In Albuquerque, authorities issued additional videos on Friday pertaining to the ongoing investigation surrounding the untimely deaths of famed actor Gene Hackman and his spouse Betsy Arakawa. The newly released evidence includes footage of officers revisiting the couple’s Santa Fe residence, days following the discovery of their bodies, in search of further evidence.
The bodies of Hackman, aged 95, and Arakawa, 65, were initially uncovered on February 26, after maintenance and security staff alerted local law enforcement. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office has been systematically disseminating redacted versions of relevant investigation records in compliance with a recent court directive. This order sanctioned the release of these records provided that any images depicting the deceased remain obscured.
These recent disclosures comprise extensive police body camera footage that adds to the details already available, which include a detailed investigative report, photographs, and initial body camera and security footage illustrating the police’s primary response to the scene. The newly unveiled footage captures officers as they conduct interviews with various workers and reenter the home in an attempt to find additional evidence during the initial stages of their investigation, prior to understanding the circumstances surrounding Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths.
One extended video sequence shows detectives scouring the residence in early March for Arakawa’s laptop and any possible clues. Family members of Arakawa facilitate their entry and direct them to the bathroom, where her body was ultimately found. In another video, the detectives are observed scanning security feeds at a pharmacy, endeavoring to locate footage of Arakawa from mid-February. As the pharmacy employee inquires about what they are searching for, a detective reveals they are retracing the last moments of a woman who has died.
Footage also captures conversations with a pest control specialist who regularly visited the premises. The worker informs officers that he hadn’t seen Hackman for over a month, explaining that interacting with the couple during his routine visits was uncommon. He recalls the last time he saw Hackman, describing a brief wave without any verbal exchange, noting that Hackman appeared frail, bent with a cane, and with unkempt hair.
Investigators have revealed that Arakawa succumbed to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare rodent-transmitted disease with symptoms ranging from flu-like conditions to severe respiratory issues. Hackman’s death, believed to have occurred approximately a week later, was attributed to heart disease with complicating Alzheimer’s conditions.
Tragically, among the couple’s three dogs, one was found deceased in a crate near Arakawa’s body, with a state veterinary laboratory ascribing the dog’s demise to dehydration and starvation. Meanwhile, the remaining two dogs were found alive at the scene.