Hollywood actor Randy Quaid has claimed that Gene Hackman and his wife were “murdered,” similar to his claims about Heath Ledger’s death. Hackman, 95, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 63, were found dead in separate rooms of their $3.8 million home by a caretaker around 1:45 p.m. on Wednesday in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Their cause of death remains unclear, and while authorities have said there are no signs of foul play, speculation and conspiracy theories about what happened have been circulating. Quaid, 74, took to X on Saturday afternoon to share his bold theory about the deaths of the Hackman and his wife, referring to them as “murder victims.”
Wild Claims of Murder
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“Gene Hackman and his wife are murder victims, some scum bags did it and staged it. Stop talking about the films he is in, this is how they get away with murdering famous people!,” the National Lampoon’s Vacation actor wrote.
“Fake News starts generating film clips. How is it possible I know at least 6 people who have died like Carradine, Hackman, Ledger?”
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Ledger, 28, died in January 2008 at his New York apartment after taking a mix of prescription medications, including painkillers, sleeping aids, and anti-anxiety drugs.
Randy Quaid, the older brother of Dennis Quaid and known for his controversial remarks, later tweeted: “I should become a special FBI agent to investigate Hollywood murders!”
“I already have some good leads on who killed Gene Hackman,” Quaid wrote, but did not share his theories.
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This isn’t the first time Quaid has shared this unsettling theory. According to a 2011 Vanity Fair report, he and his wife, Evi Quaid, have previously described the suspected “murderers” as “the Hollywood Star Whackers.”
Journalist Nancy Jo Sales explored the couple’s claims, as they told her that the so-called “Whackers” could be responsible for the deaths of Heath Ledger and actor David Carradine. The Kung Fu Killer star was found hanging in a Bangkok hotel room in June 2009, with asphyxiation ruled as the cause of death. Authorities later determined it was an accident.
Randy and Evi Quaid also alleged that the “Whackers” framed Robert Blake for his second wife’s murder and have targeted other high-profile celebrities, including Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan.
At the time, the couple was reportedly suspected of living in their Toyota Prius as Sales, who saw the crammed vehicle, recalled: “The car smelled of fast food and dog pee and Randy’s cigars. I asked the Quaids if they were living in their car. ‘Only on nights when we’re too terrified to leave our stuff or don’t feel secure,'” Evi said.
“‘We used to have a Mercedes. This whole ordeal has forced us to become incredibly green.'”
Lengthy Criminal History
Randy Quaid and his wife have a history of legal troubles, including a 2009 arrest for leaving a Santa Barbara hotel without settling their bill. In 2010, they were arrested again for illegally occupying their former home in Montecito, California.
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The property owner’s representative provided documentation proving his client had purchased the home in 2007 from a previous owner who had acquired it from the Quaids years earlier. A contractor reported over $5,000 in damages to the guesthouse, allegedly caused by the couple.
In 2015, they were detained while attempting to re-enter the United States from Canada after failing to appear in court. They were arrested on fugitive charges linked to their 2010 trespassing case.
Evi Quaid, a film director from New Jersey, also claimed that she and her husband believed they were being stalked by the so-called “Whackers.”
Two days after Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa were found, police revealed that they believe The French Connection star died on February 17, as his pacemaker stopped recording his heartbeat on that date.
During their investigation, authorities found a prescription bottle with pills scattered around it on the countertop inside Hackman’s home.
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According to a search warrant cited by the Huffington Post, three types of medication were removed from the home: Diltiazem, a drug for blood pressure; a thyroid medication; and Tylenol.
Santa Fe Sheriff Adam Mendoza told the Today Show on Friday that the presence of the prescription bottle is “a matter of concern.”
He said that the medication has been sent to the medical examiner’s office to aid in determining the cause of death. However, it may take months for toxicology reports to be completed.
