Leslie Anne Hackman, actor Gene Hackman’s daughter, has spoken out about her father’s and stepmother’s mysterious deaths at their Santa Fe home last Thursday.
On February 26, 2025, the couple were discovered dead in separate rooms of their $3.8 million mansion.
In an exclusive interview with DailyMail, Leslie revealed that the family is waiting for information from law enforcement about the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
“We need to wait and see what information the police can provide. We were not expecting to have to go out there and go through the house and everything,” she explained.
The initial investigation has left many questions unanswered. A neighbor discovered the bodies and alerted emergency services.
According to the report, one of the three dogs died inside the residence, leaving two alive.
Leslie and her sister, Elizabeth Jean Hackman, are concerned that a carbon monoxide leak may have killed their father and stepmother.
Leslie responded: “There was no indication that there was any problem…” She reported that her 95-year-old father was in good health prior to his death. “He liked to do Pilates and yoga, and he continued to do that several times a week,” she told me.
Leslie stated that she was close to her father but had not spoken to him in a few months before the tragedy. “I had not talked to them for a couple months, but everything was normal and everything was good,” she told me.
According to Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Juan Rios, both bodies were decomposed and had been at the home for at least a day before discovery.
Leslie expressed her grief over her father’s death and thanked Betsy for their 34-year marriage.
“Betsy took very, very good care of him and was always looking out for his health,” Leslie told me. “I am appreciative to her for that, and I am very saddened by her passing.”
Betsy married Gene Hackman, known for the classic films The French Connection and Bonnie and Clyde, in 1991. In recent years, the couple has lived a more private life away from the Hollywood spotlight.
According to Leslie, the family plans to travel to New Mexico once authorities provide more information about the incident. “So, we have some work ahead of us. But, yes, we will be going to New Mexico,” she said.
Authorities are investigating the deaths of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa, but the cause is currently unknown.