Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa spent their later years away from Hollywood, embracing a quieter life in the foothills of Santa Fe. The couple had lived in the area for decades, often seen at their favorite local spots, but remained private about their personal lives.<\/p>\n
![\"Betsy](\"https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/ATEIOkQP4YYBK0h34qO7nbBb2Q3DgTo2ptc4LInqiIU\/rs:fill:375:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vMDQ5YmNiOWQyNGRlZmRmMTgyN2VkMzc0M2M0OTlkYmRjNjhmOTUxNmQxMzhjOWQwYzAwN2Q4NmZlMTM3YjBmMC5qcGc_d2lkdGg9Mjc0NyZoZWlnaHQ9MzAwMA.jpg)
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\nBetsy Arakawa and Gene Hackman attend the 65th annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, on March 29, 1993 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Then, without warning, their familiar presence disappeared. On February 26, 2025, maintenance workers made a shocking discovery. What they found inside led authorities to launch an investigation, ruling out one possibility but leaving many unanswered questions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Betsy](\"https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/3miUy15AHU2r-9trIyO_LycPkAMcsN0qYVDrltAbNZo\/rs:fill:375:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vY2E5NzU3ZjEyMDA1MjVmZmUxZjk4ZjEwYjQ4NTA0NGJjMTU3MzA1ODhkNjkyZTdhODcyNjU1YmI3MjNjZGNmNy5qcGc_d2lkdGg9MjE0MyZoZWlnaHQ9MzAwMA.jpg)
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\nBetsy Arakawa and Gene Hackman during the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California, on January 19, 2003 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
A Private Life in Santa Fe<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\nFor decades, Gene and Betsy lived far from Hollywood, choosing the quiet of Santa Fe over the spotlight. They settled in the Santa Fe Summit community, where their home sat high in the foothills with sweeping views stretching to the Colorado mountains.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/cdn.amomama.com\/12eaaf3d8ddaba8aa2ecd69d1bb76251aae78a960a82f553842609f4c6c1731a.jpg\")
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\nA journalist sets up a camera at the entrance to the Santa Fe Summit neighborhood where late actor Gene Hackman lived, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on February 28, 2025 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nInstead of building from the ground up,\u00a0they remodeled<\/a>\u00a0an existing property, creating a space that suited their desire for privacy. Though reserved, the couple became well-known in town. Gene, a two-time Academy Award winner, had retired from acting in the early 2000s.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"Gene](\"https:\/\/cdn.amomama.com\/0a2a52477a212ebe7468dcaedf7af9f93aa2c47b3f4e7d1e08da248e46eed95c.jpg\")
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\nGene Hackman at the 1993 Academy Awards | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nHe focused on writing, painting, and flying \u2014 an interest he and Betsy shared. Both were licensed pilots, and even as they aged, they continued flying between Santa Fe and California. While they largely kept to themselves, they maintained strong ties with local businesses and were familiar faces in the community.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n\n![\"Gene](\"https:\/\/cdn.amomama.com\/e68e9b123f1826c636e0d9ad188907f76f566b8d8683e6ec505e9c5530b4b4be.jpg\")
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\nGene Hackman in 1970 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nGene’s Daily Routine and Community Ties<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\nDespite their private nature, Gene and Betsy had their\u00a0favorite spots<\/a>. Those who interacted with them recall a couple who valued their independence and community ties. One of their most frequented places was Jinja, the Asian restaurant they co-owned.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nThe staff remembered Gene as friendly and down-to-earth, often stopping in with Betsy. The restaurant’s menu features Betsy’s personal recipe for green and red curry, and Gene’s artwork, including a 20-foot mural, is displayed on the walls.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n\nAdvertisement<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"Gene](\"https:\/\/cdn.amomama.com\/b307b8e7aede971c186bc8cba45b306a4cc74f1de2e7d6299d9e8aee86ca0005.jpg\")
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\nGene Hackman presents his book “Wake of the Perdido” at Barnes & Noble in New York, on November 4, 1999 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nOutside of the restaurant, Gene made an impression with his generosity. Employees at The Broken Spoke, a local bike shop, recalled that instead of simply dropping off old bicycles for donation, he personally took them in for repairs, paying for new tires and tune-ups before giving them to Goodwill.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nContrary to what some might expect, he never sent assistants \u2014 he preferred to handle things himself. Betsy, too, had her routines. She was a regular at a local video rental store, where employees remembered her stopping by almost every week to pick out movies for them to watch at home.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nTheir selections reflected their love of film, even though Gene had long stepped away from the industry. The staff at Ten Thousand Waves, a well-known spa in Santa Fe, recalled the couple’s frequent visits, though they had not been seen in recent years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nNeighbors and business owners alike describe the couple as kind but reserved. Though they kept their personal lives private, they made a lasting impression on those who knew them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nA Tough and Independent Man Until the End<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\nEven in his later years, Gene remained as tough and self-reliant as ever. A former Marine with a boxer’s build, he was known for his resilience and unwillingness to back down. In 2001, at 70, he was involved in a minor fender bender in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n\n![\"Gene](\"https:\/\/cdn.amomama.com\/8535310e8bb8f5de6bfdac2b48fb7ae4acec05dd457ef85ddf9f238cb78901d7.jpg\")
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\nGene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa are seen on November 16, 2001 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nWhen the other driver became aggressive and threw a punch, Gene knocked him to the ground. His wife, Betsy, wasted no time arranging for a private jet to fly him home to Santa Fe. A longtime pilot and family friend, who was present that day, still vividly recalls the events.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n\n![\"Gene](\"https:\/\/cdn.amomama.com\/933881f49ba47c574acad0909f8fd2cd0754cc20a3215899a0e055f5dbf96bd6.jpg\")
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\nGene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa at Elaine’s promoting his book “Wake of the Perido Star” on November 3, 1999 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n\nAdvertisement<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nHe narrated<\/a>\u00a0how just hours later, Gene stepped off the plane and was immediately embraced by Betsy and their golden retrievers, calling it “one of the best scenes in Hollywood history.” That wasn’t the last time Gene’s toughness\u00a0made headlines<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nIn 2012, at 82, he and Betsy were walking in downtown Santa Fe when a homeless man approached and began shouting profanities at her. Gene responded by slapping the man, identified as 63-year-old Bruce Becker, across the face.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n\n![\"Gene](\"https:\/\/cdn.amomama.com\/7772a88daee6e13bb3fe675aa2f4d1fc75ec3a23c8dd3e6c9b5ea04273480c33.jpg\")
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\nGene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa at the DW Griffith Awards on February 24, 1992 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nPolice were called, but after reviewing the incident, they ruled that Gene had acted in self-defense, and no charges were filed. Even as he aged, Gene refused to slow down. At nearly 88, he visited a Santa Fe bike shop and purchased an electric bicycle, determined to stay active.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n\nAdvertisement<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nThose who knew him described him as someone who never let his age define him \u2014 whether by defending his wife, fixing up bikes for donation, or staying physically engaged in his later years. Unfortunately, in his final days, Gene Hackman endured the devastating effects of Alzheimer\u2019s.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nThe Discovery and Investigation<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\nOn February 26, 2025, maintenance workers arrived at Gene and Betsy’s Santa Fe home after weeks of no contact. When they reached the property, they found the front door open. Unable to reach the couple, they peered inside and saw something that made them immediately dial 911.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nThe 911 call, later released to the public, captured the urgency of the moment. Speaking from outside the house, the caller frantically\u00a0told<\/a> the dispatcher, “I think we just found two or one deceased person inside a house. Please send somebody really quick.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nHe explained that he could not enter but could see inside through a window. When deputies arrived, they found Gene, 95, lying on the floor of a mudroom near the kitchen, fully clothed, with his sunglasses nearby. Betsy, 65, was upstairs in a bathroom near the front door, positioned on her right side.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n\n![\"Gene](\"https:\/\/cdn.amomama.com\/afd47295bcb901c019094b801c8567b71265d4fb33d4295c7dabfd04fa942922.jpg\")
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\nGene Hackman with Betsy Arakawa at the United Celebral Palsy of New York City’s 15th annual Champagne Stakes at Etoile restaurant in 2000 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nOn the counter next to her was an open prescription pill bottle and scattered pills. A black space heater was also near her head, raising questions about whether it had fallen during a possible collapse.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nOne of their three German Shepherds was discovered dead in a nearby bathroom closet, while the other two dogs were alive \u2014 one inside the house and one outside. Despite the open front door, deputies found no signs of forced entry or a struggle.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n\nAdvertisement<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
For decades, Gene and Betsy lived far from Hollywood, choosing the quiet of Santa Fe over the spotlight. They settled in the Santa Fe Summit community, where their home sat high in the foothills with sweeping views stretching to the Colorado mountains.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/XeIiJMUUyXR-uihfpc7kKIL2GDR4TrK7WQnThhLcSHg\/rs:fill:375:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vMTJlYWFmM2Q4ZGRhYmE4YWEyZWNkNjlkMWJiNzYyNTFhYWU3OGE5NjBhODJmNTUzODQyNjA5ZjRjNmMxNzMxYS5qcGc_d2lkdGg9NDExOCZoZWlnaHQ9MjgzMQ.jpg)
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\nA journalist sets up a camera at the entrance to the Santa Fe Summit neighborhood where late actor Gene Hackman lived, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on February 28, 2025 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Instead of building from the ground up,\u00a0they remodeled<\/a>\u00a0an existing property, creating a space that suited their desire for privacy. Though reserved, the couple became well-known in town. Gene, a two-time Academy Award winner, had retired from acting in the early 2000s.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gene Hackman at the 1993 Academy Awards | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n He focused on writing, painting, and flying \u2014 an interest he and Betsy shared. Both were licensed pilots, and even as they aged, they continued flying between Santa Fe and California. While they largely kept to themselves, they maintained strong ties with local businesses and were familiar faces in the community.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gene Hackman in 1970 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Despite their private nature, Gene and Betsy had their\u00a0favorite spots<\/a>. Those who interacted with them recall a couple who valued their independence and community ties. One of their most frequented places was Jinja, the Asian restaurant they co-owned.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The staff remembered Gene as friendly and down-to-earth, often stopping in with Betsy. The restaurant’s menu features Betsy’s personal recipe for green and red curry, and Gene’s artwork, including a 20-foot mural, is displayed on the walls.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gene Hackman presents his book “Wake of the Perdido” at Barnes & Noble in New York, on November 4, 1999 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Outside of the restaurant, Gene made an impression with his generosity. Employees at The Broken Spoke, a local bike shop, recalled that instead of simply dropping off old bicycles for donation, he personally took them in for repairs, paying for new tires and tune-ups before giving them to Goodwill.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Contrary to what some might expect, he never sent assistants \u2014 he preferred to handle things himself. Betsy, too, had her routines. She was a regular at a local video rental store, where employees remembered her stopping by almost every week to pick out movies for them to watch at home.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Their selections reflected their love of film, even though Gene had long stepped away from the industry. The staff at Ten Thousand Waves, a well-known spa in Santa Fe, recalled the couple’s frequent visits, though they had not been seen in recent years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Neighbors and business owners alike describe the couple as kind but reserved. Though they kept their personal lives private, they made a lasting impression on those who knew them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Even in his later years, Gene remained as tough and self-reliant as ever. A former Marine with a boxer’s build, he was known for his resilience and unwillingness to back down. In 2001, at 70, he was involved in a minor fender bender in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa are seen on November 16, 2001 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n When the other driver became aggressive and threw a punch, Gene knocked him to the ground. His wife, Betsy, wasted no time arranging for a private jet to fly him home to Santa Fe. A longtime pilot and family friend, who was present that day, still vividly recalls the events.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa at Elaine’s promoting his book “Wake of the Perido Star” on November 3, 1999 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n He narrated<\/a>\u00a0how just hours later, Gene stepped off the plane and was immediately embraced by Betsy and their golden retrievers, calling it “one of the best scenes in Hollywood history.” That wasn’t the last time Gene’s toughness\u00a0made headlines<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In 2012, at 82, he and Betsy were walking in downtown Santa Fe when a homeless man approached and began shouting profanities at her. Gene responded by slapping the man, identified as 63-year-old Bruce Becker, across the face.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa at the DW Griffith Awards on February 24, 1992 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Police were called, but after reviewing the incident, they ruled that Gene had acted in self-defense, and no charges were filed. Even as he aged, Gene refused to slow down. At nearly 88, he visited a Santa Fe bike shop and purchased an electric bicycle, determined to stay active.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Those who knew him described him as someone who never let his age define him \u2014 whether by defending his wife, fixing up bikes for donation, or staying physically engaged in his later years. Unfortunately, in his final days, Gene Hackman endured the devastating effects of Alzheimer\u2019s.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n On February 26, 2025, maintenance workers arrived at Gene and Betsy’s Santa Fe home after weeks of no contact. When they reached the property, they found the front door open. Unable to reach the couple, they peered inside and saw something that made them immediately dial 911.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The 911 call, later released to the public, captured the urgency of the moment. Speaking from outside the house, the caller frantically\u00a0told<\/a> the dispatcher, “I think we just found two or one deceased person inside a house. Please send somebody really quick.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n He explained that he could not enter but could see inside through a window. When deputies arrived, they found Gene, 95, lying on the floor of a mudroom near the kitchen, fully clothed, with his sunglasses nearby. Betsy, 65, was upstairs in a bathroom near the front door, positioned on her right side.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gene Hackman with Betsy Arakawa at the United Celebral Palsy of New York City’s 15th annual Champagne Stakes at Etoile restaurant in 2000 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n On the counter next to her was an open prescription pill bottle and scattered pills. A black space heater was also near her head, raising questions about whether it had fallen during a possible collapse.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n One of their three German Shepherds was discovered dead in a nearby bathroom closet, while the other two dogs were alive \u2014 one inside the house and one outside. Despite the open front door, deputies found no signs of forced entry or a struggle.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Gene](\"https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/ZL7GvR62z-zj3gpSrTtg03j7PmaE8wRRXt3G0nCiPSc\/rs:fill:375:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vMGEyYTUyNDc3YTIxMmViZTc0NjhkY2FlZGY3YWY5ZjkzYWEyYzQ3YjNmNGU3ZDFlMDhkYTI0OGU0NmVlZDk1Yy5qcGc_d2lkdGg9MTQwMSZoZWlnaHQ9MjEzOA.jpg)
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Gene](\"https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/8dlAA2k_z4anTDjY0JKZd1nzori3MaaISpEdLpmn4z0\/rs:fill:375:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vZTY4ZTliMTIzZjE4MjZjNjM2ZTBkOWFkMTg4OTA3Zjc2ZjU2NmI4ZDg2ODNlNmVjNTA1ZTljNTUzMGI0YjRiZS5qcGc_d2lkdGg9MTg2NyZoZWlnaHQ9MjQwMA.jpg)
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\nGene’s Daily Routine and Community Ties<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Gene](\"https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/w1p92xTjvnQpaJHw3cFoktPiC66aBIrHL5BRNUcGba8\/rs:fill:375:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vYjMwN2I4ZTdhZWRlOTcxYzE4NmJjOGNiYTQ1YjMwNmE0Y2M3NGYxZGUyZTdkNjI5OWQ5ZThhZWU4NmNhMDAwNS5qcGc_d2lkdGg9MTU3NiZoZWlnaHQ9MjM5Mg.jpg)
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\nA Tough and Independent Man Until the End<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Gene](\"https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/xjDPxmOI5vVcZl0q_7PG6K5KOBvnAw2NCizb0kcxSyM\/rs:fill:375:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vODUzNTMxMGU4YmI4ZjVkZTZiZmRhYzJiNDhmYjdhZTRhY2VjMDVkZDQ1N2VmODVkZGY5ZjIzOGNiNzg5MDFkNy5qcGc_d2lkdGg9MjM5MyZoZWlnaHQ9MzEwMA.jpg)
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Gene](\"https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/KLORuBwiMmOvYFKjcL62ZmFqq4uC1ysI7yG6xHjjrkk\/rs:fill:375:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vOTMzODgxZjQ5YmE0N2M1NzRhY2FkMDkwOWY4ZmQyY2QwNzU0Y2MyMGEzMjE1ODk5YTBlMDU1ZjVkYmY5NmJkNi5qcGc_aGVpZ2h0PTE2MDAmd2lkdGg9MTAyMw.jpg)
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Gene](\"https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/qTbZ1hgeg7jI36eAmtturiU9e_B3_kCoxpOfx3T7mbA\/rs:fill:375:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vNzc3MmE4OGRhZWU2ZTEzYmIzZmU2NzVhYTJmNGQxZmM3NWVjM2EyM2M4ZGQzZTZjOWI1ZWEwNDI3MzQ4MGMzMy5qcGc_aGVpZ2h0PTE2MDAmd2lkdGg9MTA3OQ.jpg)
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe Discovery and Investigation<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Gene](\"https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/32yZiSDVJl5Wf6tut2ap58PHu2XfpsVtjyodqFMRl_o\/rs:fill:375:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vYWZkNDcyOTViY2I5MDFjMDE5MDk0YjgwMWM4NTY3YjcxMjY1ZDRmYjMzZDQyOTVjN2RhYmZkMDRmYTk0MjkyMi5qcGc_d2lkdGg9MTM1MSZoZWlnaHQ9MjA0OA.jpg)
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n