Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa’s bodies remain unclaimed weeks after they were discovered in their Santa Fe home. The couple was found dead on February 26, along with one of their dogs, at their New Mexico residence. A pathologist determined that Hackman, 95, died from heart disease , with Alzheimer’s as a contributing factor, while Arakawa, 65, passed away a week earlier due to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare infectious disease.
The couple's bodies were not discovered when maintenance and security workers showed up at the Santa Fe home and alerted police, with the mystery making headlines around the world. Their remains are currently at the New Mexico Office of the Medical Examiner, where they have yet to be claimed. The late couple were listed as "unclaimed decedents" in a report released by the Medical Examiner on March 24.
The list is updated twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, although the March 28 update had not been posted at the time of writing. A spokesperson from the Medical Examiner's office told TMZ that this situation isn't uncommon and may simply be due to the family still making funeral arrangements. Earlier this month, a New Mexico court approved a temporary hold on the release of documents related to the pair’s death containing sensitive footage and images.
The temporary restraining order, which was granted on March 17, was submitted by Julia Peters, a representative for the couple’s estate, to protect the family’s right to privacy .
