IN LIMBO

Gene Hackman and Wife Betsy Arakawa’s Bodies Remain ‘Unclaimed’

The couple were discovered dead in their Santa Fe home on February 26.

Over a month after their deaths, the bodies of two-time Oscar winner Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, remain on a list of unclaimed decedents in New Mexico—a record of individuals whose bodies are not claimed by family or friends, TMZ reported. The outlet confirmed that the couple’s names first appeared on the list—which is updated weekly by the Office of the Medical Examiner—on March 24. Although officials say that it is not unusual for bodies to remain unclaimed even a month after individuals’ deaths, it is unclear why this is the case for Hackman and Arakawa specifically. (TMZ attributed possible delays to funeral arrangements.) Hackman has three children—a son, Christopher, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie—from a previous marriage. “He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad,” his daughters said of Hackman in a statement on Feb. 27. “We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.“ Police have determined that Arakawa died on Feb. 12 from hantavirus, while Hackman passed away around a week later from heart disease and advanced Alzheimer’s disease.