Gene Hackman's sweet love notes to wife Betsy Arakawa found scattered in their New Mexico home by authorities after couple's death

The recent release of investigative records has given more insights into the final days of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa. The deceased bodies of the Oscar-winning actor and his pianist wife were found at their Santa Fe home in February.

Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office recently disclosed most of the documents, photos, and footage about the deaths of Betsy Arakawa and Gene Hackman. According to Page Six, investigators also discovered various hand-written notes the late actor had dedicated to his wife. In one of the short love letters addressed to Betsy, Gene thanked her for helping him prepare her birthday dinner. It reads:

“Good morning. Happy several days after your birthday. Sorry still about the dinner and having to ask for your help, although it was appreciated.”

In another sweet love note, Hackman addressed her spouse as a “lovely girl,” and stated how he was thinking about her and “other little guys.” Gene seemingly also wrote about his health struggles, suggesting that he was aware of his condition (Alzheimer's disease) at the time. Per Page Six, the French Connection actor wrote:

“Ho, Ho, I am off to see the Wizard, the Wizz of Achie, Pokie. She stabs me here and stabs me there, she stabs me almost everywhere (almost). But I survive because after [sic] I am still alive. (But some times just barely). Love, G.”

Per the documents obtained by Page Six, Betsy Arakawa and Gene Hackman had multiple hand-written notes addressed to one another, talking about daily activities. The investigators also captured pictures inside the couple’s home, which were released alongside the bodycam footage. A video depicted one of their dogs seemingly guarding Betsy Arakawa’s body in the bathroom.

Gene Hackman apparently had “flu/cold-like symptoms” days before his death, Betsy Arakawa’s search history suggested

The couple and one of their dogs were found dead at their home in February, 2025, which led to the investigation. Subsequently, the autopsy reports revealed the hantavirus as Betsy Arakawa’s cause of death.

The investigators also concluded that she might have passed away a week before Gene Hackman’s demise, which presumably happened due to heart disease and complications from his advanced Alzheimer's, and kidney disease.

The documents released on April 15 included Arakawa’s final days' search history and emails. In one of the emails sent on February 11, Betsy told her massage therapist, Katia Van Horn, about her husband’s health and asked to reschedule an appointment. Arakawa wrote:

“So, G [Gene] woke up today with flu/cold-like symptoms, did a COVID test, negative. But out of an abundance of caution, I should cancel my appt tomorrow and rebook, say, in a couple weeks, last week of Feb if something is available..”

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During his final days, Betsy Arakawa searched about COVID-19 and flu-like symptoms. She looked up “Cloudberry Health Santa Fe, New Mexico," which was her last search. Investigators previously revealed that Betsy presumably passed away around February 12.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office disclosed plenty of other investigative records, such as the court's removal of a temporary stay on the public release. The images and videos depicting the deceased bodies of Betsy Arakawa and Gene Hackman are still blocked from being publicly produced (unless blurred out).

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