Over the course of 40 years or so, Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa basked in the peacefulness that Santa Fe, New Mexico, has to offer. Despite his celebrity, the legendary actor took well to his private “reclusive” life in the city that offers a small-town, cozy vibe.
In fact, he thrived.
“I think you can escape anywhere, but I think the beauty of the city – they just loved the area,” Mark Kreusch, a photographer, told Fox News Digital of the couple, who were found dead in their home on Feb. 26. “Even though he was a bit reclusive, he really loved Santa Fe. It resonated with him.”
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Kreusch would often see Hackman and Arakuwa enjoying long drives to “very, very remote” locations outside Santa Fe.
“I would see him out in remote areas in passing and just on these long drives,” said Kreusch, who would often travel just outside Santa Fe.
“I actually saw them driving a couple of different times. I was coming up from either Albuquerque or I was going to Santa Fe from Taos, and I saw them and I recognized both their cars. I kind of just gave them as much space as they could get, but I would see them in these very, very remote areas. They were really picturesque places by the side of a river once, and once it was near a mountain side.”
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One time, in particular, Kreusch recalled seeing Hackman pull over during one of his solo drives.
“I was going skiing and I saw him pull over,” he said. “I went up [the mountain] for a couple of hours and I came back and [Betsy] had met up with him, and they were still there. It was just the two of them, but she always had her dogs with her always. She loved those animals.”
“He wouldn’t really get out of his car, but instead they would just sit and enjoy the scenery. They’d have these long times where they would just sit in the car and just hang out. I could definitely see him kind of just taking in the scenery, maybe even using it for [inspiration] for later paintings.”
Kreusch said it was clear the two were “really, really tight.”
“They were extremely close,” he said. “[Gene] always seemed like a really together kind of person, as far as he was still up and about. And being at that old age, he was still really an active person.”
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Over the last few years, however, Hackman was noticeably “slowing down,” according to an old friend.
“Obviously, he was 95, so he was slowing down,” Stuart Ashman, who met Hackman in the late ’90s when they served on a committee together at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, told Fox News Digital. “And after COVID, he was more reclusive, protecting his immune system and everything else.”
Daniel and Barbara Lenihan and their son, Aaron, spoke with People magazine about Hackman and Arakawa, saying Hackman had been “essentially kind of home-bound” in “recent times” and “quit riding his bike through the neighborhood.”
“Betsy tried to keep him kind of active and engaged,” said Aaron, adding that Hackman did puzzles and yoga via Zoom daily. “She was still trying to keep him as active and engaged and healthy as possible.”
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Occasionally, Hackman and Arakawa would enjoy massages and hot tub services at an exclusive Santa Fe spa, Ten Thousand Waves, located near their home.
Bob Sheffield, the guest services manager at Ten Thousand Waves, said the couple were always “warm and generous” as far as their interaction with staff.
Lynn Otero, a waitress who often served Hackman and Arakawa at a local Italian restaurant over a decade ago, expressed a similar sentiment.
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“He was a lovely man, very generous, very well-liked in the community,” she told Fox News Digital. “Nobody bothered them. That’s why they were here, because they could keep their privacy here in Santa Fe.”
Gary Sinise, who worked with Hackman in the 1995 film “The Quick and the Dead,” told Fox News Digital about Hackman’s “quiet life.”
“I know once he retired to New Mexico, he was retired. He did not want to come back and get any awards or, you know, go to any Hollywood events or anything like that. He was done, and he was moving on from that part of his life,” Sinise said.
“I think he was painting. He was doing a lot of that and living a quiet life in New Mexico.”
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The mystery surrounding Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths continues to be the topic of conversation among locals.
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“I really am puzzled by the whole thing,” Ashman said. “You know, there’s a lot of different reports coming out. It’s kind of a tragic mystery in a way. And I can’t really speculate on what it could have been. Certainly nothing dark there. I think it gets compounded by the fact that it was the two of them and the dog. But I don’t know beyond that.”
Hackman, Arakawa and one of their three dogs were found dead inside their home Feb. 26. Fox News Digital confirmed the couple’s oldest dog, Zinfandel, who went by Zinna, was the dog that died, according to the couple’s longtime dog trainer. Zinna was 12.
Arakawa was found on the floor in a bathroom of the couple’s home. Various pills were scattered on a counter, and a space heater was on the floor next to her, according to the search warrant affidavit. Officers described the pianist as showing “obvious signs of death,” including bloating and mummification.
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Hackman was found in the couple’s mudroom. According to a search warrant affidavit, Hackman had a cane with him and sunglasses near his head. The actor showed similar “obvious signs of death.”
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department described the deaths as “suspicious” and began an investigation.
On Tuesday, the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department released an update on its investigation.
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According to a press release obtained by Fox News Digital, the New Mexico Gas Co. “confirmed it conducted an extensive investigation for gas leaks and carbon monoxide” on Feb. 26 and made “no significant findings” at the couple’s secluded home.
The gas company did note there was “a minuscule leak (0.33% gas in air – not a lethal amount) at one of the stove burners.” Additionally, there were four “red tags” for code enforcement violations, involving “a water heater and gas log lighters installed in three fireplaces,” the press release stated.
Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Stanton and Larry Fink contributed to this report.
