Gene Hackman, 95, and his 65-year-old wife Betsy Arakawa tragically passed away in February just one week apart, after the veteran actor suffered from heart failure and the classical pianist died from hantavirus.
In a shocking new twist, their bodies have not been claimed by their family over a month later, despite Gene fathering three children with his first wife.
Gene and Betsy's remains are being held in the Office of the Medical Examiner of New Mexico, according to TMZ.
The pair were discovered in their Santa Fe home on February 26 after their handyman called the authorities.
Medical examiners uncovered that Betsy passed away a week before her husband after contracting hantavirus, a deadly disease spread by rodents.
She was found on the bathroom floor, while Gene had fallen in the mudroom and never regained consciousness. He had suffered from Alzheimer's for years, as well as heart problems.
© Ron Galella Collection via GettyThe Bonnie & Clyde star welcomed kids Christopher, 65, Leslie, 58, and Elizabeth, 62, with his first wife, Faye Maltese.
The trio live in California, and while they have not claimed Gene's body yet, it is not known if they were bequeathed anything in their father's will. His $80 million fortune was left to Betsy, although the fact that her death preceded his likely complicated the will process.
In her own will, the 65-year-old left all her assets to a trust to be distributed to several charities.
© Sygma via Getty ImagesShe is survived by her 91-year-old mother, who suffers from dementia and as such will likely not have the capacity to make decisions regarding her daughter's remains.
Chris Ramirez, a spokesperson for the New Mexico medical investigator's office, shared a statement with the Daily Mail about the fate of Gene and Betsy.
"Generally speaking, we always work with the family or funeral home, or whoever is going to do the body transport to release the remains," he explained. "It would not be a general practice to keep remains for longer than we have to."
© Ron Galella Collection via Getty"It would be very normal and a common practice for our staff to make arrangements with families or funeral homes," he added. "It would be a normal part of our routine to make arrangements with whoever in the family so they can take possession of the body and practice whatever religious or cultural norms and beliefs that they wish to do."
Elizabeth and Leslie spoke out about their father's death just hours after news broke in February, releasing a statement that read: "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy."
Gene Hackman: 5 surprising facts
© Getty Images1. Joining the Marines
At 16, Gene left home to join the Marines, just three years after his father had abandoned his family.
2. 'Least likely to succeed'
Gene studied acting at Pasadena Theatre's acting school, where he was classmates and friends with Dustin Hoffman. Both were dubbed "least likely to succeed" because they didn’t fit the typical young leading man stereotype. Of course, they both proved everyone wrong.
3. His big break came later
Gene Hackman's career proves that big breaks can come later in life. At 37, he landed his first big role in the classic Bonnie and Clyde, which earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. However, it wasn’t until he was 41 that he landed his first leading role.
4. Retiring from acting
By the early 2000s, Gene had hundreds of film credits to his name but the stress of his career was taking a toll on his health. He told Empire that part of the reason for his retirement was the physical and emotional strain attendant on acting.
5. He didn’t watch his hit films
The French Connection, one of his most famous films, earned him an Oscar. However, Gene admitted in a 2021 interview with The New York Post that he only watched the film once during the initial screening. He didn’t enjoy watching himself on screen and didn’t grasp the lasting legacy of his films.
"He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us, he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss."
© Getty ImagesLeslie later spoke to the Daily Mail about her father's passing, praising Betsy for caring for Gene in his twilight years.
"They had a wonderful marriage. I give credit to his wife, Betsy, for keeping him alive," she said.
"[Betsy] took very, very good care of him and was always looking out for his health. So I am appreciative to her for that, and I'm very saddened by her passing."
