Gene Hackman Triple Death Tragedy: Fans Ask If It Was A Nightmarish Accident, Or Something Else, as Wild Conspiracy Theories Grow Over His, Wife and Dog's Shocking Passing
Conspiracy theories have spread over Hackman and Arakawa's death.
Feb. 27 2025, Published 4:45 p.m. ET
The mystery and unanswered questions surrounding the deaths of Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa, and their family dog has raised all sorts of suspicion, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Conspiracy theories range from tragic murder-suicides to outlandish claims of Witchcraft. And of course, Jeffrey Epstein's name has been batted around.
The bodies of both Hackman and his wife were said to have been 'mummified.'
The bodies of Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 63, were found "mummified" at their $4million mansion, as they were discovered dead in separate rooms.
The delay in the discovery of their bodies has led to some crazy conspiracy theories online. The Superman star's Wikipedia page was constantly updated and deleted with wild accusations.
One person on X shared: "There was some bizarre things posted in the death section of Gene Hackman's Wiki page. It was claiming he was a member of a witchcraft medicine cult in Santa Fe and was known as 'the healer' and was said to be 'appointed by God himself.'"
The accusation has since been removed.
Elsewhere on X, social media users took the unexpected death to link back to financier and child sex offender Epstein and his celebrity connections.
One person tweeted: "Do you think it’s a coincidence that Epstein files are due to be published and the legendary actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa together with their dog were found dead but US police say no foul play suspected?"
A separate person echoed: "Gene Hackman dead what looks like a suicide pact on the day the Epstein files are being released. Coincidence! I hope I'm wrong he is a legend and a brilliant actor."
The Oscar-winning actor starred in movies such as the 'Superman' series.
What we do know is according to a search warrant, Arakawa was found decomposed with bloating on her face and mummification in her hands and feet. Hackman was also found with the same signs of decomposition as his wife, a sheriff revealed.
Pills were discovered tossed around in their bathroom as well as near Arakawa's body in the bedroom. Hackman was in the home's mudroom, the warrant read. The identities of both Hackman and Arakawa were not released for nearly 12 hours due to the condition of the bodies.
It is said a suicide note was not discovered on the scene.
Hackman's final public appearance saw him walking gingerly with his wife.
One of Hackman and Arakawa's three dogs, a German Shepherd, was also found dead in a closet, while the other two were alive.
The Santa Fe Sheriff's Department noted foul play is not believed to be the cause of death, but the investigation is ongoing. Hackman's daughter Elizabeth Jean speculated her father and stepmother may have died due to a carbon monoxide leak.
Police, however, noted there was not "obvious signs of a gas leak."
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A two-time Oscar winner with an estimated net worth of $80million, Hackman became a recluse in the last 20 years of his life, after retiring from acting in 2004.
He packed up his things, left Los Angeles for a quiet life in New Mexico — and never looked back.
The Young Frankenstein star and his wife moved into a simple Southwestern-style ranch home in a gated community with views of the Rocky Mountains.
