Getty / Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office Composite
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa were still madly in love right up until their tragic deaths — a stack of love notes found on their property makes that heartbreakingly clear.
Santa Fe authorities released the touching notes — in one, Hackman sweetly thanked Betsy, who had been caring for him through his advanced Alzheimer’s, for helping him make her own birthday dinner, and signing it off with, “Love you and the guys, G.”
It was clear the pair — who married in 1991 — loved the old-school way of showing affection … with Gene calling Betsy a “lovely girl,” and in another note saying he was thinking of her.
Gene kept it playful as he seemingly referenced his health struggles in yet another, writing … “Ho, Ho, I am off to see the Wizard, the Wizz of Achie, Pokie. She stabs me here and stabs me there, she stabs me almost everywhere (almost). But I survive because after I am still alive. (But sometimes just barely)”
It wasn’t just Gene — Betsy was writing back too, keeping him in the loop about the errands she was running and what she was up to during her day.
Authorities also revealed the last voicemail the couple received was February 26 — the day before news of their deaths went public.
It’s unclear exactly when these notes were written, but in Betsy’s final days, she was busy on the internet, searching for info on COVID symptomsGene was showing, including dizziness and nosebleeds, which she also may have been experiencing.
Her final search on the morning of Feb. 12 was for a healthcare provider in Santa Fe — and she passed away later that day, from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Gene died a few days later, around Feb. 17 or 18, from heart disease and advanced Alzheimer’s.
Gene and Betsy were laid to rest this month in a private ceremony with close friends and family, together for eternity.
