EXCLUSIVE: Gene Hackman and Wife Betsy's 'Double-Death Probe Was BOTCHED' — We Reveal How Mystery Shrouds Pills and Secret Diary and How Cops 'Messed Up' Evidence and Crucial Crime Scene Detail
Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa's deaths still remain a mystery.
March 14 2025, Published 4:30 p.m. ET
Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa's deaths have stumped authorities, but one investigator claims the probe into their mysterious final days was "botched," leaving more questions than answers, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Authorities have yet to completely rule out foul play after they discovered the "mummified" remains of Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, on February 26 in their $4million Santa Fe, New Mexico, home.
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's beloved dogs directed emergency responders to the Hollywood legend's body.
While Hackman's daughter initially suspected the couple died of carbon monoxide poisoning, test ruled out the gas as a cause of death.
Meanwhile, sources with knowledge of the investigation claimed the 95-year-old's secret diary could hold key clues about his death – and his final days alone in the home, as Arakawa reportedly died a week before him from a rat-related virus.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza revealed the French Connection star's pacemaker last recorded activity on February 17, nine days before his body was discovered.
Hackman's pacemaker last registered activity on February 17.
Arakawa was found on the bathroom floor with pills scattered on the counter. Her hands and feet also showed signs of "mummification."
One of the couple's beloved dogs, a 12-year-old Australian Kelpie mix, was also found deceased in a crate in the couple's closet.
Initially, police reports misidentified which of the couple's three dogs had perished, which our source noted made them wonder about what else investigators missed.
They said: "Seeing errors like that – even though it was minor in the scheme of things – makes you wonder if authorities will ever be able to get to the bottom of what happened, whether there was foul play, a suicide pact, or just a tragic ending."
Another source added: "Either cops lied or just got basic facts wrong. It shatters their credibility. It's impossible to believe what they say now. There are too many unanswered questions and errors."
Arakawa is believed to have died several days before her husband.
While authorities await toxicology and autopsy results, our source pointed to the suspicious amount of pills found near the 65-year-old.
The insider said: "The presence of so many pills asks the question: Was there an overdose?"
Another source reverted back to Hackman's diary, which they believed could shed more light on his final days.
They said: "Gene and Betsy had been living a hermit-like existence for months. Friends – and even family members – hadn't heard from them in a long time.
"But right up until the end, Gene kept entries in a journal that may unravel the mystery of what REALLY was going on in their home while they were sealed away from the world."
Sources believed Hackman's diary could shed light on his final days.
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After their deaths, Hackman's friend and local business owner Doug Lanham revealed he had not seen his friend since before the 2020 pandemic. An employee of Arakawa's mother also claimed her regular monthly phone calls stopped in October.
Hackman's daughter, Leslie Anne, 58, claimed she hadn't spoken to her father in two months.
Longtime family friend Kim Williams revealed: "Betsy really kept Gene sequestered."
Williams continued: "People in their inner circle liked Betsy very much, but there was also the thought that she kept Gene from interacting with the outside world more and more in recent years – and even though it may have been because Gene's health was declining, it was still concerning.
"They didn't even employ a housekeeper, and their isolation from the world was pretty much the reason they had been dead so long before they were discovered."
