Gene Hackman's mysterious death: Pacemaker recorded 'last event' on Feb. 17
New Mexico authorities have revealed actor Gene Hackman may have died nearly 10 days before his body was found.
The actor, his wife, pianist Betsy Arakawa, along with a dog, were found dead by neighborhood security officials, at their New Mexico home on Wednesday. Authorities are still investigating the cause, which at this point is still considered "suspicious."
Hackman's pacemaker revealed that "his last event was recorded on Feb. 17, 2025," Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said during a press conference Friday. Mendoza said it was "a very good assumption" to conclude that was Hackman's "last day of life," more than a week before he was found.
He also said that tests ruled out carbon monoxide poisoning as a cause of death for the couple.
Deputies found the 95-year-old actor and Arakawa deceased on Wednesday around 1:45 p.m., according to a statement Thursday from the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office. Mendoza told the "Today" show on Friday that he's "pretty confident that there's no foul play" involved, though police are "not ruling that out."
Hackman and Arakawa tested negative for carbon monoxide, Mendoza said during the press conference. According to the sheriff, the couple were transported to the office of the medical investigator early Thursday.
After leaving California, Hackman led intensely 'private' life in New Mexico
Jennifer LaBar-Tapia, of the Santa Fe Film Office, mourned the loss of Hackman at the start of the conference.
"Gene was not only a legendary actor whose talent shaped generations of storytelling, but he and Betsy were also longtime residents of our community," LaBar-Tapia said, adding that the pair were "deeply woven" into Santa Fe, New Mexico, where Hackman lead a reclusive life after a lavish career in Hollywood.
After leaving California, the Hollywood icon led a quiet life in his beloved New Mexico, but authorities are shedding new light on what was found inside the Hackman home.
The inventory for the search warrant, executed Thursday, found two green cell phones, thyroid medication, Diltiazem medication (used to treat high blood pressure and control chest pain), Tylenol, MyQuest records and a 2025 monthly planner (calendar).
On Friday, Mendoza said his office would "look and try to gain access to the cellphones. We'll be analyzing cell phone data, phone calls, text messages, events, photos in the cell phone to try to piece a timeline together."
"One of the things is in an investigation, we try to piece a timeline together," Mendoza said they usually work from when "the event" happens and go forward but revealed that investigators plan to also work "backwards" on the Hackman case.
Hackman, who was largely out of the spotlight in the last two decades, underwent an angioplasty procedure in 1990 after a spell of angina. According to the Mayo Clinic, angina is chest pain that occurs when blood flow to the heart is restricted.
In 2012, the Academy Award winner was hit by a pickup truck while riding his bike. Hackman's publicist told CNN at the time that the accident wasn't serious, "just a few bumps and bruises."
Hackman and Arakawa met at a California gym, where she worked, according to a profile of the late actor published in The New York Times Magazine in 1989. A 2000 article in the Irish Independent newspaper revealed more details about the reclusive couple. The article noted that Arakawa "often travels with (Hackman) and seems to share his sense of humor and his preference for a quiet life in the desert."
"Where we live, in Santa Fe," he told the Irish paper. "You can lead your own life and not be bothered by the latest gossip. Besides, a film actor doesn't have to live in LA. Not that many movies are shot there any more."
Gene Hackman, Betsy Arakawa death case: How authorities discovered couple
Authorities found the actor in a mudroom near his cane, appearing to have fallen, while wife Arakawa was found in an open bathroom near a space heater, according to the warrant.
One of the couple's German shepherds was found dead less than 15 feet from Arakawa in a closet, while their other two dogs were found alive in the bathroom near Arakawa and outside.
Mendoza told "Today" that it would be a "challenge" crafting a timeline of their deaths, as Hackman and Arakawa were "private individuals and a private family."
He added that there was no "indication that anybody was moving about the house or doing anything different, so it's very hard to determine" if the couple died at different times or together.
Anika Reed contributed to this report.