Exclusive: Inside Gene Hackman's Secluded Santa Fe Home After Triple Death
The discreet turning off the twisting road up into the mountains from Santa Fe is remarkably easy to miss. The roads remain unlit in this area, and the vast slab of New Mexican sky offers little in the way of stars to guide the way. But it is here, in splendid seclusion, that Gene Hackman has called home for two full decades after quitting Hollywood. You can clearly see the attraction for a man who was left thoroughly frazzled by the relentless entertainment industry, and who desperately wanted to recharge his soul away from the public eye.
A Property of Total Isolation
Eerily quiet with very little through traffic, the sprawling property nestled within twelve acres offers total and complete isolation. For some individuals, this extreme degree of being away from it all could prove deeply unsettling. However, Gene Hackman appeared to genuinely relish in the profound anonymity that this unique and remote location afforded him. A small security hut is discreetly tucked away off the main road to carefully vet everyone that arrives. Visitors are then met with imposing grey gates that mark the very start of a long, winding, tree-lined path leading up to his private residence.
And it is here, in a property described as "part pueblo, part colonial New Mexico, part Spanish Baroque", that the former legendary actor lived a deliberately simple life with his wife Betsy Arakawa. The couple only offered up rare and infrequent sightings in the local town over the entire course of two full decades. "It had a kind of magic in it," Gene Hackman once said in a past interview about his beloved home. "It's totally different from my other houses. The Montecito house was very formal."
Scene of Mystery and Investigation
When I arrived at the entrance to the compound at 8pm recently, it was a surprising hive of activity. A pizza delivery man was grappling awkwardly with the heavy gates, while another car roared quickly inside. What the quiet-loving Gene Hackman would have made of such an unexpected commotion is truly anyone’s guess. Mystery continues to shroud the tragic triple death, with police authorities now working diligently to determine a number of critical things. This includes investigating whether Gene or his wife Betsy had suffered a sudden fall, and precisely why the door to the house was found left ajar.
The deceased family dog was discovered inside a closet, whilst two other dogs were found to be healthy and unharmed. One dog was discovered near the deceased female, and another was observed outside the property. A new official police report states that officers "observed a pair of feet and legs on the ground near the kitchen area", which they confirmed to be Gene Hackman. The report reads in detail: "The deceased male was found wearing gray sweat pants, a blue long-sleeve t-shirt, brown slippers, and a walking-cane. Deputy Thomas indicated he observed a pair of sunglasses located near the decedent's left side."
Based on Deputy Thomas's professional training and extensive experience, he suspected the male individual had suddenly fallen. Deputy Thomas advised that the male decedent also showed obvious signs of death, similar and consistent with the female decedent. A black portable heater was found near Betsy Arakawa's head, with the report further stating: "He advised he suspected the heater could have fallen in the event the female abruptly fell to the ground." The officer also "advised he observed an orange prescription bottle on the counter-top near the deceased female. The prescription bottle appeared opened with pills scattered on the counter-top".
This exclusive glimpse into the final home of a Hollywood icon reveals a life chosen for peace, now at the center of a puzzling and sorrowful investigation.
