The Gene Hackman mistake that complicates life after death

The tragic details of Gene Hackman’s tragic death shocked Hollywood and as more details of the actor’s demise emerge, it looks like what is already a devastating moment for his grieving family could be about to get even worse.

Hackman’s mummified body was found alongside the corpse of his wife of 34 years, Betsy Arakawa, at their New Mexico home on February 26 - just weeks after he had celebrated his 95th birthday. An autopsy concluded that neither the two-time Oscar winner nor his wife showed signed of any external physical trauma and “no apparent signs of foul play.” Both had been dead for some time, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, Hackman passed away on or around February 18.

Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy: cause of death

Arakawa‘s corpse showed signs of advanced decomposition, "bloating in her face and mummification in both hands and feet". She was 65 at the time of death.

An investigation determined that Hackman, who had been suffering from Alzheimer’s, died of complications related to heart disease while Arakawa contracted hantavirus - a virus associated with rodents, and died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS).

However, the actor overlooked one very important detail when writing out his will and now the issue of who died first will affect what happens to his $80 million estate.

Gene Hackman’s wife died before he did

New Mexico Chief Medical Examiner Heather Jarrell revealed that Arakawa passed away several days before Hackman - possibly up to a week before he died. Hackman named Arakawa as the sole successor trustee of the Gene Hackman Living Trust but seeing as she passed away before he had a chance to update his will, it’s not clear where his estate will go.

The problem is that Hackman never envisaged a scenario in which he might outlive his wife, who was 30 years younger than him.

Attorney Laura Cowan explained what usually happens when someone creates a living trust. “They pick a successor trustee to manage and distribute the trust assets when they’re gone,” she told The Daily Mail, before highlighting the actor’s mistake. “Mr. Hackman did [pick successor trustees], but the people he picked all passed away before he did”.

Who are Gene Hackman’s children and were they mentioned in his will?

District Judge Maria Sanchez-Gagne approved a request granting Avalon Trust LLC as the temporary successor of the estate. Avalon Trust will now be tasked with dishing out Hackman’s estate. His three children: Christopher Allen (65), Elizabeth Jean (62), and Leslie Anne Hackman (58) were not mentioned in his will but they could now legally challenge their their late father’s will.

In her will, Betsy meanwhile left her assets to her husband, adding a provision in case she passed first that her estate would go into a charitable trust.

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