Authorities believe that Gene Hackman’s pacemaker is shedding some light on the date of his death.
“Both individuals tested negative for carbon monoxide, [and] an initial interrogation was conducted of Mr. Hackman’s pacemaker,” Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said in a press conference on Friday, February 28. “This revealed that his last event was recorded on February 17, 2025. I was advised that a more thorough investigation will be completed.”
When asked whether that meant Hackman could have been dead since that last register moment, Mendoza stated it was very likely.
“According to the pathologist, I think that is a very good assumption that was his last day of life,” he said.
However, Mendoza added that the deaths of Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, are still under “active investigation.” He also noted that it is hard to determine who died first and said authorities are still waiting on some pending tests, including a toxicology report.
Us Weekly confirmed on Thursday, February 27, that Hackman and Arakawa were found dead one day earlier inside their shared Santa Fe, New Mexico, home. The actor was 95, while his wife was 64.
This story is developing.
