Gene Hackman Death Case
Wife’s Phone Made Calls the Day After
Officials Said She Likely Died, Records Show
Published
Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, made phone calls to a medical center on the morning after the day officials first identified she was believed to have died — throwing a wrench into the timeline of both their deaths.
Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Denise Womack-Avila stated the department obtained phone records confirming Betsy made three phone calls to a Santa Fe medical center on the morning of February 12 — the day after New Mexico officials concluded she likely had died … from hantavirus, a rare and potentially fatal disease.

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Womack-Avila told TMZ Tuesday … “We can now confirm that Mrs. Hackman’s phone was utilized on the morning of February 12 to call a medical center in Santa Fe, Cloudberry Health. A total of three calls were made that morning, all to the medical center.”
The sheriff’s office confirmed Betsy missed a call from the same medical center later that day.
They haven’t said what the calls were about, and it’s not clear if Betsy made them herself.

Santa Fe County Sheriff
It’s unclear if this changes the timeline for Gene’s death on February 18 … investigators have said the last known activity from his pacemaker was on February 17. Gene’s official cause of death is heart disease and advanced Alzheimer’s disease — and officials believe he didn’t realize Betsy was dead in the home due to his condition.
Gene and Betsy’s bodies were found at their Santa Fe home on February 26 … one of their dogs was also found dead. Two other dogs were found healthy on the property, reportedly leading first responders to find Gene’s body. The investigation is ongoing.