Gene Hackman's pals recall final conversation with his wife Betsy Arakawa before she was found mummified

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO: Longtime friends of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa, Daniel and Barbara Lenihan, shared poignant details of their last interaction with the couple before their suspicious deaths.

The pair, who had been neighbors and close friends with the legendary actor and his classical pianist wife, were shocked when news broke that Hackman and Arakawa had been found dead at their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home on Wednesday, February 26. 

Friends share heartfelt memories of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa

In an exclusive interview with People, the Lenihans recounted the last conversation their family had with Betsy Arakawa, which took place only weeks before she was discovered mummified.

Daniel and Barbara, who live just ten minutes away from Hackman and Arakawa, revealed that their son Brendan, 41, had spoken with Betsy about the upcoming birth of his second child.

"[Brendan] was telling Betsy it was a boy, and she was very excited. It wasn't a real long message, but then Brendan was hoping to hear back again soon," Barbara, 75, shared. 

This final exchange painted a picture of the couple's close-knit relationship with the Lenihans, who described Hackman and Arakawa as "just very kind people." Despite their private lives, which they had maintained in recent years, their neighbors remained fond of them.

Barbara fondly remembered Hackman as a "Renaissance man," while Arakawa was described as "sharp" and "funny, very witty." Daniel, 79, who first met Hackman in 1992, also reflected on their close friendship.

"Gene’s a fellow that when he had an idea come up about something that we were going to write or do, or something he just wanted to do, you could tell from his voice that he had such an idea and he would just lay it out like it's something that God Almighty had demanded be done," he said.

The Lenihans’ two sons, Aaron, 38, and Brendan, both looked up to Hackman, who had always been "extremely kind" to them.

Aaron shared, "He was always extremely kind to us, but everyone else I ever saw him interact with, I think he was very honest, had a lot of integrity. He was an incredible artist. He taught my brother and I to paint some, and the two of them were always so thoughtful." 

Suspicious clues found at Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's home as investigation continues

The tragic deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, have raised numerous questions, as police investigate the circumstances surrounding the couple’s death.

Initial reports stated there was no foul play suspected, but an affidavit for a search warrant revealed that investigators had found suspicious clues in the home, including a knocked-over heater, an open pill bottle, and dogs running around the house. These findings led authorities to launch a more thorough investigation.

According to the Santa Fe County Sheriff, Hackman's pacemaker was last operational on February 17, suggesting that the veteran actor had been dead for nine days before being discovered.

Arakawa's body, which reportedly had signs of mummification, was found on the floor of a bathroom, while authorities discovered Hackman's body in the house's mudroom.