Gene Hackman: New claims emerge about wife Betsy Arakawa
Claims have emerged that the wife of actor Gene Hackman had become reclusive, as mystery continues to hang over the cause of their deaths.
The wife of Hollywood titan Gene Hackman had not called her elderly mother “in months”, with a source close to her family suggesting she had become more reclusive.
Hackman, 95, his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64, and their pet dog were found dead at the home they shared in New Mexico on Wednesday, with their cause of death still unclear.
Authorities have revealed data from Hackman’s pacemaker suggests his “last day of life” was likely to have been February 17.
A housekeeper for Arakawa’s mother, who has dementia, told the Daily Mail the late classical pianist used to call 91-year-old Yoshie Feaster regularly.
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However, the woman named Keiko claimed, “Betsy hadn’t called her mother in months”.
“She usually called every one or two months,” the housekeeper said. “Last time she called was October. We were thinking, what happened?”
Keiko said that the family was worried over Arakawa’s alleged lack of communication.
Ms Feaster was informed about her daughter’s death by police and was “very upset” but appeared to have forgotten due to her dementia, Keiko said.
It remains unknown whether Arakawa was dealing with mental health issues before she died.
A search warrant revealed police found her on a bathroom floor with pills scattered around a benchtop.
The couple had been married in 1991 and did not have children together, however, two-time Oscar winner Hackman shared two daughters and a son with former wife Faye Maltese.
In an update on Friday, local time, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said information from Hackman’s pacemaker recorded its “last event” on February 17.
“According to the pathologist, I think that is a very good assumption, that was his last day of life,” he said.
Mr Mendoza said officials were yet to ascertain when Hackman and Arakawa’s last contact with other people was.
“That’s one of our challenges because of their privacy,” he said.
Mr Mendoza said there were “no apparent signs of foul play” and an autopsy showed “no external trauma”.
He confirmed both bodies tested negative for carbon monoxide and said it appeared unlikely the deaths were caused by falls.
“There was no trauma indicated, I’m assuming if they had fallen or injured themselves that would have been discovered by the pathologists,” the sheriff said.
According to a search warrant document filed in court, investigators searched the $3.8 million Santa Fe home again Thursday and found thyroid medication and the angina blocker Diltiazem inside, along with Tylenol.
Police also listed two green phones and the couple’s health records, but were yet to reveal detail about what was in them.
“That’s obviously very important evidence at the scene,” Mr Mendoza told NBC about the prescription drugs.
“That information was collected … passed to the medical investigator to help them make a determination.”
Arakawa’s body was already in a state of decomposition when discovered last week, with “mummification” on her hands and feet and “bloating” in her face.
Less detail has been released about the state of Hackman’s body, but police believe he fell as his sunglasses were found next to him.
He was located in a separate room in the house, near a kitchen.
The mysterious deaths have caused a stir in the town of Santa Fe, with locals telling The Guardian that the couple were “liked a lot”.
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“He was the kindest man. He would smile at everyone,” Nedret Gurler. “Everyone I’ve talked to since yesterday is genuinely sad.”
Ms Gurler said the circumstances around the couple’s deaths had made people uneasy: “There’s something wrong about it. We all want answers.”
Hackman won Oscars for his starring turn in The French Connection (1971) and Unforgiven (1992), and was known for other major roles in Bonnie and Clyde, Mississippi Burning and the Superman film series.
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