Gene Hackman’s wife had expressed concerns that a mystery man was following her before their tragic deaths.
In newly released bodycam footage, Betsy Arakawa’s hairstylist Christopher said she was ‘frazzled’ when she disclosed two separate incidents which took place in December.
The bodies of Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were tragically found inside their Santa Fe home on February 26.
It later emerged the star had died from heart disease and Alzheimer’s a week after Arakawa, who was his care giver, succumbed to hantavirus.
But Christopher told law enforcement the couple were concerned about being followed just two months before their deaths.
‘She mentioned to me that there was a man that had parked outside of their gate and followed them,’ he said, in footage obtained by Fox.
‘On two separate occasions. One occasion is when they went to White Rock. They went and had lunch there and the guy followed them from parked [outside of their gated community], followed them all the way to White Rock.’
Arakawa told Christopher she was surprised security ‘didn’t know how he got there.’
In newly released bodycam footage, Betsy Arakawa’s hairstylist Christopher (pictured) said she was ‘frazzled’ when she disclosed two separate incidents which took place in December
The Santa Fe medical examiner claimed a post-mortem examination showed Betsy died of hantavirus, a rare rat-borne respiratory disease, on February 11 – a week before her husband
Mrs Hackman, a pilates-loving ‘fitness fanatic’, was ruled to have died from hantavirus, which is contracted by inhaling rat or mice faeces (Pictured: Hackman and Arakawa in New Mexico in March 2024)
‘When we left, I noticed that this car had followed us from the residence to White Rock,’ she revealed.
Christopher said Arakawa disclosed that the man had a folder full of photos of Hackman and wanted him to sign them.
‘She approached him and said, ”I told him he needed to have more respect”,’ Christopher recalled.
But that same man later returned on a different day, following the couple to a separate location.
In that incident, he tried to offer them a bottle of wine, but they declined.
Christopher said Arakawa’s ordeal was ‘crazy.’
‘I said, ”Oh my gosh, Betsy, that’s crazy. You should not have approached this person. This makes me nervous.” He knew what [they] drove. That’s the scary part.’
Police believe the late actor died around February 18 at from severe heart disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease as a ‘significant’ contributing factor.
The Hollywood legend, 95, had been with Betsy Arakawa (pictured in 2003), more than 30 years his junior, since 1991
Officials with the New Mexico medical investigator’s office said Arakawa died a week before Hackman from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is a severe respiratory illness caused by contact with infected rodents.
The couple were discovered lying dead in separate rooms of their home.
Hackman was found in the home’s entryway, and Arakawa was found in a bathroom.
Investigators initially ruled the deaths as suspicious, but noted there were no signs of forced entry or anything in disarray.
The bodies were discovered in a state of partial mummification at their $3.3 million mansion.
A fan had fallen near Arakawa, who was also surrounding by a scattering of prescription pills which suggested a fall to investigators.
A New Mexico court last week granted a temporary restraining order against the release of any photographs and video showing Hackman and his wife the inside of their home.
Hackman’s estate had filed the petition to withhold images, citing the need to protect the family’s constitutional right to privacy in grief under the 14th Amendment.
Another legal battle could be on the horizon as Hackman’s children wait to learn the details of their father’s last wishes.
