Gene Hackman’s family releases statement after being ‘devastated’ by his death: ‘We will miss him sorely’

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO: The heartbroken family of Gene Hackman has issued a statement following the discovery of his dead body alongside his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and their dog. The bodies were found on Wednesday, February 26, by a pair of maintenance workers inside their Santa Fe home in New Mexico.

The actor’s two daughters — Elizabeth and Leslie — and his granddaughter Annie have shared that they “are devastated by the loss,” The New York Post reported.

Gene Hackman’s family said they’ll always remember him as ‘dad and grandpa’

Gene Hackman shared Elizabeth, Leslie, and another child with his ex-wife Faye Maltese, who died in 2017.

The family's statement read, “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman, and his wife. 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,” it added.

Investigation launched into Gene Hackman and his wife’s deaths

A probe into the deaths has begun after a search warrant claims that the deaths are “suspicious.”

The warrant states, “The death of the two deceased individuals [is] suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation because the reporting party found the front door of the residence unsecured and opened,” as per Page Six.

“Deputies observed a healthy dog running loose on the property, another healthy dog near the deceased female, a deceased dog laying 10-15 feet from the deceased female in a closet of the bathroom, the heater being moved, the pill bottle being opened and pills scattered next to the female, the male decedent being located in a separate room of the residence, and no obvious signs of a gas leak,” it read.

Clint Eastwood calls Gene Hackman ‘intense and instinctive’

Meanwhile, several celebrities have shared their tributes following the death of the celebrated Oscar-winning actor.

Clint Eastwood, who directed and worked with Hackman in ‘Unforgiven’, said, “There was no finer actor than Gene. Intense and instinctive. Never a false note. He was also a dear friend whom I will miss very much,” according to USA Today.

Francis Ford Coppola, who was the director of the 1974 thriller ‘The Conversation’ starring Hackman, posted, “The loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration: Gene Hackman a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity. I mourn his loss and celebrate his existence and contribution.”