The bodies of American actor Gene Hackman and his wife, professional pianist Betsy Arakawa, were found in their Santa Fe home on February 26. The family friend Christopher, who was also the personal hairdresser of the Oscar-winning actor’s wife, believes there are many mysteries surrounding the couple’s death. He shared that Betsy had complained to him about being stalked by an unknown man.
The first incident happened in December, two months before the tragedy. “Betsy told me that a man parked outside their gate and was watching them. The second time, they went to White Rock for lunch. The man followed them from the parking lot outside their gated community and trailed them all the way to White Rock,” Christopher recounted. According to him, Arakawa was frightened and exhausted by the stalker. She expressed surprise that the security of their elite enclave didn’t know how he got in. “When we left, I noticed that this car followed us from the residence to White Rock,” she told the stylist.
When the pianist confronted the man to ask why he was stalking them, he claimed to have a folder of photos of Hackman and asked the actor from Enemy of the State to sign them. “Betsy told him, ‘You need to show more respect,'” Christopher recalled.
Soon after, the same man stalked the couple again as they drove to another location. This time, he attempted to offer them a bottle of wine, but they declined. “I said, ‘Oh my God, Betsy, this is crazy. You shouldn’t have approached this man. I’m getting nervous.’ He knew where they lived and what car they were driving. That’s what’s scary.”
The bodies of the actor and his wife were found in different parts of their spacious home: Hackman was discovered in the foyer, and Arakawa in the bathroom. Police believe the iconic actor died around February 18 from a serious heart condition, with Alzheimer’s disease being a significant contributing factor. Betsy, who had been caring for him, passed away a week before her husband.
Representatives from the New Mexico medical examiner’s office reported that the pianist died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a severe respiratory disease caused by contact with infected rodents. Initially, investigators considered the deaths suspicious but noted that there were no signs of forced entry or disorder in the $3.3 million mansion. The bodies were found in a state of partial mummification. One of the couple’s dogs had also died. Two other dogs helped rescuers find the couple.
Last week, a New Mexico court issued a temporary restraining order preventing the publication of any photos or videos showing Hackman and his wife inside their home after the tragedy. Another legal battle may be looming between the actor’s children over his multimillion-dollar estate, as his wife was named as the main beneficiary in his will.
