The bodies of Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were discovered February 26 after maintenance and security workers called police.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office has been sharing redacted records gradually, following a recent court ruling that permits their public release, provided any images of the deceased couple are hidden. More documents are anticipated.
“He was looking frail,” the worker says. “He was bent over with a cane. His hair was sort of wild.”
Officials report that Arakawa succumbed to the rare hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rodent-transmitted illness that may lead to flu-like symptoms, headaches, dizziness, and severe respiratory issues. Hackman is believed to have passed approximately a week later, due to heart disease compounded by Alzheimer’s disease complications.
Among the couple’s three dogs, one was discovered dead in a crate near Arakawa’s remains, while the other two were found alive. A state vet lab determined the dog perished due to dehydration and starvation.
Hackman, a Hollywood icon, won two Oscars during a storied career in films including “The French Connection,” “Hoosiers” and “Superman” from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s.
Arakawa, born in Hawaii, studied as a concert pianist, attended the University of Southern California and met Hackman in the mid-1980s while working at a California gym.
Hackman dedicated much of his time in retirement to painting and writing novels far from Hollywood’s social circuit. He served for several years on the board of trustees at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, and he and Arakawa were investors in local businesses.
