Prince William has issued an emotional statement following the news that Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead at their home.

The couple were found at their home in Santa Fe in New Mexico on Wednesday afternoon.

The Prince of Wales wrote on social media: “So sad to hear the news of the death of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy.

“Hackman was a true genius of film who brought each and every character to life with power, authenticity and star quality. W.”

Prince William

Prince William has issued an emotional statement following the news that Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead at their home.

 

County Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirmed the deaths in a statement to the Santa Fe New Mexican.

“We can confirm that both Gene Hackman and his wife were found deceased Wednesday,” he said.

The bodies were discovered on Wednesday afternoon at their residence in the Santa Fe Summit community northeast of the city.

Hackman was 95 years old, whilst his wife, a classical pianist, was 63.

The Press Association has confirmed there is an “active investigation” into the deaths.

Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa

The couple were found at their home in Santa Fe in New Mexico on Wednesday afternoon.

 

Sheriff Mendoza stated there was “no immediate indication of foul play” in the deaths.

 The exact cause of death has not yet been determined.

Local TV station KOB reported that police responded to a neighbour’s request for a welfare check at around 1.45pm on Wednesday.

Deputies discovered the bodies of a man in his 90s and a woman in her 60s.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office later added: “We do not believe foul play was a factor in their deaths; however, exact cause of death has not been determined at this time.”

Police were reportedly unable to identify the bodies until 12:30am on Thursday.

Hackman had lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico, since the 1980s.

He married Arakawa in 1991 after meeting her at the gym where she worked at the time.

In 2014, Hackman praised his wife’s “unwavering, specific read-throughs” of the western novels he authored after his acting career.

The couple lived in a gated community called Old Sunset Trail, where sheriff’s deputies arrived on Wednesday afternoon to investigate.

 

Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa


Hackman married Arakawa in 1991 after meeting her at the gym where she worked at the time.

Getty

One of the couple’s dogs was also found deceased at the property and two other dogs belonging to Hackman and Arakawa survived.

Sheriff Mendoza sought to reassure local residents following the discovery.

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“I want to assure the community and neighbourhood that there’s no immediate danger to anyone,” he said on Wednesday evening.

At that time, the sheriff noted they were “in the middle of a preliminary death investigation, waiting on approval of a search warrant” before the bodies were positively identified.

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths continues.