Friends of Gene Hackman and wife say couple were ‘alive and well’ in recent meeting

Actor Gene Hackman with wife Betsy Arakawa in June 1993. (AP Photo, File) (AP)

As authorities investigate the causes of deaths of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, close and longtime friends of the couple say they seemed to be in good health at their most recent encounter.

“Last time we saw them, they were alive and well,” Daniel Lenihan told CNN’s Erin Burnett Friday night. Barbara, Lenihan’s wife, said that she had last seen Arakawa a few weeks ago at a home décor shop the two had opened together in Santa Fe and frequently spoke.

“They were so delightful to be around,” Barbara said, adding how proud Hackman and Arakawa were of each other. “Probably never seen a couple that got along and enjoyed each other so much.”

Because of health concerns following the Covid-19 pandemic, the Lenihans had seen less of the couple recently, Barbara said. Arakawa took extra precautions such as masking to ensure that her husband wouldn’t get sick, they said.

Like many others, the Lenihans are waiting for answers about what led to their friends’ deaths, after Hackman, Arakawa and one of their dogs were found dead in their secluded Santa Fe home this week.

Hackman and Arakawa’s bodies were discovered by maintenance workers at their home Wednesday afternoon, the sheriff’s office affidavit for a search warrant obtained by CNN affiliate KOAT states.

The couple’s bodies were found in separate rooms –– Hackman was found on the ground near the kitchen, while Arakawa was discovered in the bathroom, with scattered pills next to her, according to the sheriff’s office.

A German shepherd dog, who was kept in a crate, was also found dead in the bathroom, the affidavit said. Two other dogs were found on the property alive and in good condition.

While investigators have not yet determined whether Hackman and Arakawa died at the same time, data from Hackman’s pacemaker shows he was likely dead for nine days before.

The pacemaker shows Hackman’s “last event” was recorded on February 17, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said at a Friday news conference. “According to the pathologist, I think that is a very good assumption, that that was his last day of life,” the sheriff said.

Arakawa’s body meanwhile “showed obvious signs of death, body decomposition, bloating in her face and mummification (sic) in both hands and feet,” the affidavit states. Mummification usually starts over two weeks after a person dies, Santa Fe Fire Chief Brian Moya said.

Daniel Lenihan, who co-authored several novels with Hackman, noted the few details released so far are not “at all filled in yet,” yet what they’ve heard so far “just doesn’t fit” with what they knew of their friends.

“We don’t understand what happened with that,” he said.

Deaths warrant thorough investigation, police say

While there are no immediate signs of foul play, officials say that the circumstances surrounding the two deaths are “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation,” according to the affidavit.

“I think I’m pretty confident that there is no foul play just based on the lack of evidence of foul play,” Mendoza told NBC on Friday. “Of course, we’re not ruling that out.”

Investigators say they are working to piece a timeline together by analyzing a monthly planner found at the home as well as cell phone data – including phone calls, text messages, events and photos.

“We’re doing a reverse timeline,” Mendoza said Friday. “We’re doing a timeline from the time of death and the autopsy and the results, and we’re going to start working our way backwards.”

Several items have been taken from the home for analysis, including two green cellular devices and three medicines: a thyroid medication, Tylenol, and Diltiazem, often used to treat high blood pressure or chest pain, a document released Friday by Santa Fe County court shows.

Fire officials were unable to find signs of a “carbon monoxide leak or poisoning,” the affidavit read. Gas lines were tested in and around the home, with no immediate problems detected.

Official autopsy reports are pending, and toxicology tests have been requested for Hackman and Arakawa, according to the sheriff’s office –– but results could take months.

Couple remembered by their communities

Hackman received five Academy Award acting nominations during his career, winning twice – in the 1971 film “The French Connection,” and the 1992 film, “Unforgiven.”

His death comes just days before the Academy Awards this weekend.

A source familiar with behind-the-scenes planning at the Oscars told CNN that Hackman is expected to be honored at the ceremony, though details are not locked in.

Beyond Hollywood, Hackman and Arakawa were celebrated members of their Santa Fe community.

“Gene was not only a legendary actor that shaped generations of storytelling, but him and Betsy were also longtime members of our community, deeply woven into the fabric of Santa Fe,” Santa Fe Film Commissioner Jennifer LaBar-Tapia said at Friday’s news conference.

“Gene and Betsy were our neighbors who embraced Santa Fe lifestyle and embraced Santa Fe as their home. Their kindness, generosity and love for this city, made them not just icons but they were part of our family,” she said.

CNN’s Josh Campbell, Lex Harvey, Andy Rose, Joe Sutton, Elizabeth Wagmeister, Amanda Musa and Danielle Sills contributed to this report.

Karina Tsui and Dalia Faheid, CNN