Gene Hackman 911 Call Reveals Chilling Moment Actor And His Wife Were Found Dead
By Favour Adegoke on February 27, 2025 at 3:45 PM EST
Updated on February 27, 2025 at 6:10 PM EST
Disturbing details of a 911 call about Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa's death have emerged.
The caller, believed to be part of the maintenance crew, can be heard repeatedly exclaiming "damn," as he tried to fight back tears.
Following the call, cops took about 12 hours to be able to identify Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa as reports suggest their bodies were decomposed and may have been dead for more than two weeks.
Details Of A Gene Hackman 911 Call Emerge After His Death
According to TMZ, a male caller could be heard frantically telling the dispatcher that he'd seen two bodies that weren't moving, pleading that help be sent to the actor's Santa Fe mansion in New Mexico.
The caller, believed to be one of the two maintenance workers called Roland Lowe Begay and Jesse Kesler, tried to fight back tears as they repeatedly exclaimed "Damn" while sniffing.
According to the news outlet, the caller stood outside and looked through a window while reporting the incident to the dispatcher.
At a point, he said, "[It's] a female and a male probably. I don't know, sir. Just send somebody up here really quick."
The dispatcher can be heard asking for details about the "patients," but the caller couldn't give details on their ages or genders.
The caller also noted that he had "no idea" if Hackman and Arakawa were "awake" or "breathing" as he "was not inside the house."
Begay and Kesler told law enforcement that they had not seen the couple for two weeks, as investigators feared they may have been dead for a while.
The Actor And His Wife Were Mummified
Adding to the mystery of the case, it has been revealed that the late couple's corpses were partially mummified upon discovery.
According to the Daily Mail, a search warrant detailed how Arakawa was found decomposed with bloating on her face and mummification in her hands and feet, as sheriffs say the same signs of decomposition were observed in Hackman.
Arakawa's body was discovered lying on the bathroom floor on her right side, with an open prescription bottle of pills scattered across a nearby countertop.
It remains unknown what the pills were or whether they were prescribed for either of the late couple. She was wearing dark gray sweatpants and a light-colored sweatshirt.
The warrant noted that Hackman's body was discovered in a mud room off their kitchen and the "Superman" actor was fully clothed in gray sweatpants, a blue long-sleeve t-shirt, and brown slippers.
His sunglasses and walking cane were found next to his body, suggesting he may have died of a sudden fall.
The cold weather in New Mexico has been tipped as a factor that could have helped preserve their bodies.
It Took Cops Hours To Identify Gene Hackman And His Wife, And Their Death Is Now Described As 'Suspicious'
The couple, alongside their pet, were found dead at about 1:45 pm on Wednesday after a neighbor, now believed to be one of the maintenance guys, called police to perform a welfare check on them.
Although authorities got wind of the situation on Wednesday, it wasn't until Thursday morning that the couple was identified as the actor and Arakawa, with reports suggesting it took cops about 12 hours to do so, per ar.
One of the couple's three dogs, a German Shepherd, was also found dead about 10 to 15 feet away from Arakawa in a closet just off the bathroom.
A detective noted in the search warrant that "the death of the two deceased individuals to be suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation."
Police also told TMZ that two of their dogs survived the triple tragedy as investigations into the mysterious circumstances continue.
Police Initially Said There Was 'No Foul Play'
Tragic and suspicious as it now seems, authorities initially shared that there was no "foul play" suspected in the incident as investigations picked up steam.
They noted that they "do not believe foul play was a factor in their deaths," but the "exact cause of death has not been determined."
County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said that officials are "in the middle of a preliminary death investigation" and "waiting on approval of a search warrant."
Reports suggest that authorities are likely to include Hackman's dead dog in their investigation as they aim to piece together their final moments.
No Visible Trauma Discovered As Cause Of Death Remains A Mystery
Mendoza told TMZ that he did not rule anything out on the cause of death, although no visible trauma was discovered.
He added that the couple and their furry pet "could have been victims of a double homicide, suicide, accidental death, or natural causes."
Meanwhile, Hackman's daughter Elizabeth has shared her own theory as to the cause of their death, suggesting it was the result of a possible carbon monoxide leak.
According to the Daily Mail, firefighters were called to the property, but there were no signs of a gas leak.
