NEW: Bodycam Footage Changes Everything In The Investigation Of Gene Hackman’s Death
As authorities continue investigating the deaths of acclaimed actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, newly released body camera footage offers a closer look at the scene outside their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home. The footage sheds new light on the circumstances surrounding their sudden passing in late February.
The bodycam footage reveals deputies conversing with two workers who reported seeing someone lying on the floor inside the Hackmans’ home. Despite the absence of forced entry or overt signs of foul play, the workers expressed unease.
One worker remarked, “Something’s not right,” according to The Associated Press. Initial considerations included the possibility of a gas leak or carbon monoxide poisoning; however, subsequent investigations found no such hazards.
The bodycam footage also includes interviews shedding light on the couple’s personal concerns. Arakawa’s hairstylist recounted that Betsy had expressed fears of being followed by an unknown individual on two separate occasions in December. In one instance, the individual allegedly followed them from their residence to White Rock, presenting photographs for Hackman’s autograph.
GENE HACKMAN & wife at the Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel. 19JAN2003. Paul Smith / Featureflash
According to Fox News, Arakawa’s hairstylist, Christopher, informed law enforcement that she had told him about a man who had parked outside their gate and followed them. “On two separate occasions. One occasion is when they went to White Rock.”
Christopher recalled that Betsy expressed surprise that security hadn’t noticed how the man had arrived. “She said, ‘Christopher, I’m surprised that security didn’t [know] how he got there… because when we left, I noticed that this car had followed us from the residence to White Rock.’”
He said Betsy told him the man had “pulled out a folder of photos of her husband and wanted him to sign them.”
GENE HACKMAN at the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hills Hilton. 19JAN2003. Paul Smith / Featureflash
“And I said, we were sitting here and I said, ‘That’s so weird because Santa Fe’s not a place of paparazzi and stuff,’” he told police. “She said… she approached him and said, ‘I told him he needed to have more respect.’”
Christopher recalled his concern at the time. “I said, ‘Oh my gosh, Betsy, that’s crazy. You should not have approached this person. This makes me nervous,’” he said. “He knew what [they] drove. That’s the scary part.”
On another occasion, the same man followed them to a different location. Betsy told Christopher that he had offered the Hackmans a bottle of wine, but they declined.
Medical examinations later determined that Arakawa succumbed to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare disease transmitted through rodent droppings. Gene Hackman, aged 95, died approximately a week later from hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease contributing to his passing.
The findings suggest that Hackman may have been unaware of his wife’s death due to his cognitive condition. In the aftermath, the Hackman estate sought legal measures to protect the family’s privacy.
A temporary restraining order was granted, preventing the release of images, videos, and certain investigative materials related to the couple’s deaths. The estate claimed the couple’s lifelong commitment to privacy, arguing that public dissemination of such materials would cause irreparable harm.