Overview
- Gene Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found at their Santa Fe home on February 26, 2025; officials say Arakawa died of hantavirus on or about February 12 and Hackman died on February 18 after remaining in the house with Alzheimer’s.
- The couple were buried together in a private ceremony at Santa Fe Memorial Gardens, where the plot a year later has no plaque and is marked only by a conch shell and nearby wind chimes.
- Court filings show Hackman’s will excluded his three adult children and left his estate to Arakawa, while her will directed that her assets go to charity.
- Estate administration continues with assets liquidated, including a Bonhams sale in December that raised about $3 million from more than 400 items.
- The 53-acre Summit Santa Fe property sold for $6.25 million on February 26, 2026, and a separate bid to block release of death-scene photos was later closed for inactivity after the children sought to intervene.