Not exactly. The nine-day figure was an early estimate based on an initial pacemaker reading that showed cardiac activity on February 17, 2025. At a later briefing, New Mexico’s chief medical investigator said a subsequent interrogation found an abnormal heart rhythm on February 18—the last recorded heart activity—and that Hackman probably died around that date. Officials said the exact date and time of death could not be scientifically determined.
Did Gene Hackman die nine days before he was found?
That was the preliminary estimate, not the later official account. Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found at their Santa Fe home on February 26, 2025. On February 28, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said Hackman’s pacemaker showed a last activity date of February 17 and that he may have died nine days before he was discovered.
At a March 7 briefing, New Mexico Chief Medical Investigator Heather Jarrell explained that subsequent interrogation of the pacemaker identified an abnormal atrial fibrillation rhythm on February 18, the last recorded heart activity. Jarrell said Hackman probably died around February 18. That later information shifted the date emphasized by officials; it did not establish an exact day of death.
What the pacemaker timeline shows
| Date | What officials reported | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| February 17 | Initial pacemaker data showed cardiac activity. The February 28 account focused on this as the last activity date. | This reading informed the early estimate that Hackman may have died nine days before discovery. |
| February 18 | Subsequent interrogation found an abnormal atrial fibrillation rhythm, the last recorded heart activity, according to Jarrell’s March 7 briefing. | Jarrell said Hackman probably died around this date; the record does not pinpoint the moment of death. |
| February 26 | Hackman and Arakawa were found at their home. | This is the discovery date used in the early nine-day estimate. |
Why the pacemaker cannot establish an exact death date
A pacemaker record can show when it recorded heart activity. It does not, by itself, establish the precise moment a person died. Jarrell said: “There is no reliable scientific method to accurately determine the exact time or date of death.” Her phrasing—Hackman probably died around February 18—reflects that uncertainty.
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What officials concluded about the two deaths
Investigators identified February 11 as Arakawa’s last known communication and activity. Jarrell said it was reasonable to conclude that Arakawa died before Hackman. Her cause of death was hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
Hackman’s cause of death was hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease listed as a significant contributing factor. The medical examiner ruled both deaths natural. At the February 28 briefing, officials had said preliminary autopsies had not determined the causes; they also reported negative carbon monoxide testing and no external trauma.
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