Gene Hackman's Kids Are Court Ready Amid Graveyard Neglect
By Afouda Bamidele on March 9, 2026 at 9:15 PM EDT
Gene Hackman's resting place remains undone one year after death!
The actor and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were reported buried on a plot which remains undecorated except for a patch of grass and a single conch shell used as a marker for the spot.
Gene Hackman and his wife both died in February 2025 at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Their bodies were discovered on February 26, 2025, following a welfare check by a maintenance worker.
Gene Hackman's Resting Place Reportedly Left Unmarked As Family Feud Erupts
The actor's loved ones are reportedly yet to erect a proper headstone on his and his wife's graves, leaving behind a single conch shell, which was placed by the tree where the couple was laid to rest. Gene and his wife's remains are buried at the Rivera Funerals, Cremations and Memorial Garden in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Gene and Betsy's remains were buried in a quiet section of the memorial gardens during a private ceremony, which the actor's three children attended.
Today, March 9, the actor's kids, Christopher, Elizabeth, and Leslie, have filed to be recognized as interested parties in the probate case involving their actor's will and multimillion-dollar estate.
Last month, the estate's fortune increased by nearly $7 million when his 53-acre property in Santa Fe was sold exactly a year to the day his body was discovered. The Daily Mail stated that the buyer will also get a three-bedroom guesthouse and a studio alongside the 13,000 square feet main property.
The filmmaker has left his three children out of his will, leaving behind all his assets to his late wife, who, in turn, left all her assets to charity following her death.
The Actor's Personal Possessions Were Auctioned Off Last Year
Gene's $7 million profit was not the only increase his estate recorded, as it wrapped up with another $3 million income in December. The sum came as a result of 400 pieces of memorabilia and personal possessions being auctioned off at the Bonhams in New York.
The actor's three Golden Globe awards for his roles in "The Royal Tenenbaums," "Unforgiven," and "The French Connection" were let go, alongside a 1988 treatment for "The Silence of the Lambs" and charcoal sketches he created in his Santa Fe home.
Other artworks that were sold included a bronze nude by French sculptor Auguste Rodin and a painting titled Figure on the Jetty by Milton Avery.
Gene's ability as a collector was praised by a Bonhams staff member, who claimed it mirrored "the care, aesthetic sensibility, and discipline evident in his own artistic practice."
Gene Hackman's Estate Was Hit With Claims Of Credit Card Debts
Gene and Betsy reportedly had several unresolved financial loopholes before their death, which had the bank filing claims to recover credit card debt.
The Blast shared that the actor had an outstanding credit card balance of $98,345.29 owed to Citibank, alongside a $4,329.75 owed by Betsy to Bank of America.
Gene's will was last updated in June 2005 with his wife as his successor trustee. As for his death, the actor was believed to have died on February 18, 2025, with his death ruled as hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer's disease.
His wife reportedly died about a week earlier from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a rare rodent-borne disease, with her body reportedly showing early signs of decomposition.
Betsy Arakawa's Search History Pre-Death Raised More Speculations
The Blast stated that Betsy had hopped online for more clarification about some mysterious symptoms she was experiencing. She reportedly searched on February 8 and again on February 12, the morning of her death.
She searched about COVID-19 and if it could cause several issues like dizziness and nosebleeds, and left several tabs open. Betsy had also told her masseuse that her husband had woken up feeling sick and described his symptoms as cold or flu-like.
The actor's wife had also purchased lots of Boost Oxygen canisters on February 11, and her final online search was for a healthcare provider in her environment.
Gene and Betsy's pet dog, Zinna, also died alongside the couple as Santa Fe County animal control stated that it probably died of dehydration and starvation.
Gene Hackman And Betsy Arakawa's Privacy Prioritized By Estate Rep
The actor and his wife were reportedly very heavy on their privacy while they were alive, as they settled for a life off the cameras, going to great lengths to ensure that. Gene and his wife were last spotted grabbing food at the Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen in Santa Fe in 2024.
An attorney for the actor's estate, Kurt Sommer, further shed light on the development, emphasizing that even while they are gone, the same respect must be maintained.
Part of Sommer's plea was that investigative materials that could upset everyone following the case be very well protected from the claws of the media, which could release them for monetary gains. Gene and Betsy tied the knot in 1991, a few years after his divorce from his first wife, Faye Maltese, was finalized.
