Santa Fe County Sherriff Adan Mendoza said today that legendary actor Gene Hackman’s pacemaker confirmed that he had been dead for ten days when sheriff’s deputies found his body in his Santa Fe home on Feb. 26.
Mendoza made that announcement at a press conference this afternoon, about one hour after receiving a report from Dr. Heather Jarrell, the chief pathologist from the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator.
He also said those tests ruled out the possibility of gas poisoning.
“ Both individuals tested negative for carbon monoxide," Mendoza said.
"An initial interrogation was conducted of Mr. Hackman's pacemaker. This revealed that his last event was recorded on February 17, 2025. I was advised that a more thorough investigation will be completed.”
There’s no word yet on when exactly more test results and a completed autopsy are expected.
Also found dead at the Hackman home at 1425 Old Sunset Trail were his wife Betsy Arakawa and one of their three dogs.
A search warrant obtained earlier led to sheriff’s deputies removing several items from the house, including cellphones, medical records, and prescription medications.
Among them—thyroid medication and Diltiazem, a drug used to manage blood pressure and heart conditions. Investigators also collected a 2025 monthly planner and documents from MyQuest, a medical diagnostic service.
One detail in the warrant raises further questions—officers noted prescription pills scattered on a bathroom counter near Arakawa’s body.
However, officials have not confirmed whether medication played a role in their deaths.
There was no indication of foul play, according to the sheriff’s office. Detectives wrote in a search warrant affidavit that investigators thought the deaths were “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.”
Gene Hackman, a two-time winner of Academy Awards was 95. Arakawa was 65.
Portions of this story were adapted from an Associated Press report.
