Local News
Legendary Actor Gene Hackman, Wife, and Dog Found Dead in Santa Fe Home
Santa Fe, NM – Two-time Academy Award-winning actor Gene Hackman was found dead in his Santa Fe, New Mexico home alongside his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and their dog, according to reports from The Santa Fe New Mexican.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirmed the discovery just after midnight on Thursday, following a welfare check conducted at the residence.
Authorities responded to the home after a concerned neighbor requested a welfare check, but no official cause of death has been released.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office stated that no foul play is suspected at this time.
Gene Hackman, 95, was widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of his generation.
With a career spanning over five decades, he won two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement.
Hackman’s breakout role came in 1971’s The French Connection, where he played Detective Popeye Doyle, a performance that earned him his first Oscar for Best Actor.
He later won his second Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven (1992), in which he portrayed Sheriff Little Bill Daggett.
His other iconic performances included roles in:
- 1978’s Superman and 1980’s Superman II, where he played the infamous villain Lex Luthor
- 1986’s Hoosiers, where he starred as a small-town basketball coach in a beloved sports drama
- 1988’s Mississippi Burning, where he played an FBI agent investigating racial violence in the South
Despite his critical and commercial success, Hackman retired from acting in 2004, opting for a quieter life in New Mexico, where he focused on writing novels and enjoying time with his wife.
Born in San Bernardino, California, in 1930, Hackman’s path to stardom was unconventional. At the age of 16, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, lying about his age to join. He served four and a half years, an experience that shaped his discipline and work ethic.
After his military service, Hackman pursued journalism and television production before ultimately enrolling in the Pasadena Playhouse at age 27.
There, he formed a lifelong friendship with fellow aspiring actor Dustin Hoffman.
Hackman often spoke about how his difficult childhood shaped his sensitivity to human behavior, once recalling how his father walked out on the family, a moment that profoundly influenced his approach to acting. “I doubt I would’ve become so sensitive to human behavior if that hadn’t happened to me as a child,” he told Vanity Fair in 2013.
Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were married for 34 years. Arakawa, a classical pianist, was known for supporting Hackman’s career and his transition into retirement. She was 63 years old at the time of her passing.
Hackman leaves behind a towering legacy in Hollywood, revered for his versatility, depth, and ability to bring unforgettable characters to life.
His impact on cinema remains profound, and he will be remembered as one of the most accomplished actors in film history.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Local News
Jimmy Brooks Killed in Wrong-Way Tesla Crash on I-26 in Buncombe County, Driver Bradley Vance Charged
BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. — Jimmy Lee Brooks, 42, of Leicester, North Carolina, died after a wrong-way Tesla crash involving three vehicles on Interstate 26 near Asheville on Thursday afternoon, October 22, 2026.
Several other people were injured in the collision, and the Tesla driver has been charged in connection with the fatal crash.
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Bradley Vance Lanier, 54, of Taylors, South Carolina, was driving a Tesla westbound in the eastbound lanes of I-26 near Exit 37 when the vehicle struck a Honda SUV head-on before colliding with a Honda passenger car.
Brooks was a passenger in the Honda passenger car. He was transported to Mission Hospital in Asheville, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol said troopers responded to the crash at approximately 2:30 p.m. Thursday near mile marker 37 on eastbound I-26.
According to the agency’s statement, the Tesla entered the interstate traveling west in the eastbound lanes near Exit 37, also associated with Long Shoals Road. The vehicle first struck a Honda SUV head-on and then collided with a Honda passenger car.
A trooper from a neighboring county arrived shortly after the collision and began providing assistance to a passenger inside the Honda passenger car.
The car’s driver and two passengers were transported to Mission Hospital with serious injuries. Brooks was among the passengers and later died at the hospital. Authorities said the conditions of the other occupants were not immediately known.
The driver of the Honda SUV was also taken to Mission Hospital with minor injuries and was later released.
Lanier, the driver of the Tesla, sustained minor injuries and was transported to Mission Hospital before being released, according to the Highway Patrol.
Troopers subsequently charged him with four offenses:
- Driving while impaired (DWI)
- Felony death by vehicle
- Felony serious injury
- Reckless driving
Following his release from the hospital, Lanier was taken to the Buncombe County Detention Facility, where he was being held on a $5 million secured bond, according to the agency’s statement.
The charges are allegations, and the case will proceed through the court system. The official statement does not establish a conviction.
Interstate 26 was closed for approximately two hours while troopers investigated the collision and documented the scene.
The investigation centers on the circumstances that led the Tesla to travel in the wrong direction on the eastbound side of the interstate and the subsequent collisions involving the two Honda vehicles.
Authorities have not released the current medical conditions of all the injured occupants.
The fatal crash claimed the life of Brooks, a Leicester resident, and left several other people requiring hospital treatment.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol is investigating the collision. Further information about the case may be released as the investigation and legal proceedings continue.