Legendary actor Gene Hackman, a two-time Oscar winner, and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, were found deceased on Wednesday afternoon in their home located in the Santa Fe Summit community, northeast of Santa Fe. The couple, along with their dog, were confirmed dead by Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza just after midnight on Thursday.
Sheriff Mendoza stated in an interview with local media Wednesday evening that there was no immediate sign of foul play, though he did not provide any details on the cause of death or a specific timeline for when the couple passed away.
Hackman, 95, had been residing in Santa Fe since the 1980s and married Arakawa, 63, in 1991.
Deputies responded to the couple's home on Old Sunset Trail, situated in a gated community off Hyde Park Road, just north of Ten Thousand Waves, on Wednesday afternoon. The deputies were investigating the deaths of the elderly couple and their dog, though it was unclear whether they were responding to a report or conducting a welfare check.
Initially, Sheriff Mendoza reported that deputies found the bodies of a man in his 90s and a woman in her 60s.
"We're in the middle of a preliminary death investigation, waiting on approval of a search warrant," the sheriff said Wednesday evening before the identities of the couple were officially confirmed.
"I want to reassure the community and the neighborhood that there's no immediate danger to anyone," he added.
