Gene Hackman case: A Phone call that defies the official story

Did Betsy Arakawa call after her death? A mysterious twist unravels the Gene Hackman case, raising questions about hantavirus and more.

MARCH 17, 2025 11:59 AM EDTMAR 17, 2025, 11:59 AM EDT

A shocking revelation reopened the mystery surrounding the deaths of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa. Found lifeless in their New Mexico home with one of their dogs, the couple’s story has taken a bizarre turn, leaving more questions than answers.

Gene Hackman's nephew speaks up about the actor's suspicious death

The Official Timeline of Betsy Arakawa’s Death

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza has been providing updates to the public regarding Hackman's death

New Mexico authorities initially ruled that Betsy Arakawa, 65, died on February 11 from hantavirus, a rare rodent-borne illness. A week later, on February 18, Gene Hackman, 93, succumbed to heart failure worsened by Alzheimer’s. But a startling claim has thrown this timeline into chaos.

A call from beyond? The Hantavirus mystery deepens

Married American couple, actor Gene Hackman and Classical musician Betsy Arakawa, attend a Hollywood Foreign Press conference at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, California, November 11, 1992.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Dr. Josiah Child, a retired ER specialist and director of Cloudberry Health Clinic in Santa Fe, revealed shocking information. He says Betsy called his office on February 12—a day after her supposed death. “She didn’t die on the 11th because she spoke to my team on the 12th,” Child insisted.

Weeks earlier, Betsy had scheduled an echocardiogram for Hackman. On February 12, she followed up, sounding healthy—no trace of the respiratory distress hantavirus would cause. They set an appointment for that afternoon, but she never arrived. Calls to reach her went unanswered.

Last sightings and conflicting Evidence

One of the latest images of Gene Hackman walking around Santa Fe.

Betsy was last seen alive on February 11 at a pet store and a local market in Santa Fe. She even exchanged emails with her massage therapist that day. Then, nothing—until Dr. Child’s account of her call the next day. This contradiction has put the autopsy report under scrutiny.

The grim discovery in the Santa Fe home

A general view of the entrance to the Santa Fe Summit neighborhood where late US actor Gene Hackman lived, in Santa Fe, New Mexico,

When police entered the couple’s secluded Santa Fe property, they found Betsy on the bathroom floor surrounded by pills and Hackman in the laundry room, just six feet away. Both had empty stomachs, suggesting Hackman, confused by Alzheimer’s, may have wandered for days unaware his wife was dead.

Santa Fe Film Office Commissioner/Executive Director Jennifer LaBar-Tapia speaks during a press conference at the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office.

Their dog Zinna, recovering from surgery, also perished from starvation and dehydration—pointing to a week of neglect. The scene paints a haunting picture of the Gene Hackman case.

Hantavirus or Something Else?

Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home alongside their dog

The hantavirus diagnosis raises doubts. The illness typically takes weeks to kill, with clear symptoms like breathing trouble, yet Betsy showed none. The house had no obvious rodent infestation—just some droppings in the garage and guest houses. Was hantavirus really the cause, or is there more to this story?

The $80 Million Question

Adding another layer, Hackman’s $80 million fortune sits in a private trust. With the case unresolved, speculation swirls about who will inherit it, keeping the Santa Fe deaths in the spotlight.

Unanswered questions in the Gene Hackman case

Did Betsy Arakawa die on February 11, as officials claim? How could she call a clinic the next day? Was hantavirus misdiagnosed—or is something darker at play? The Gene Hackman case, far from solved, grows more unsettling with every twist—especially that impossible call.