Gene Hackman’s Wife Revealed They Were Followed by Strange Man Twice, Hairdresser Says

Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa, who died in February, were allegedly followed by a strange man on two occasions last year, Fox News Digital reports.

In bodycam footage obtained by the website, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department conducts an interview with Betsy’s hairdresser Christopher, who describes the troubling encounters.

Christopher explains, "She mentioned to me that there was a man that had parked outside of their gate and followed them. 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."

She said that the man approached them and "pulled out a folder of photos of her husband and wanted him to sign them."

Christopher asked if she reported it, "She said… she approached him and said, ‘I told him he needed to have more respect.’"

During a separate encounter, the man reportedly followed them again, this time offering them a bottle of wine, but they declined. 

Gene and Betsy’s bodies were found in their home on February 27. It was later determined that Betsy died from hantavirus and Gene died from heart disease with advanced Alzheimer’s as a contributing factor.

In additional bodycam footage obtained by “Extra,” law enforcement officers interview one of the workers who found the bodies.

The groundskeeper gets emotional while talking about Gene and his Betsy, saying, "I get attached to all these people, you know? They treat me really well, and her, she was a sweetheart. And to see them like that..."

There is also video of a deputy speaking to Gene’s daughter Elizabeth on the phone about handling the remains of the dog that was found dead in the home along with Gene and Betsy.

She says, "I'm thinking, um, cremate the dog and bury it with Betsy." She also asks, "If the dog was wearing a collar, could you save that for me?"

Hackman’s family recently filed a temporary restraining order to block the release of images or videos showing the bodies. 

In the filing, the family asked to seal the photographs, saying that Gene and Betsy "lived an exemplary private life for over 30 years in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and did not showcase their lifestyle.”