close friend through email just weeks before her death. Now, as authorities try to piece together their final days, those who knew them are revealing new details about their last known moments.

Gene and Betsy had always valued their privacy, but in their later years, they became even more withdrawn. Friends who once visited them regularly noticed that the couple stopped inviting people over, preferring to spend time alone in their Santa Fe home.

Barbara Lenihan, a longtime friend who co-owned a home décor store with Betsy, recalled how their social circle grew smaller over time. “People loved to be around them,” she shared. “We used to spend a lot of time at their house, but it’d been a while since they were comfortable having others over.”

Her husband, Daniel Lenihan, a writer and close friend of Gene’s for over 30 years, admitted it had been “years” since he had last seen him in person. Despite their growing isolation, no one suspected anything was wrong.

Friends believed Gene and Betsy were simply enjoying a quiet life together — until their sudden deaths raised questions about what had really been happening behind closed doors.

Although the couple had distanced themselves from most social interactions, Betsy still kept in touch with a few people. One of them was her longtime friend Barbara, who had exchanged emails with her in the weeks leading up to her death.

Nothing in their conversations suggested anything was wrong, and Betsy did not indicate that she was in distress. Gene’s youngest daughter, Leslie Anne Allen, also shared that she had not spoken to her father or Betsy for a few months.

“We were close,” she said, adding that despite their lack of recent communication, “everything was normal, and everything was good.” She credited Betsy with taking care of Gene and making sure he remained in good health. However, one person in Betsy’s life had noticed an unusual silence.

For years, Betsy had always made it a point to check in with her 91-year-old mother, Yoshie Feaster, who lives in Hawaii every one or two months. But, according to Yoshie’s longtime housekeeper, Keiko, the calls had stopped abruptly in October 2024.

“We were thinking, what happened?” Keiko shared, explaining that they had started to worry when months passed without a word from Betsy. When New Mexico authorities informed Yoshie of her daughter’s passing, the tragic news didn’t fully register.

Due to her dementia, Yoshie soon forgot what had happened. “She was very upset,” Keiko said. “But right now, she’s kind of normal.” With Betsy’s silence going unnoticed for months and no immediate alarms raised by friends or family, the first signs of trouble became clear when a worker arrived at the couple’s home.

On February 26, 2025, a maintenance worker arrived at Gene and Betsy’s home outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. As he approached, he noticed something alarming. Betsy’s body was visible through a window, completely still. Immediately, he called 911.

The emotional 911 call captured the worker’s distress as he urged authorities to respond quickly. “Damn,” he muttered repeatedly, clearly shaken by what he had seen. He also noted that the house was locked, so he couldn’t get in.

Deputies arrived at the scene around 1:45 p.m. and found the front door unsecured and slightly open. As they stepped inside, they discovered an unusual and puzzling scene that would leave investigators with more questions than answers.

Inside the home, deputies found Gene and Betsy in separate rooms under puzzling circumstances. Gene was discovered in the mudroom, dressed in sweatpants, a long-sleeve T-shirt, and slippers. His position suggested he had collapsed suddenly, but there were no visible signs of injury or trauma.

Betsy was found in a bathroom near the front door, lying on the ground. An open orange prescription bottle and scattered pills were on the countertop nearby. Investigators also noted a space heater placed close to her body.

One of the couple’s dogs was found dead inside a closet near Betsy, while two dogs were found alive, roaming the property. Despite the strange details, deputies found no signs of forced entry, no obvious injuries, and no immediate explanation for their deaths.

With no clear cause of death at the scene, investigators turned to medical data to establish when Gene and Betsy may have died. A key piece of evidence came from Gene’s pacemaker, which recorded its last cardiac event on February 17, 2025 — nine days before their bodies were found.

Dr. Barry Ramo, a cardiologist, explained that pacemakers can continue functioning briefly after death, but the recorded event likely marked Gene’s final moments. “The pacemaker stimulates the heart,” Ramo said. “Until it builds up all this toxic material, it can make the heart contract, but once that happens, the heart can no longer beat.”

He estimated that Gene likely died within 45 minutes to an hour before the pacemaker shut down. This discovery provided a crucial timeline for investigators, suggesting that he had been deceased for over a week before he was found.

However, it did not explain what caused their deaths, leaving authorities to consider other possibilities, including environmental factors inside the home.

As investigators examined Betsy’s body, they noted an unusual detail — her hands and feet showed signs of mummification. Experts explained that this type of decomposition occurs in dry, warm conditions, which led authorities to question whether the space heater found near her body had played a role.

Forensic analyst Joseph Scott Morgan noted that heat exposure can significantly alter the decomposition rate. “Mummification occurs when you have heat and low humidity, and that’s exactly what happens when a body is near a heat source,” he explained.

The presence of the heater could have caused Betsy’s body to dry out faster, making it harder to determine her exact time of death. Investigators also looked into the scattered pills found near Betsy.

While an overdose was one possible theory, forensic experts noted that people who intentionally take a fatal dose of any medication usually lie down in a controlled manner — not collapse unexpectedly.

Authorities worked to determine whether Betsy had suffered a medical emergency, taken medication unintentionally, or if other factors were involved. With environmental conditions complicating the investigation, authorities turned to digital evidence for further clues.

With few physical clues at the scene, investigators focused on Gene and Betsy’s personal devices and records to piece together their final days. Deputies recovered two green cell phones, a 2025 planner, and medical records from the home, all of which were taken for further examination.

Authorities worked to unlock the phones, hoping to find call logs, text messages, or emails that might reveal when the couple last communicated with others. Investigators were also analyzing medical records to determine if either Gene or Betsy had underlying health conditions that could have contributed to their deaths.

Former FBI investigator Bill Daly explained how digital evidence could provide crucial insights. “After receiving the cell phones, investigators can determine when they stopped moving, when they lost communication, which can tell the time of disablement or death,” he said.

Additionally, they are looking into Gene’s pacemaker data and Betsy’s prescription history to rule out possible medical events or overdoses.

As authorities comb through these records, those who knew the couple are left in shock, struggling to come to terms with their sudden and tragic loss. Until more details emerge, Gene and Betsy’s deaths remain an unsettling mystery.

As questions surrounding the couple’s deaths persist, a leading forensic pathologist has offered one possible explanation. Dr. Michael Baden, former chief medical examiner of New York City, suggested that Hackman’s death may have been the result of cardiac arrest — an event possibly recorded by his pacemaker.

Speaking on “Fox Report,” Baden explained that the device, which last logged activity on February 17, may hold critical insights. “That event would have been a cardiac arrest caused by an abnormal pulse rate,” he said.

He noted that pacemakers track pulse rates and discharge when they drop too low, leaving behind a detailed record. “And that’s all in the record.”

The autopsy confirmed there were no external injuries or signs of carbon monoxide poisoning. Baden pointed to another common factor — heart disease.

“The most common cause of death in this country,” he said, referring to severe coronary artery disease and high blood pressure. He theorized that Hackman may have suffered a fatal cardiac event, collapsing in the mudroom where he was later found.

Dr. Baden also offered a possible explanation for Arakawa’s death, suggesting she may have been trying to help her husband in his final moments. He theorized that upon discovering Hackman unresponsive, she might have rushed to retrieve his blood pressure medication from the bathroom.

According to a search warrant affidavit, authorities found bottles of thyroid medication, blood pressure pills, and Tylenol in the bathroom.

Baden speculated that in her haste, Arakawa may have suffered a fatal accident. “She may have struck her head on the way down and had some internal injury to the brain that doesn’t show up on the outside,” he explained.

Another possibility, Baden noted, was an undiagnosed heart condition. At 65, Arakawa may have had severe heart disease, and the shock of the moment could have triggered a fatal cardiac event. However, he emphasized that a head injury seemed more likely. “I think the first, that striking her head would be more common,” he said.

Authorities believe Hackman may have collapsed unexpectedly. A search warrant affidavit detailed the discovery of his body. He was fully clothed, lying near a pair of sunglasses and a walking cane. Investigators noted these details suggested he had “suddenly fallen.”

The situation inside the home grew even more complex with the discovery of the couple’s German Shepherd. The affidavit stated that the dog was found deceased in a closet inside the bathroom, roughly 10 to 15 feet from Arakawa. Meanwhile, two other dogs were found alive — one near Arakawa’s body and another outside the residence.

Dr. Baden initially found the dog’s death puzzling, especially since it had been free inside the home. “And that’s why I think that the carbon monoxide [theory] was a very good thought with them breathing in the same air,” he said.

However, investigators later revealed that the German Shepherd had likely died from dehydration after being confined in a kennel for nine days.

Dr. Baden also pointed out that the couple’s secluded lifestyle may have played a role in the delay of an emergency response. With no one else around, there was no immediate call for help. “That may have been the reason that 911 wasn’t called, for example, while his wife was trying to get him some medication and fell,” he explained.

The tragic nature of their passing was further amplified by Hackman’s legacy. “The circumstances and who he was — he was beloved by so many — are what make it so unusual,” Baden said.

Gene Hackman’s death marks the end of an era. The two-time Academy Award winner, best known for his roles in The French Connection and “Unforgiven,” built a career that spanned decades. His performances left an indelible mark on Hollywood, ensuring his legacy will endure for generations.

News of Hackman and his wife’s deaths has sparked an outpouring of emotions online, with many struggling to process the shocking loss. Social media has been flooded with tributes and speculation as fans try to make sense of the tragedy.

“Heartbreaking,” one person wrote, capturing the sentiment of many. Another reflected on Hackman’s legacy, saying, “So sad! Glad he had a long, productive life, though.” Others, however, couldn’t shake the lingering mystery. “Lots of unanswered questions,” a third person noted, echoing the very thoughts investigators are working to resolve.