- Authorities release 95+ hours of investigative footage showing evidence collection
- Hantavirus killed Betsy Arakawa while Gene Hackman succumbed to heart complications
- Surveillance review shows final pharmacy visit before deaths
- One dog died from neglect while two survived in locked home
Santa Fe investigators continue unraveling the tragic deaths of Hollywood legend Gene Hackman and his wife through newly publicized police videos. The footage reveals detectives combing the couple's $3.2 million adobe estate just days after their February 26 discovery, searching for Betsy Arakawa's missing laptop and additional forensic clues.
Bodycam recordings show family representatives guiding officers through the home's Southwestern-style architecture to the master bathroom where Arakawa's body was found. Detectives later reviewed pharmacy security tapes from February 15 - the last confirmed sighting of the 65-year-old alive. We're trying to reconstruct her final movements,explains an investigator in the video, highlighting the rare hantavirus infection that claimed her life.
Medical examiners determined Arakawa contracted hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a deadly rodent-borne illness affecting fewer than 30 Americans annually. The CDC reports New Mexico accounts for 11% of national hantavirus cases since 1993, including a 2022 Santa Fe County fatality. This regional pattern raises questions about pest control practices at the Hackman property, though investigators found no visible infestations.
Forensic timelines suggest Hackman - remembered for his roles in The French Connectionand Unforgiven- survived his wife by nearly a week before dying from heart disease exacerbated by Alzheimer's complications. Maintenance workers told police the reclusive 95-year-old appeared increasingly frail during his final months, often using a cane and avoiding conversation.
The case presents unique challenges for investigators:
- No signs of forced entry or struggle at the residence
- Three dogs found on premises - one deceased in crate
- Medical examiner confirms starvation caused canine death
- Family attorneys blocking release of health records
Animal welfare experts note the surviving dogs' condition provides critical clues about the couple's final days alive. Pets often become accidental witnesses in unattended deaths,explains Dr. Ellen Cho of the ASPCA. Their physical state helps establish how quickly authorities should have intervened.
Legal analysts predict the ongoing video releases could spark debates about privacy rights versus public interest in celebrity deaths. While redacted footage protects graphic content, animal rights groups already demand accountability for the neglected dog's preventable death.
This case underscores three critical public health insights:
- Hantavirus prevention requires sealing 1/4-inch home gaps
- Alzheimer's patients need daily welfare checks
- Emergency pet protocols save animals in owner crises
As investigators continue analyzing digital evidence from the couple's devices, the released videos provide haunting glimpses into Hollywood's most mysterious death investigation since Natalie Wood's drowning. With 37% of hantavirus cases proving fatal nationally, this tragedy reinforces New Mexico's push for rodent control education in rural estates.
