The world mourns the loss of famous actor Gene Hackman, who was discovered dead in his Santa Fe home on Wednesday. Alongside him were his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and their dog, both of whom died tragically. Hackman, 95, had lived a long and rich life, but the unexpected death of his younger wife, Betsy, at the age of 63, has prompted many issues.It’s a truly sad moment, and Gene’s daughter has spoken up about what she believes may have caused the unfortunate deaths.
Did a welfare check. In an interview with TMZ, Elizabeth Jean Hackman said the family isn’t sure what caused the deaths, but they believe carbon monoxide poisoning. “The house is fairly modern, built in 2000,” Elizabeth told me, “but we don’t know if there were any issues with gas leaks or if there were any recent service calls to the property.” Authorities responded promptly when a neighbor expressed concern, doing a welfare check on the property.
Deputies discovered the dead and were joined by gas company and fire department officers, who assisted verify that no poisonous gasses remained that could threaten others. Despite her tragic loss, Elizabeth painted an image of her father’s calm retirement. Gene and Betsy had moved to New Mexico after his retirement in 2004, where Gene followed a quiet life of painting. Elizabeth noted that her father’s favorite film was The French Connection, which helped establish his reputation as one of Hollywood’s best actors.\
Overall, the actor appeared in more than 70 films over his career. Hackman revealed in 2009 that his decision to leave the bright lights of Hollywood was prompted by a stress test that scared his doctors. “The straw that broke the camel’s back was actually a stress test that I took in New York,” he told the newspaper. “The doctor advised me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress.”
