Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64, were found dead in their home on Feb. 26th. Gene Hackman’s daughter Elizabeth Jean Hackman is speaking out after the deaths of her movie-star father and his wife Betsy Arakawa. The two-time Oscar winner was found dead at age 95 along with his wife, 64, who was a classical pianist, and one of their pet dogs in their New Mexico home on Wednesday. A spokesperson from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office told PEOPLE that foul play is not suspected at this time and causes of death have not yet been determined. The sheriff’s office also told NBC an investigation is ongoing. Elizabeth, 63, told TMZ that the family is still unsure what happened, though they suspect toxic fumes, like carbon monoxide poisoning, might have led to the deaths. PEOPLE has reached out for comment.
“The French Connection” actor — also known for his roles in “Superman,” “Hoosiers,” “The Firm” and many more before he retired from Hollywood in 2004 — shared Elizabeth and two other children, Christopher and Leslie, with his late ex-wife Faye Maltese. Hackman married Arakawa in 1991. According to TMZ, Sheriff Adan Mendoza said two dogs were found alive when authorities responded to the actor’s house after a call for a wellness check. The gas company and fire department inspected to make sure the home was free of toxic fumes so authorities were safe to search, the outlet reported, adding that investigators think they’d been dead for at least one day before being discovered.
In a 2011 GQ interview, Hackman said he wanted to be remembered as a “decent actor” and “someone who tried to portray what was given to them in an honest fashion.” Asked at the time to sum up his life in a single phrase, Hackman replied, “‘He tried.’ I think that’d be fairly accurate.”
