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The demise of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa last month saddened fans all over the world. In an exclusive interview with US Weekly, Jesse Kesler, the longtime contractor of the couple, revealed how traumatic it was for him to find the bodies of the couple.
Kesler told US Weekly on March 18:
"It was traumatic." He added: "I was one of the first ones at the scene, me and the security guard. It was traumatic."
Jesse Kesler had worked for the couple at their house in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for the last 16 years. He told the publication that they were the 'sweetest people in the world,' and that the Academy Award-winning actor and his wife Arakawa treated him, his kids and his family very nicely.
Kesler told Daily Mail that the deaths were heartbreaking for him. He also recalled that the last time he spoke to Arakawa was on February 9.
In his interview to US Weekly, Kesler said the couple had been happily married for around 30 years and that they were 'cute couple.' He aded that the video the couple shot on Hackman's birthday was a testament of their love and hospitality.
"The video they took for his birthday tells you everything. She loved him... we loved them. I am heartbroken."
The couple's gardener, Evelyn Lambert who had worked for them over 34 years also came forward to share that Hackman and Arakawa were always sweet and kind. Lambert said:
They were a great couple. They were very private, pleasant people,” Lambert exclusively told Us Weekly. “Once he was done with movies they did their thing. Santa Fe was their town. They lived their private lives. I’m still in awe with all this,” Evelyn said, adding: “They were beautiful people.”
Kesler added that many people including friends, fans, family, and himself want more answers than what meets the eye, following the couple's mysterious deaths. He also mentioned that everybody was grateful for the good work by the police, who have established within a short time that there was no foulplay involved in the demise of the actor and his wife.
During the ongoing investigation, Leslie Ann, who is Hackman's daughter, had said possible carbon monoxide poisoning could have caused the deaths, but the police investigation ruled our any such possibility, as per US Weekly.
What we know Hackman and his wife's demise
Gene Hackman and his wife were found dead in February 2025 at their Santa Fe home in New Mexico. On investigating the cause of their demise, Dr. Heather Jarrell, the chief medical examiner for New Mexico, revealed on March 7 that Hackman died of hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with his Alzheimer’s disease also contributing to his death.
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Arakawa reportedly died due to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, as per authorities. Both Hackman and Arakawa died of natural causes and there was no foulplay revealed according to the investigation carried out by the New Mexico Police.
The family had three dogs, which were also present on the scene. One of the dogs was found dead, too, and the other two were sent to different families.
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