Shocking bodycam footage has revealed moments from the day the partially mummified remains of Gene Hackman and his wife were found inside their Santa Fe house by New Mexico authorities. While some rooms appeared untouched, others were in complete disarray.
The images and videos offered a glimpse into Hackman’s life at home before his death. When authorities first walked into part of the house, they found that one of the couple’s three beloved dogs stayed right near Hackman’s wife Betsy Arakawa’s body. Hackman’s body was found in another wing of the massive estate.
House found in complete disarray
Parts of the house were unkempt, with clothes seen tossed on chairs. Dry cleaning with the bags still on could be seen crammed into a big closet. Paper bags lined the kitchen floor, and some rotting fruits and vegetables could be seen on the counter.
An unmade bed had a pillow case which appeared to have blood stains on it. Stacks of paper were kept on top of one of the couple’s dog kennels.
Some images showed an open COVID-19 test, and an email sent by Arakawa indicating she was afraid her husband had the virus. “So, G woke up today with flu/cold-like symptoms, did a covid test, negative,” she wrote to an unidentified recipient, according to the New York Post. “But out of an abundance of caution, I should cancel my appt. tomorrow and rebook, say in a couple weeks, last week of Feb if something is available … Thank you!”
A bottle of thyroid meds for Arakawa was discovered. Meanwhile, bottles of prescriptions for Hackman included thyroid meds, diltiazem and ursodiol. Some pills even appeared to be spilling out of a small container.
Dozens of award ribbons for dog training, a pool table, arcade games, a piano and pieces of gym equipment, including a stationary bicycle, were also found. Several books, photos of the couple and their dogs, an array of small statues and figurines, plants and a February 11 print copy of the Santa Fe New Mexican were discovered too. Placed on a table was an unfinished puzzle, along with a National Parks puzzle book and a connect-the-dots activity book.
It was earlier reported that Hackman and Arakawa’s $4 million compound had become a “breeding ground for infestation,” according to Page Six. Several dead rodents, droppings and nests were discovered throughout the property.
Arakawa’s cause of death stemmed from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is a rare, rodent-borne disease. Hackman died a few days after his wife’s death, following complications with hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, as well as advanced Alzheimer’s disease. Zinna, one of their dogs, was also found dead in the house.
