Emotional Clips Reveal Family and Worker Reactions to Couple’s Mysterious Passing
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| Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa Hackman were discovered dead in their Santa Fe home Feb. 26. (Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) - Image from: foxnews |
Bodycam footage capturing the aftermath of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa Hackman’s deaths has surfaced, shedding light on the investigation launched after the couple was found deceased in their Santa Fe, New Mexico home on February 26, 2025. Reports indicate that TMZ secured two key videos, while local outlet KOB4 obtained over an hour of recordings from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department, primarily showing scenes outside the residence and interviews with those who discovered the bodies.
One video, dated February 27, features a deputy on a call with Gene’s daughter, identified by TMZ as Elizabeth. The conversation centers on the fate of Zinna, the couple’s 12-year-old dog found dead near Betsy’s body. Elizabeth requested that Zinna be cremated and her ashes buried with Betsy, asking if the dog was the oldest of their pets and whether her collar could be preserved. Meanwhile, a second clip shows a visibly shaken groundskeeper struggling to process the loss. “To see that, both of them … I’m sorry,” he says, voice breaking. “I get attached to all these people. They treat me really well. And I met her [Betsy]. She was a sweetheart and to see them like that …”
The footage also includes an officer mentioning contact with both of Gene’s daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie, following the discovery. KOB4 noted that its extensive collection of bodycam recordings mostly depicts external views of the Hackman home and discussions with workers who alerted authorities. This release comes despite efforts by the Hackman estate to suppress such materials. On March 11, attorney Kurt Sommer filed a petition in Santa Fe’s state district court to block the medical investigator and sheriff’s office from making autopsy and investigation details public, arguing that “the bell cannot be unrung” once released. Sommer emphasized the couple’s right to privacy, citing the precedent of Kurt Cobain’s death-scene photos, which were withheld by court order. “Undersigned counsel cannot think of respective harm that would come to the State and County offices from respecting the discretion of Mr. Hackman’s and Mrs. Hackman-Arakawa’s right to privacy,” he wrote.
The petition, as reported by the Associated Press, highlighted Gene and Betsy’s low-profile life in Santa Fe, where they resided for over 30 years without flaunting their status. “During their lifetime, the Hackmans placed significant value on their privacy and took affirmative, vigilant steps to safeguard their privacy,” it stated, underscoring their deep ties to the community as full-time residents. The estate, represented by Julia Peters of Avalon Trust Co.—Gene’s third choice after Betsy and the late Michael G. Sutin (d. 2019)—seeks to shield the family’s grieving process. KOB4 reported that the sheriff’s office views the released footage as outside the scope of the estate’s lawsuit.
Official findings from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department, shared in a press conference, suggest Betsy died around February 11 from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, with records showing she made multiple calls to a medical center on February 12. Gene likely passed a week later, around February 18, from hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, worsened by advanced Alzheimer’s, as confirmed by his pacemaker’s last recorded activity—an abnormal atrial fibrillation rhythm. Chief Medical Investigator Dr. Heather Jarrell detailed Gene’s autopsy, revealing “severe heart disease,” prior heart surgeries, past heart attacks, kidney damage from chronic high blood pressure, and significant Alzheimer’s-related brain changes.
The emotional weight of the footage, paired with the legal battle over privacy, paints a poignant picture of a beloved couple’s final chapter, leaving family, employees, and fans to mourn their loss under public scrutiny.