More information about the deaths of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa have come to light, with Hackman’s pacemaker likely revealing when the legendary actor died.
What did Gene Hackman’s pacemaker data say?
In a recent press conference from Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza (via Variety), he revealed that both Hackman and Arakawa tested negative for carbon monoxide poisoning.
Furthermore, Hackman’s pacemaker was also examined, and found that it recorded its “last event” on February 17, 2025, meaning that it’s likely this was the last time the actor was alive. This coincides with comments previously made by Mendoza, who noted that it seemed like the pair had been dead for “a couple of weeks” of prior to being found.
Mendoza went on to say that there continues to remain uncertainty over the order and manner of the couple’s deaths. More toxicology and autopsy reports are on the way, but Mendoza said that the process could take anywhere from “a month or three months or longer.”
Mendoza also said that “no external trauma” was noted to either Hackman or Arakawa, and that they’ve found no security inside or outside the home to help them figure out a timeline of events. police will continue to interview workers within the couple’s gated community to try and figure out what happened.
Detective rules couple’s deaths “suspicious”
The latest update comes just a day after Detective Roy Arndt told a judge that the circumstances surrounding the surprising deaths of the couple are “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.”
Specifically, Arndt noted the scene of the incident at the time the police arrived. Arakawa was said to be lying on the bathroom floor. A prescription pill bottle was open on the countertop, with pills scattered nearby. Hackman was reported to have been discovered in the couple’s mud room, next to the kitchen, with his sunglasses at his side.
According to the detective, it appears as if both had “fallen to the ground.” A deceased dog was also found in the bathroom closet by Arakawa’s body, but two healthy dogs were still on the property. The front door to the couple’s house was left open, although there was no sign of forcible entry.
While initial reports pointed to something like a gas leak being the cause of death, the fire department and gas company were called to check on the property, and did not detect any issues, with Arndt noting that there was “no obvious signs of a gas leak.”
Arndt also noted that it was not clear when both Hackman and Arakawa died. The detective said that a space heater was also found by Arakawa’s head, which potentially could have fallen in the event the female abruptly fell to the ground,” according to him.
“Affiant believes that the circumstances surrounding the death of the two deceased individuals to be suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation,” Arndt’s search warrant application writes. The search warrant was approved by Santa Fe County Magistrate Court on Wednesday night, so more information is likely to come during the pending investigation.