The personal contractor who found the lifeless bodies of Gene Hackman and his wife has broken his silence about the chilling discovery and the prolonged, agonizing process it took to enter the couple’s home to check on their welfare.
Jesse Kesler, 52, who worked as Hackman’s contractor and handyman for 16 years, was identified as one of two local workers who uncovered the grim scene at the couple’s mansion in Santa Fe, New Mexico on February 26.
In his first interview since the tragedy, Kesler revealed he had seen Hackman, 95 – whose death was partly attributed to advanced Alzheimer’s – driving around the property just three months prior, appearing in good health.
He told of his concern when he had not heard from the couple for weeks and then his deep regret over the delay in finding the actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa, admitting he’s haunted by the thought that he could have saved them had he acted sooner.
‘I wish I’d gone in quicker… I might have been able to save Gene or the dog,’ he told DailyMail.com in a phone interview this week.
‘To be honest, it was awful. It was one of the worst days of my life, and I’ve had some bad days. To see someone like that…,’ he trailed off, with his voice quivering.
‘I was hoping for a better outcome, that maybe they were out of town and they just didn’t tell anyone, or they got locked in the wine cellar by accident.’
Kesler spoke publicly for the first time as DailyMail.com obtained the last known photo of the Oscar-winning actor in public.
Seen here for the first time, the late Gene Hackman appeared contemplative but healthy while driving alone through Lamy, just outside Santa Fe, on March 30, 2024
Autopsy results revealed Hackman died of cardiovascular disease with advanced Alzheimer’s as a contributing factor, while wife Betsy is believed to have died several days earlier from hantavirus
Their lifeless bodies were discovered at their Santa Fe mansion by local contractor Jesse Kesler, who had been trying to gain access for days, and a security guard
The exclusive image, published here for the first time, shows a seemingly healthy Hackman behind the wheel of his black SUV while driving alone through Lamy, just outside Santa Fe, on March 30, 2024.
He appeared deep in thought, but still clear-eyed, wearing a baseball cap.
Following days of intense media attention and public speculation surrounding the couple’s mysterious passing, investigators last week finally determined the cause of death and revealed Hackman and Arakawa had likely been lying dead in their home for up to two weeks before being discovered.
Autopsy results confirmed Hackman died of cardiovascular disease with advanced Alzheimer’s as a contributing factor around February 18. His wife Betsy, 65, is believed to have died several days earlier on February 11, of the rodent-borne disease hantavirus.
Their dog Zinna, who was found dead near Betsy, is believed to have died of dehydration and starvation.
Kesler, who runs Santa Fe-based Mud City Builders, had initially refused to comment publicly on the tragedy out of respect for the ‘extremely’ private couple – a decision he addressed in a printed statement to the media placed on his door on March 1.
But speaking to DailyMail.com this week, Kesler said the harrowing experience – and the ‘misinformation’ circulating about the case – had taken a toll on him, prompting him to seek therapy and to set the record straight.
As their general contractor, Kesler’s company ‘did everything’ for the couple, ranging from renovations, new construction, to maintenance, and said he was in near-constant communication with the Hackmans.
He revealed he last had contact with Betsy via email in the days leading up to her suspected time of death, but grew concerned when he didn’t hear from either of them for days.
The mystery surrounding Gene Hackman, 95, and wife Betsy Arakawa’s, 65, gruesome deaths was finally solved days after their bodies were found in their home on February 26
Kesler, who runs Santa Fe-based Mud City Builders, had initially refused to comment publicly on the tragedy out of respect for the ‘extremely’ private couple – a decision he addressed in a printed statement to the media placed on the door on March 1
Speaking to DailyMail.com, Kesler explained his efforts to enter the property was prolonged by two weeks because of the red tape involved such as working with law enforcement and trying to get in contact with a member of the couple’s family
Initially, Kesler chalked it up to a possible miscommunication or an accident, before he began fearing the worst and decided to contact law enforcement.
‘For the first week, I thought maybe she was mad at me. I thought I had done something wrong,’ he said.
‘We have other projects going on and I [thought] I might have slipped and said, “oh yeah, we’re doing this for this other person”. So I thought maybe I’d got caught. I thought maybe I was in trouble.’
He then checked in with his employee Dwayne, who also said he thought the couple was angry at him after he hadn’t heard from them either, Kesler said.
‘It was probably in the last three days where I decided, okay, something’s wrong, and we started the process to determine what the hell was going on.’
‘It wasn’t like we were just up there and just stumbled across it,’ Kesler explained.
‘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.’
Their efforts, however, would take longer than expected because of the red tape involved in gaining entry to the home, such as working with law enforcement and trying to get in contact with members of the couple’s family.
‘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”,’ Kesler said.
Kesler drove up to the security gate on February 26 and said he was about to go through when a security guard named Ron – identified by law enforcement as Roland Lowe Begay – happened to pull up.
He informed him he had decided to enter the house and the security guard, who had also known Hackman and Arakawa for years, joined him.
Kesler confirmed that they only got a glimpse of Betsy, who was found dead on the bathroom floor, before Ron called the police who later located Hackman’s body in another room.
Ron’s panicked voice can be heard in audio of the 911 call, during which he described sensing something was wrong after peering through the windows of the house.
‘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.’
Kesler said he also phoned Dwayne to rush over to the scene: ‘I’d already called him and told him you’ve got to get up here, that something’s badly wrong.
Upon arrival, Kesler and Dwayne found themselves answering questions from the police, who initially suspected a carbon monoxide leak. But Kesler, familiar with the house and its systems, said he knew that couldn’t have been the cause.
Investigators are pictured at the couple’s Santa Fe mansion on February 27
In a March 7 press conference, officials from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and the New Mexico Medical Investigator’s office announced the results of the autopsies
‘Me and Dwayne were there dealing with the cops, telling them ‘It’s not carbon monoxide, we know this house,’ he said.
‘They didn’t want to listen to anything we had to say, and they found it out themselves.’
He also described feeling tense after police began to look at him as a potential suspect.
Kesler was never officially named a suspect, but explained he could sense investigators focusing on him, which added an overwhelming layer of stress.
‘It was pretty stressful,’ he said. ‘In the beginning, I had the police going through all my stuff, my phone, my computer.
‘Yeah, I was the guy that knew something was badly wrong and I’m the guy that found them,’ he explained.
‘And suddenly, it’s like, you’re suspect number one. They never said that, but you know, it’s like, “oh man, I’m the only one they’re looking at right now”.’
Still, Kesler remained supportive of the investigation, and expressed relief that authorities were able to piece together what happened.
Kesler, who communicated with the couple regularly, expressed regret over not acting sooner and said the shock of the tragedy has deeply affected him
Hackman and Arakawa are pictured with Hackman’s daughters Elizabeth and Leslie at a Beverly Hills movie premiere in 1996
‘That’s their job and they have to figure stuff out, and thank god they figured it out,’ he said.
Kesler, however, was shocked to learned of Betsy’s cause of death. Hackman, who had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, is believed to have died about a week later from complications related to the illness.
‘I was initially thinking it was going to be poisoning, maybe even accidental poisoning, like food poisoning or something like that,’ he said.
That Betsy died of the rat disease, he said: ‘I never, never had that cross my mind.’
Kesler explained that, while the illness is uncommon, he was aware it was more prevalent in Santa Fe due to its mice problem, particularly during ‘wet years’.
‘We’ve had mice bad, and in wet years it’s really prevalent,’ he said. ‘The Native Americans around here have known about hantavirus for hundreds of years.
‘The Native Americans had a saying that, if you found a mouse on your blankets or your bedding, you burn your bedding.’
He went on to share stories he had heard of people who had tragically died from the disease.
Hackman won the award for Best Actor for his role in The French Connection. The movie itself won Best Picture
According to a search warrant, Arakawa was found lying on her side in the bathroom with a space heater next to her head, while Hackman was discovered lying on the ground of a mud room just off the kitchen with his sunglasses and cane nearby
‘We were working on a job and sweeping mouse s**t and piss, and [a] guy came onto the job and got it, and he was dead in no time.
‘And my mom was telling me another story about a family that all of them got it and all of them died, all three of them. It was like a husband, wife and child.’
‘It’s around and, man, this is a wakeup call for a lot of people. I deal with it constantly and I don’t even wear a mask,’ he said. ‘It’s everywhere.’
As for Hackman, Kesler admitted he didn’t know the actor had dementia, especially after he had seen him driving about three months earlier, and was shocked to realize after the fact how quickly it progressed.
‘It was just 12 weeks ago,’ he said. ‘That was the last time I saw him, and he was driving, and he waved at me. He knew who I was.’
Although he hadn’t seen the pair since then, Kesler said he still kept in touch with him and his wife via phone.
‘We worked together for 16 years, and I’ve had nearly constant communication with them,’ he said. ‘We’d communicate every couple days.’
‘It’s just such a tragic story,’ he said. ‘I never thought I would be dealing with this and I just never thought we’d lose them both. I though Gene could live to be 100 years old, but I was kind of preparing myself for that (death). But never her.’
Even after he went into the house, he said he still held out hope that they’d be okay.
When asked if he has taken time off to process the tragedy Kesler replied: ‘I wish I could. I got out of town last weekend, but running a business, it’s hard.
‘Gene and Betsy were one of my clients, but I’ve got about four more clients, and I’ve got to take care of them.’
He added: ‘I just want people to know that they were good people and I think we should focus on who they were, what they did for the community.
‘Both of them were fantastic people. Gene didn’t do the Hollywood parties and stuff. That wasn’t them.
‘And you’re hearing a lot of misinformation out there about tunnels under the house. That wasn’t them. They weren’t like that at all. They were good people. They kept to themselves, they were private. And I see why.’
Kesler had also paid tribute to Hackman and his wife in the message he pinned to his door, expressing his respect for the couple and his decision to not speak to the media on the matter.
This week, however, he expressed his desire to share more details in the future.
‘There’s so much misinformation out there that it’s kind of really starting to get to me,’ he said.
‘I’m going to be writing a book and it’s going to basically detail everything, exactly what happened.’
