Authorities have uncovered new information that alters the timeline of when Academy Award-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, passed away.
The couple was found dead in their New Mexico home last month, with officials initially stating they had been deceased for some time before neighborhood security discovered them. Investigators originally believed Arakawa died on February 11, with Hackman passing a week later.
However, the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office has now confirmed that Arakawa made multiple calls to a health clinic on February 12 seeking medical assistance—calls she was ultimately unable to act upon. The sheriff’s office discovered this new timeline after analyzing cell phone data from her device.
Authorities reported that three calls were placed to Cloudberry Health, a concierge medical practice in the area, that morning. Arakawa also received a fourth call from the clinic. Officials clarified that they never officially reported an exact date of death for her but had initially noted her last known activity on February 11, when she visited a grocery store, pharmacy, and pet store. Garage clicker data confirmed she returned home around 5:15 p.m. that day.
Dr. Josiah Child, who leads Cloudberry Health, told the BBC that while the clinic had never previously treated Arakawa or Hackman, she had contacted them for medical advice. “She called and described some congestion but didn’t mention any respiratory distress, shortness of breath, or chest pain,” Dr. Child said.
Arakawa had initially scheduled an appointment for February 12 but canceled on February 10, stating that she needed to care for her husband. On the morning of February 12, she called again seeking treatment. However, since no doctor-patient relationship had been established, she was informed that she needed to be seen in person.
“There were a couple of calls back and forth to schedule an appointment for the afternoon, but she never showed up,” Dr. Child explained. “Our office called back several times but never received an answer.”
The couple was ultimately found deceased on February 26.
Chief Medical Investigator Dr. Heather Jarrell stated that “based on the circumstances, it is reasonable to conclude that [Betsy] passed away first.”
A Santa Fe medical examiner determined that Arakawa died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare respiratory disease transmitted by rodents. Authorities now believe Hackman died on February 18, the date of his last recorded pacemaker activity, which showed an abnormal atrial fibrillation rhythm.
His cause of death was attributed to severe heart disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease listed as a contributing factor. Experts speculate that his cognitive decline may have prevented him from fully understanding that his wife had passed. If he did realize it, they suggest he likely went through cycles of confusion and grief, attempting to wake her before succumbing to the disease’s effects, which may have left him too disoriented to take further action.
A necropsy report also revealed that one of the couple’s three dogs, which had been crated while recovering from surgery, died from starvation and dehydration.
As investigations continue, representatives for Hackman and Arakawa’s estate have taken legal action to block the release of body camera footage and other visual evidence from the scene where their remains were discovered.
A New Mexico judge has issued a temporary restraining order preventing the release of these materials, with a hearing scheduled for March 31.