Bodycam shows discovery of Gene Hackman, wife’s bodies

Recently release body camera video from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office shows officers entering the home of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, where they found his and his wife Betsy Arakawa's bodies.

The 95-year-old Oscar-winning actor, 64-year-old Arakawa, and one of their dogs were found dead February 26 in separate rooms of their Santa Fe home.

The redacted videos, recorded on February 26, show different perspectives from the body cameras of officers Alexandria Hancock, Joshua Thomas, and Javier Barron. In each, blurred figures are visible on the floor.

One clip captures officers quietly observing the scene. Another shows paperwork referencing a diagnosis for the dog, nicknamed “Zinna.” A still photo among the evidence includes a computer screen displaying an email dated February 11, in which Arakawa mentions Hackman’s flu symptoms.

Hackman was in an advanced state of Alzheimer's and died of heart disease and other factors likely days after his wife, Betsy Arakawa, died of a rare virus spread by mice, according to autopsy results.

Hackman, a former Marine known for his raspy voice, appeared in more than 80 films, as well as on television and the stage during a lengthy career that started in the early 1960s.

He earned his first Oscar nomination for his breakout role as the brother of bank robber Clyde Barrow in 1967's "Bonnie and Clyde." He won an Oscar for best actor in 1972 for his portrayal of detective Popeye Doyle in "The French Connection," and in 1993 won an Oscar for best supporting actor for "Unforgiven."

(Production: Liliana Salgado)