Police Release Body Cam Footage From Investigation of Gene Hackman’s Death

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza, center, answers questions about the investigation into the deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa during a news conference in Santa Fe, N.M., on March 7, 2025. Susan Montoya Bryan/AP Photo

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office has released edited body camera footage from outside the home of late actor Gene Hackman, where he and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in late February.

In the footage, deputies can be seen discussing the situation with two workers who initially alerted authorities after spotting someone lying on the floor inside the couple’s home.

With no signs of forced entry, deputies asked about potential gas leaks or carbon monoxide poisoning, which the workers said was unlikely.

The couple’s causes of death were eventually clarified when medical investigators confirmed that Hackman had died from heart disease complicated by Alzheimer’s, about a week after Arakawa succumbed to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare rodent-borne illness.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office has only released a portion of the footage, as a New Mexico court issued a temporary restraining order to prevent the dissemination of any images or videos depicting Hackman and his wife inside their home.

The order was granted in response to a court motion filed by Julia Peters, representing the Hackman estate, citing the need to protect the family’s constitutional right to privacy during their time of grief. According to Peters, releasing such records would cause emotional distress to the family and violate their right to privacy under the 14th Amendment.

Hackman and Arakawa were known for their private lifestyle in Santa Fe, where they lived for over thirty years. The body camera footage also includes brief glimpses of one of the couple’s dogs roaming freely on their property. A dog trainer who authorities talked to said that Hackman and Arakawa were “nuts” about their dogs, with video showing toys scattered throughout the property.

Arakawa’s hairstylist said that she often brought her dogs everywhere, including to the salon, where the smallest dog would come with her during appointments. That same dog was found dead in a crate near Arakawa’s body, likely due to dehydration and starvation, according to a veterinary lab report.

The couple’s estate is now managed by Peters, who is also handling a request to appoint a trustee for two trusts connected to the estate. Hackman’s will, updated in 2005, left his estate to Arakawa, while her will directed her assets to him if she died first. With both dead, the estate’s management and distribution of assets remain private.

A hearing is scheduled later this month to determine whether the other records and images related to the couple’s death will remain sealed.

Actor Gene Hackman arrives with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, for the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 19, 2003. Mark J. Terrill/AP Photo

Betsy Arakawa with her dogs Zinna (L) and Bear in Santa Fe, N.M., in a file photo. Sherry Gaber via AP

Amanda Lavin, legal director at the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, said earlier this week that, while privacy is important, public access to such records ensures accountability and transparency from the government.

“The whole idea of those records being available is to ensure accountability in the way those investigations are done,” Lavin said.

Hackman, a two-time Oscar winner, was celebrated for his roles in films like “The French Connection” and “Unforgiven,” while Arakawa was a classical pianist.

From NTD News