Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa finally given private family memorial after bodies lay unclaimed for weeks
Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa have been finally laid to rest in a private memorial service in Santa Fe, New Mexico, nearly two months after their deaths.
The Oscar-winning actor, 95, and his classical pianist wife, 65, were found dead in their Santa Fe home on February 26.
Hackman and Arakawa’s bodies were discovered by maintenance workers who were carrying out routine work at their property.
The actor’s three children from his first marriage to Faye Maltese – son Christopher, 65, and daughters Elizabeth, 63, and Leslie, 58 – were present to pay their respects and say their final goodbyes.
The ceremony quietly took place in Santa Fe, with only those closest family and friends to the couple in attendance.
It followed their bodies lying unclaimed for more than a month after being discovered fuelling speculation of a rift between the actor and his three children, reported TMZ.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Gene Hackman’s rat-infested house was ‘breeding ground’ for killer virus say authoritiesGene Hackman and wife’s bodies unclaimed a MONTH after their deaths in brutal family snub as turmoil continuesGene Hackman death mystery takes fresh twist as family BLOCK autopsy results in ‘highly unusual’ move
Chris Ramirez, a spokesperson for the New Mexico medical investigator’s office, told the Daily Mail: “Generally speaking, we always work with the family or funeral home, or whoever is going to do the body transport to release the remains.”
“It would not be a general practice to keep remains for longer than we have to,” he added.
In his will, Hackman left the entirety of his estimated £80 million fortune to his wife as his sole beneficiary.
Even still, the family’s strained relationship had reportedly healed in recent years.
Following Hackman’s death, his children and granddaughter released a statement saying: “He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us, he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”
An autopsy revealed that Arakawa died nearly a week before her husband after contracting hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a rare rodent-transmitted virus.
Hackman’s cause of death was listed as hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with “evidence of advanced Alzheimer’s disease” as a significant contributory factor. Medical professionals believe Hackman may not have known his wife was dead due to his Alzheimer’s disease.
Arakawa was found in a bathroom with one of their dogs and scattered pills from an open prescription bottle on the counter. Hackman was discovered in the mudroom of their home, lying on the floor alongside his sunglasses and cane.
The New Mexico Department of Public Health conducted an environmental assessment of the couple’s property in March, reportedly finding it to be a “breeding ground for infestation”.
Dead rodents, droppings and nests were discovered across eight buildings of the couple’s abode. Investigators found evidence of rodent faeces in some of the couple’s garages, as well as nests and live creatures.
Traps were also seen throughout the property, suggesting the infestation was known about. Days before her death, Arakawa had been researching symptoms of flu and COVID-19, including questions about dizziness and nosebleeds.
Hackman and Arakawa met at a gym where she worked part-time in the early 1980s, and married in 1991. Their marriage spanned more than three decades, with Arakawa becoming a devoted carer for the French Connection star in his later years.
Leslie Hackman told the Daily Mail that Betsy took “very, very good care of him” and was “always looking out for his health”.
“They had a wonderful marriage. And I give credit to his wife, Betsy, for keeping him alive,” she added.