Gene Hackman’s Longtime Handyman Grants First Interview Since Grim Discovery
on Mar 13, 2025
Table of Contents
- In a new interview, Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa’s longtime handyman opened up for the first time about their tragic deaths.
- Kesler detailed the events leading up to the day he found Hackman and Arakawa deceased in their New Mexico home.
- The cause of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa’s deaths was revealed the week after their bodies were found.
In a new interview, Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa’s longtime handyman opened up for the first time about their tragic deaths.
Jesse Kesler, who served as Gene Hackman’s handyman and contractor for 16 years, spoke with Daily Mail via phone recently after initially declining to talk to any press about Gene’s death. Kesler, who was among the first to discover the bodies of the Oscar-winning actor and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, expressed regret that he didn’t check on them sooner.
“I wish I’d gone in quicker … I might have been able to save Gene or the dog,” Kesler told the outlet. “To be honest, it was awful. It was one of the worst days of my life, and I’ve had some bad days.”
Kesler detailed the events leading up to the day he found Hackman and Arakawa deceased in their New Mexico home.
He told the outlet that he last saw Hackman, 95, driving around three months ago. Kesler said he grew concerned after the couple went silent and shared that he spoke to them “every couple of days.”
RELATED: GENE HACKMAN’S FAMILY ISSUES STATEMENT FOLLOWING HIS DEATH
He initially thought that perhaps Betsy was upset with him or he had forgotten about a project he was supposed to do for the couple. After a few days of wondering if everything was okay, Kesler started the process of trying to figure out what was going on. That included reaching out to Hackman’s family and trying to legally gain access to the star’s home.
“It was a two-week event that led up to us finally going in. We knew something was wrong. We were trying to get the process done correctly, not just walk on someone’s property,” Kesler said.
“We were having trouble getting hold of family members. It was taking too long and, finally, I just couldn’t wait anymore. I just said, ‘the heck with it, I’m going in.'”
Jesse arrived at the security gate entrance in front of Hackman and Arakawa’s home and was met there by security guard Roland “Ron” Lowe Begay. He informed Begay of his intentions and the guard agreed to join him to check on the couple.
When the men looked into a window of the home, they spotted Arakawa deceased on the bathroom floor. Ron immediately called 911.
“We did not enter. The door was open to the bathroom from outside. We looked in, she was close and it was very obvious she was gone,” Kesler said. “I was told to stay out of the house, and [not to] go in there. I was hysterical. I pretty much lost it.”
Hackman and Arakawa were found in different areas of their home, and their beloved dog, Zinna, was discovered deceased near Betsy’s body.
The cause of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa’s deaths was revealed the week after their bodies were found.
In a press conference held Friday, March 8, the lead examiner for the New Mexico Office of the Medical Examiner shared that Betsy Arakawa’s autopsy revealed that he died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
RELATED: WHAT IS HANTAVIRUS, THE DISEASE THAT KILLED BETSY ARAKAWA?
Gene Hackman died of heart disease and complications caused by Alzheimer’s disease.
“The cause of death for Mr. Gene Hackman, age 95 years, is hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with Alzeheimer’s disease as a significant contributing factor,” the examiner said. “Autopsy examination and a full-body post-mortem CT examination … showed severe heart disease, including multiple surgical procedures involving the heart, evidence of prior heart attacks, and severe changes to the kidneys due to chronic high blood pressure.”
A thorough investigation of Arakawa’s devices showed that the date of her last activity was February 11. The last incident recorded on Gene Hackman’s pacemaker was February 17. This indicated that his wife has likely perished one week before he did.
Authorities speculate that Hackman likely didn’t know his wife had died due to his Alzheimer’s disease.
“He was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s and it’s possible that he did not know she was deceased,” the examiner said.
