Whatever Americans picture when they think of a Hollywood star’s estate, this wasn’t it.
Body camera footage released by the Santa Fe County, New Mexico, Sheriff’s Office showed the property occupied by the late acting great Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa.
And it looked like a disaster had struck.
Below are segments published by the celebrity-centric news site TMZ.
WARNING: The following video contains blurred out images of dead bodies, as well as other graphic and sad images, which may disturb some readers.
“No, it’s strange,” one of the deputies commented about the 2:05 mark in the video above.
He was apparently referring to the distinctive physical layout of the place, but the description could just as easily apply to the disorderly mess authorities found after the bodies of Hackman and Arakawa were discovered on Feb. 26.
Clothing was strewn everywhere, drawers were open, various belongings were scattered without any apparent order. It does not look like the estate of one of the biggest names in Hollywood history.
Should this video have been released to the public?
However, in a touching sign, one of the couple’s dogs was present, clearly refusing to leave his late mistress. (Arakawa’s body, on the floor of a bathroom, is blurred in the video.)
The dog caught the eye of some commenters on social media.
Sweet German Shepard staying by his Momma’s side even in the end. I hope he is being cared for now.
— AnnaJ (@rosebud_jurado) April 15, 2025
However, many other commenters took issue with the release and publication of the video at all, calling it disrespectful to the memories of the dead.
So sad. There privacy should have been protected this video should not have been shown
— Lorrie dobson (@Lorriedobson1) April 16, 2025
Still others noted that the video at least cleared up some of the mystery surrounding the deaths.
Now that I’ve seen the home and the footage and read everything it makes more sense how they died.
— Tina (@lostdogs20) April 15, 2025
While there don’t appear to be signs of rodent activity in the house itself, the property was overrun with rats. Rodent droppings and nests were found in other buildings on the grounds, the New York Post reported.
That activity is likely what led to Arakawa’s death. She died of a hantavirus infection, a disease that spreads from animals to humans, which she may have contracted through exposure to droppings.
An investigation into the couple’s deaths — including autopsies — showed Arakawa, 65, died about Feb. 12. Hackman, 95, who suffered from dementia, died around Feb. 18 of heart complications with Alzheimer’s disease as a contributing factor.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
