Additional Coverage:
- Gene Hackman’s children erase him with cryptic unmarked grave after $80m inheritance snub (irishstar.com)
Hollywood Legend Gene Hackman Laid to Rest in New Mexico
Following his passing at the age of 95, actor Gene Hackman was recently laid to rest beside his wife, Betsy Arakawa, in New Mexico. The private burial ceremony, attended by his three children, Christopher, Elizabeth, and Leslie, was held two months after the couple’s deaths in their Santa Fe home. The grave remains unmarked at this time.
Hackman’s death, initially shrouded in mystery, was later attributed to acute heart disease complicated by Alzheimer’s disease, just one week after his wife’s passing. Betsy Arakawa succumbed to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a rare disease contracted through contact with rodent droppings.
A subsequent inspection of the property revealed numerous deceased rodents, pointing to the likely source of her infection. Poignantly, Hackman’s autopsy report indicated a significantly elevated acetone level, suggesting he may have stopped eating after his wife’s death, as she was his primary caregiver.
The actor’s passing has also brought to light a complex legal situation surrounding his $80 million estate. Originally intended for his wife, her untimely death has left the inheritance in question.
While Hackman’s children were reportedly not listed as beneficiaries in his will, legal experts suggest they are likely to inherit under intestate succession laws. This potential outcome adds another layer to Hackman’s previously acknowledged complicated relationship with his children.
In a 1989 interview, he admitted that the demands of his acting career often led to prolonged separations from his family.