Gene Hackman and Wife Betsy Feared to Have Died by 'Companion Suicide' — With Expert Detailing Chilling Theory as Mystery Over Couple's Shock Passings Deepens
Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead inside their Santa Fe home last week and their deaths have now been linked to a 'compassion suicide' theory.
March 5 2025, Published 9:30 a.m. ET
Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa are feared to have died by "compassion suicide", according to an expert probing their deaths.
RadarOnline.com can reveal speculation is mounting the pair may have made a pact to kill themselves has been ramped up by James Gill, Chief Medical Examiner for the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner – who claims the theory may be the grim explanation for their puzzling double-death.
Hackman was discovered dead in the mud room of his house, while his wife was discovered lifeless on their bathroom floor.
Gill, who said he had dealt in the past with "cases like that," explained couples who die in a dual suicide are "usually... together in bed."
However, police have said Hackman, 95, was found dead in the house's mud room, with his sunglasses near him on the ground, while Arakawa, 65, was discovered lying on the bathroom floor with prescription pills strewn across the nearby countertop.
The couple are believed to have been dead for several days before they were found, and both bodies had signs of decomposition and were partially mummified.
Two dogs were found alive inside Hackman's home, but 12-year-old Australian Kelpie mix Zinna was discovered dead in a locked kennel outside.
According to Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza, Hackman's pacemaker was last registered as working on February 17, nine days before the bodies were discovered, which could potentially indicate the day he died.
Gill continued: "'The fact that they're in two separate locations tells me that I think that's less likely.
The medical examiner said the initial information about the scene makes it appear as if Hackman had "collapsed".
He said: "He's got a history of heart disease. He's got a pacemaker. So that would not be unusual."
Another detail Gill focused on was the fact Hackman was "ambulatory" before his death, which he thought decreased the likelihood of a scenario in which he was left potentially helpless if Arakawa had died first.
He explained: "Sometimes we'll see instances where someone is bedridden and maybe they have dementia and then their caregiver dies from a natural event, and then there's no one there to take care of them, and then they can die from dehydration or what have you.
"I don't think that's the case in this."
That information could be particularly useful to compare to when Arakawa may have died, but Gill admitted "that's a little bit of a more grey area."
Hackman was one of Hollywood's most celebrated actors, starring in a string of blockbusters.
Fans of the actor were disturbed to learn one of the couple's three dogs, a 12-year-old Australian Kelpie mix named Zinna, had been found dead in their home, while the other two dogs were still alive.
The dead dog had been locked in a closed kennel in a closet near where Hackman's wife was found, while one live dog was found in the bathroom, just 15 feet from Arakawa's body, while the other was found outside on the property.
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Gill said the fact the dead dog was discovered in its closed crate means it likely died from "just not getting enough food and water," adding that dogs "can only survive for a week or so without food and water."
The surviving dogs — a German Shepherd named Bear and a seven-year-old Akita-shepherd mix named Nikita — are now being cared for by a family friend.
