Actor Gene Hackman and his wife’s deaths labeled ‘suspicious,’ investigation ongoing

A new search warrant obtained by the Associated Press is revealing new information about the deaths of actor Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog.

According to the warrant, Hackman, Arakawa and their dog were found in different rooms of their home. Hackman’s body was discovered in a mudroom, and Arakawa was located in a bathroom next to a space heater.

Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office is now working with the New Mexico Gas Co, according to the news outlet.

The company has “tested the gas lines in and around the home after the bodies were discovered,” the AP reported.

The warrant noted that the gas company didn’t initially “find any signs of problems,” according to AP.

This comes as Hackman’s daughter, Elizabeth, told TMZ that her family remains unsure what happened to her father and his wife, but that they suspect toxic fumes, like carbon monoxide poisoning, may have played a part in their deaths.

Neither Hackman nor Arakawa had visible wounds, but detectives noted that an open bottle of prescription pills was scattered on a countertop near where Arakawa’s body was found.

According to NBC News, the warrant has since labeled Hackman and Arakawa’s death as “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.”

Hackman and Arakawa were found inside their home after Santa Fe County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a request for a welfare check at approximately 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26.

In an earlier statement, the a Sheriff’s Office spokesperson told CNN that an investigation into their deaths is ongoing but the manner of their deaths “is not believed to be foul play.”

Hackman was 95. Arakawa, a former classical pianist, was 63.

This story was originally published February 27, 2025 at 1:57 PM with the headline "Actor Gene Hackman and his wife’s deaths labeled ‘suspicious,’ investigation ongoing."