Gene Hackman’s pacemaker was last active on Feb. 17, indicating the Oscar-winning actor may have been deceased for nine days before he and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found in their New Mexico home, the Santa Fe County Sheriff stated Friday afternoon.

” An initial interrogation was conducted of Mr Hackman’s pacemaker. This revealed that his last event was recorded on February 17, 2025, I was advised that a more thorough investigation will be completed,” said Mendoza.

“I think that is a very good assumption that that was his last day of life,” Sheriff Adan Mendoza said according to Independent.

Hackman and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, were found deceased at their home in Santa Fe Summit on Wednesday, Feb. 26. The Santa Fe New Mexican reported the news, citing County Sheriff Adan Mendoza, who confirmed that the couple, along with their dog, had died.

Authorities have not indicated any signs of foul play in their deaths, Mendoza stated. However, no official cause of death has been provided, nor has it been determined. The couple have been married for over 30 years.

According to an affidavit for a search warrant filed by authorities, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were discovered in separate areas of their home. Arakawa was found in the bathroom near a space heater and an open bottle of pills, with her body exhibiting signs of “mummification,” indicating she had likely been deceased for an extended period. Hackman’s body also displayed “obvious signs of death,” according to the affidavit per PEOPLE.

 

 

Two dogs were found alive on the property. As for whether Hackman or Arakawa passed away first, Sheriff Adan Mendoza stated that determining the sequence of their deaths is “a very hard thing to determine.”

Leslie Anne Hackman, one of Gene Hackman’s three children, previously told DailyMail.com that she and her sister, Elizabeth Jean, suspected their parents may have died from inhaling toxic fumes due to a possible carbon monoxide leak.

However, after their bodies were discovered, Santa Fe City Fire personnel and the New Mexico Gas Company conducted tests for carbon monoxide and other hazardous substances in the home. Their investigation determined that the area was safe.