Gene Hackman, Betsy Arakawa’s Bodies Test Negative for Carbon Monoxide; Hackman’s Pacemaker Stopped on Feb. 17
variety.comJ. Kim Murphy The deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, remain under investigation, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adam Mendoza shared at a press conference Friday afternoon.
In a statement, Mendoza stated that both Hackman and Arakawa’s bodies tested negative for carbon monoxide poisoning. The sheriff also disclosed that Hackman’s pacemaker recorded its “last event” on Feb.
17, meaning that it is currently assumed that that is the date that the actor died. Mendoza said there remains uncertainty over the order of the couple’s deaths.
Final toxicology and autopsy reports remain pending — a process that Mendoza says “could be a month or three months or longer.” Initial findings indicate that there was “no external trauma to either individual.” In their investigation, authorities collected two green cellphones, two bottles of medication, one bottle of over-the-counter Tylenol, a request for medical records and a 2025 monthly planner for evidentiary purposes.
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