New Mexico
Gene Hackman’s estate being sold a year after actor and wife died there
Gene Hackman’s sprawling Santa Fe estate, where he, his wife and a pet dog were found dead nearly a year ago, has been listed for $6.25 million.
The 95-year-old French Connection star and his wife of 34 years, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, had lived at the 13,000-square-foot, gated property for decades before their bodies were discovered there by a maintenance worker in February 2025.
In police video footage of the couple’s home, taken during an initial walk-through, it appeared to be in complete disarray, strewn with loose items and food. Authorities also found dead rats, rat feces and nests throughout the estate, making their home a potential breeding ground for hantavirus, the rare rodent-borne disease that killed Arakawa, 65. It was ruled that Hackman had survived a week on his own, potentially unaware of his wife’s death, before dying from heart disease complicated by Alzheimer’s.
The 6-bed, 10-bath compound has since been cleared of the couple’s personal effects and professionally staged, the listing agents, Tara S. Earley and Ricky Allen of Sotheby’s International Realty, told The Wall Street Journal.
Typically, a home associated with such a notable actor would come with a celebrity premium; however, Earley noted that “we just priced it based on what we felt was the fair market value.”
“There will be some buyers that are just adverse to purchasing a property where a death has occurred,” she said.
“There are other buyers for whom that doesn’t matter. We are selling the property on its virtues and all of the positives.”
According to the listing, the 53-acre compound consists of multiple distinct structures, each made of glass, stone, and steel.
The custom three-bedroom main residence “showcases the signature style of Boniface, with flowing spaces that blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor living, highlighting stunning, expansive views from the Jemez Mountains all the way to Colorado.” It boasts a large open concept kitchen, a grand living room and a large dining area, while the primary suite features a sitting area and an attached office, which offers separate closets and spa-like baths.
Special features include a library, gym, game room, media room, wine cellar, a secluded putting green, lap pool and hot tub.
Separate from the main residence are a three-bedroom guest house and a studio space, added in 1997, Earley said.
Hackman and Arakawa originally purchased the property in the 1990s and significantly reconstructed it, building the primary residence in 1997.
To prevent people from viewing the property solely out of morbid curiosity, the agents have said that all interested buyers will need to show proof of funds before any showings.
Native Vote 2026
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A Laguna Pueblo woman is the front runner to be New Mexico’s next governor.
Shortly after polls closed Tuesday night, Deb Haaland was declared the winner over Bernalillo County district attorney Sam Bregman in the state’s semi-open Democratic Party primary. As of 11:00 p.m., Haaland carried support from 72% of the Democratic primary voters to Bregman’s 28%, according to unofficial results from the New Mexico Secretary of State.
“We’re showing everyone that a better future in New Mexico is possible,” she told supporters gathered in Albuquerque’s historic Old Town Plaza. “New Mexicans want a leader who will stand up for working people, and who is ready to take on Donald Trump. I proudly accept your nomination as a Democratic nominee.”
Haaland spoke for 13 minutes, at times through a scratchy throat that required her to pause for water breaks. “Excuse me, I’ve been talking with voters all day,” she said while grabbing a water bottle before hitting her campaign stump notes on affordability, health care and public safety.
She will face Republican Gregg Hull, a former mayor from suburban Rio Rancho that won his party’s three-way primary with 47% of the vote, according to unofficial results from the New Mexico Secretary of State.
Haaland will be the Democratic Party nominee in a state dominated at every level by Democrats, and is expected to be heavily favored in the general election. With that insight she said her campaign message does translate to Republicans and Independent voters.
“We want our kids to thrive. We want our kids to have a quality, public education. We want every New Mexican to have health care. Everybody wants to feel safe in their neighborhoods, and everybody wants to be able to afford to put a hot meal on their table every night and have a roof over their children’s heads,” she said. “Those issues transcend whatever political spectrum we’re trying to slice and dice people into.”
Shortly after the race was called, Haaland campaign staff, major donors, surrogates, and their families walked from a building on the west side of Albuquerque’s Old Town Plaza to the historic plaza core, where the Haaland campaign had set up a stage and reserved the entire plaza for its victory celebration.
“We are now witnessing history in the making,” New Mexico state Rep. Derrick Lente (Sandia Pueblo) said to supporters immediately after Haaland was declared the winner.
Denise Wilie (Dine) also joined the celebration of Haaland’s victory. Wilie said she worked on get-out-the-vote efforts with the Native American Voters Alliance in McKinley County.
“It just is so exhilarating to even think about, a woman and a Pueblo woman,” she said. “Indigenous all the way, is how I feel. I’m like, yes, let’s get more of our voices.”
Haaland was introduced by her two sisters and walked to the stage escorted by a mariachi band.
Speaking to reporters after the event Haaland reflected on voting for a Pueblo woman (herself) for governor.
“I got emotional, quite frankly, when I went to vote for myself because you do that when you’re a candidate,” she said. “We’ve never had a Native American governor in New Mexico. We’re a multicultural state. I think representation matters, especially in a political era such as this one. So, I’m really proud and honored to carry on the legacy of my ancestors, who worked so incredibly hard to make sure that I had a place here today.”
Related
When a famly unexpectedly loses a loved one, or has someone go missing, the details of what comes next can be overwhelming.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – When a famly unexpectedly loses a loved one, or has someone go missing, the details of what comes next can be overwhelming.
But they don’t have to do it alone thanks to an organization helping New Mexico families with some of those burdens.
Watch the video above for more.
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