PUZZLING

Cops Reveal Crucial New Pacemaker Clue About Hackman’s Death

The Hollywood icon and his wife were both found dead on Feb. 26.

Gene Hackman’s “last event,” according to his pacemaker, was on Feb. 17—nine days before his body was found. The Oscar-winning actor, his wife Betsy Arakawa, and one of their dogs were all discovered dead in their Santa Fe home, where they had spent the last few decades as partial recluses, largely avoiding the spotlight. But the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department announced on Friday they still don’t know the cause of death for the couple, adding that “both individuals tested negative for carbon monoxide.” Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza also shared that they conducted an “interrogation” of Hackman’s pacemaker, which recorded his last event more than a week before their bodies were discovered. The sheriff said there was no “foul play” or external trauma to Hackman and Arakawa, but detectives felt the incident was “suspicious enough in nature” to require a thorough investigation. Official autopsy and toxicology reports are pending. Hackman was a five-time Oscar nominee and film legend known for The French Connection and Unforgiven. His wife was a professional pianist.