Watch as Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and the Santa Fe City Fire Department gave an update on the death investigation of Gene Hackman, Betsy Arakawa and their dog on Friday, 28 February.
The Oscar-winning actor, 95, the classical pianist, 65, and their pet were found dead in the early hours of Thursday, 27 February, authorities said.
According to a police search warrant, the actor, his wife and their dog were found in separate rooms and appeared to have been “dead for some time”. The couple suffered “no external trauma”, the preliminary findings of a medical investigation found.
A statement from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said: “In the early hours of Thursday, February 27 2025, Hackman and Arakawa were transported to the Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI).
“An autopsy was performed. Initial findings noted no external trauma to either individual.”
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza initially said that foul play was not suspected, although a search warrant affidavit has since ruled their deaths “suspicious” enough to require further investigation.
Despite earlier speculation, the document adds that there were “no obvious signs of a gas leak”.
The actor was one of the best-loved stars in Hollywood, starring in classic films ranging from The French Connection and The Conversation to Superman.
He won Oscars for The French Connection and Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven and stepped away from the spotlight a few years after The Royal Tenenbaums in 2001.
