Gene Hackman’s daughters Elizabeth and Leslie, along with his granddaughter Annie, publicly mourned him after he and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead at their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home on February 26, 2025. Their statement emphasized that, beyond Hackman’s fame as an Oscar-winning actor, he was their “Dad and Grandpa.”
Leslie Anne Allen also gave an early interview in which she said the family was still waiting to learn what had happened. At that point, investigators had not established the causes of death. Later findings determined that Arakawa died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and that Hackman died from cardiovascular disease, with additional medical findings including advanced Alzheimer’s disease.
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The family’s statement focused on Hackman as a father and grandfather
The statement attributed to Elizabeth, Leslie and Annie announced the deaths of “our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy.” The family acknowledged that Hackman was admired by millions for his acting career, but said that to them he was “just Dad and Grandpa.” They described themselves as devastated and said they would miss him deeply.
The statement was reported publicly on February 27 and 28, 2025. It was a message of grief and remembrance—not an explanation of the deaths or a disclosure of medical information.
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Contemporary reporting identified Hackman and his first wife, Faye Maltese, as the parents of three children: Christopher, Elizabeth and Leslie. The public statement was attributed specifically to Elizabeth, Leslie and Annie. It did not claim to speak for Hackman’s son Christopher, and it would be inaccurate to describe all of Hackman’s children as having issued the statement together.
What Leslie Anne Allen said about the investigation
In a separate interview published on February 27, Leslie said she was anxious to find out what had happened to her father and Arakawa. She said she did not know how long they had been dead and questioned whether they had suffered. She also made clear that authorities did not yet have that answer.
Leslie recalled Hackman as active for his age. She said he rode a bicycle and was still doing Pilates at 95. She described the couple’s simultaneous deaths as shocking and said she had last spoken with her father roughly two months earlier.
Those comments were Leslie’s personal recollections during a period of uncertainty. They were not medical findings and do not provide a complete account of Hackman’s final weeks.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsWhy the deaths initially prompted an investigation
Hackman, Arakawa and one of their dogs were found at their Santa Fe residence on February 26, 2025, after a welfare check was requested because of concerns about the couple’s lack of contact. Authorities initially described the circumstances as unusual and began a thorough investigation. Preliminary examinations found no external trauma.
Some early coverage used the word “suspicious,” reflecting language associated with search-warrant material and the unusual scene. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said that foul play was not currently suspected. At that stage, however, the causes of death had not been established.
The later medical findings changed the picture. The deaths were ultimately classified as natural-cause deaths rather than homicide. The family’s first public comments should therefore be understood in context: Elizabeth, Leslie and Annie were expressing grief while investigators were still trying to determine what had happened.
Official causes of death
Betsy Arakawa
New Mexico officials announced on March 7, 2025, that Betsy Arakawa died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a serious illness associated with exposure to infected rodents and can cause severe respiratory disease. The official finding identified the disease as Arakawa’s cause of death.
Gene Hackman
Officials said Hackman died approximately a week later from cardiovascular disease. Later autopsy reporting released in late April added that he had cardiovascular disease, a history of congestive heart failure, severe chronic hypertensive kidney changes and a pacemaker.
The final reporting also documented neurodegenerative features consistent with Alzheimer’s disease. The chief medical examiner said Hackman’s advanced Alzheimer’s disease made it possible that he did not understand that Arakawa had died. That is a medical examiner’s assessment of a possibility, not a definitive account of Hackman’s conscious experience.
His toxicology findings included acetone levels consistent with prolonged fasting. Later reporting on the medical investigation also said carbon monoxide poisoning was ruled out as the cause of death.
The available findings do not support claims that the family revealed the causes of death in its initial statement. The causes came from New Mexico officials and the Office of the Medical Investigator after the investigation and medical examinations.
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Timeline of the case
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| February 26, 2025 | Hackman, Arakawa and one dog were found dead at their Santa Fe residence during a welfare check. |
| February 27, 2025 | The family’s statement was reported publicly. Leslie also discussed the family’s uncertainty in a separate interview. |
| March 7, 2025 | New Mexico officials announced Arakawa’s hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and Hackman’s cardiovascular cause of death. |
| April 15, 2025 | Santa Fe County announced the release of public records related to the deaths, subject to privacy restrictions and court proceedings. |
| April 27–28, 2025 | Reporting on the final autopsy findings added details about Hackman’s Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, pacemaker and prolonged fasting. |
A family loss beyond the actor’s public legacy
Hackman’s career included major roles in The French Connection, The Conversation, Unforgiven, Hoosiers, Superman and The Royal Tenenbaums. His daughters’ statement deliberately placed that public legacy beside a more private identity: the father and grandfather their family knew at home.
For viewers who want to revisit that career separately from the circumstances of his death, Gene Hackman movies on DVD are available through physical-media retailers, including releases of several of his best-known films. Criterion’s catalog has also marketed physical editions of Downhill Racer, Night Moves and The Royal Tenenbaums. These films offer a way to explore Hackman’s work without confusing his professional legacy with the family’s mourning or the medical investigation.
What can be said with confidence
- Elizabeth and Leslie, together with granddaughter Annie, issued a public statement mourning Hackman and Arakawa.
- The statement described Hackman as “Dad and Grandpa” and did not explain the deaths.
- Leslie separately said the family did not yet know what had happened or how long the couple had been dead.
- Authorities initially investigated an unusual scene, but the sheriff’s office said foul play was not suspected.
- Officials later identified hantavirus pulmonary syndrome as Arakawa’s cause of death and cardiovascular disease as Hackman’s.
- Final medical reporting added significant heart, kidney and neurodegenerative findings involving Hackman and ruled out carbon monoxide poisoning as the cause.
- The timing of Hackman’s death relative to Arakawa’s was approximate; it should not be presented as a precisely established number of days or as proof that he consciously knew she had died.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who spoke publicly for Gene Hackman’s family?
The family statement was attributed to Hackman’s daughters Elizabeth and Leslie and his granddaughter Annie. It did not purport to be a joint statement from all three of Hackman’s children, and it did not identify his son Christopher as a signatory.
What did Gene Hackman’s family say about him?
They said that although he was admired by millions for his acting career, he was to them “just Dad and Grandpa.” They expressed their devastation and said they would miss him.
What was Gene Hackman’s cause of death?
New Mexico officials identified cardiovascular disease as Hackman’s cause of death. Later reporting on the final autopsy also described congestive heart failure, severe chronic hypertensive kidney changes, a pacemaker and neurodegenerative features consistent with Alzheimer’s disease.
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What caused Betsy Arakawa’s death?
Officials said Arakawa died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
Was foul play suspected in the deaths?
The unusual circumstances prompted an investigation, but the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said foul play was not currently suspected. The later medical findings classified the deaths as natural-cause deaths rather than homicide.
The Bottom Line
Gene Hackman’s daughters Elizabeth and Leslie and granddaughter Annie broke their silence with a statement about family loss, not an explanation of the investigation. Leslie’s separate comments reflected the uncertainty immediately after the bodies were found. Later New Mexico medical findings identified Arakawa’s death as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and Hackman’s as cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s-related findings and other significant health conditions documented in the final reporting.
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