More than a year after the Hollywood icon’s passing, the simple grave remains without a plaque or headstone. There are also no signs that visitors have left flowers or tributes to commemorate the anniversary of his death.
However, while the Oscar-winning actor is gone, the dispute over his fortune continues. Court documents show that Hackman’s will deliberately left out all three of his adult children, with whom he was reportedly estranged at the time of his death.
Hackman, who was 95, and Arakawa, 65, were discovered dead in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico on February 26 last year after maintenance workers entered the property.
Investigators later determined that Arakawa had last been seen on February 11, 2025, at a local CVS pharmacy. The following day, she contacted a doctor complaining of respiratory issues. According to the Santa Fe medical examiner, she died later that same day from complications linked to hantavirus — a rare respiratory illness transmitted by rodents.
Hackman, who had been living with Alzheimer’s disease, remained in the home for about a week after his wife’s death, apparently unaware of what had happened. He died on February 18.
The couple were laid to rest together about a month later at Santa Fe Memorial Gardens. Their burial took place during a private ceremony attended by Hackman’s three children — Christopher, 66, Elizabeth, 64, and Leslie, 59.
Although none of the siblings have publicly marked their father’s grave, court records show they have requested “interested party” status in probate proceedings involving Hackman’s estate, which is estimated to be worth around $80 million.
The value of the estate has continued to grow. Just last month, Hackman’s 53-acre property in the exclusive Summit Santa Fe community was sold for $6.25 million — exactly one year after his body was discovered. The property included a 13,000-square-foot main residence, a three-bedroom guesthouse, and the art studio where the actor spent time painting.
The estate also received another financial boost in December when approximately 400 personal items and pieces of memorabilia belonging to Hackman were auctioned by Bonhams in New York City, generating roughly $3 million.
Among the items sold were three Golden Globe awards Hackman had received for his roles in The Royal Tenenbaums, Unforgiven, and The French Connection. Other pieces included film memorabilia, a 1988 concept treatment for The Silence of the Lambs, and charcoal sketches Hackman created in his Santa Fe studio.
The auction also featured notable artworks, including a bronze sculpture by Auguste Rodin and a painting titled Figure on the Jetty by modernist artist Milton Avery.
Andrew Huber, Bonhams’ head of 20th- and 21st-century art, described the collection as particularly significant because of its connection to the celebrated actor. He noted that Hackman was not only an avid collector but also a practicing artist whose careful approach to collecting reflected the same discipline and aesthetic sensibility he applied to his own artwork.
Despite Hackman’s extraordinary success in Hollywood, his personal life was often complicated. His three children from his first marriage to Faye Maltese were reportedly estranged from him at the time of his death.
According to copies of the wills obtained by reporters, Hackman left his entire estate to Arakawa, whom he married in 1991. Arakawa’s own will similarly made no reference to Hackman’s children, instead stating that her assets should ultimately go to charitable causes.
The probate proceedings for both estates are still ongoing as trustees continue to settle remaining expenses, including credit card bills. Records show that as recently as January 26, a payment of $1,800 was made to clear one such balance.
Hackman’s estate was also involved in a separate legal case against the Santa Fe medical examiner’s office. Trustees had asked officials not to release photographs taken at the scene of the actor’s death. Hackman’s children joined the case as intervening parties, filing a motion urging authorities to keep the images private.
That legal matter was eventually closed due to inactivity, though the larger probate case concerning Hackman’s fortune remains unresolved.
