Former Hollywood superstar actor Gene Hackman, along with his wife Betsy Arakawa, were found dead last month in their shared Santa Fe, New Mexico home, and it quickly became evident that they'd been dead for quite some time before their bodies were discovered.

It was initially believed by authorities that Arakawa passed away on Feb. 11, but cellphone records reveal that she made multiple calls on Feb. 12, prompting an alteration of the official timeline that remains incomplete, according to Fox News.

Authorities still suspect that Hackman died nearly a week after his wife on Feb. 18, and neither was discovered as deceased until nearly another week later, on Feb. 26, when their bodies were found in separate rooms of their house during a wellness check.

Phone records prompt alteration of timeline of death

"Pending cell phone records, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office investigation showed the last known activity of Mrs. Hackman to be February 11, 2025," an unnamed official told Fox News. "We can now confirm that Mrs. Hackman’s phone was utilized on the morning of February 12 to call a medical center in Santa Fe, Cloudberry Health."

"A total of three calls were made that morning, all to the medical center. One incoming call was made to Mrs. Hackman from the same medical center that afternoon," the sheriff's department revealed. "That appeared as a missed call on Mrs. Hackman’s cell phone."

The slight alteration to the suspected timing of Arakawa's death doesn't change the preliminary conclusions about her cause of death, which was attributed to the rare and fatal hantavirus, which is contracted by exposure to rodent droppings, or the belief that Hackman died from heart disease and complications from Alzheimer's disease.

ABC News, in a report about the altered timeline surrounding the mysterious deaths of Hackman and Arakawa, quoted Santa Fe County Sheriff Adam Mendoza as saying of the Feb. 12 phone calls from Arakawa to a medical center, "That would indicate to me that she was seeking medical advice or medical help, and may have not been feeling well or had been showing signs or feeling symptoms of hantavirus."

A doctor with the clinic confirmed the Feb. 12 calls with Arakawa and said she reported "feeling congested" but "didn't sound ill," and revealed that they had set an appointment for later in the day to discuss possible alternative treatments, including the use of an oxygen-rich hyperbaric chamber, but she never showed up for that appointment and didn't answer a follow-up call -- likely because she was dead or nearly so.

Temporary restraining order issued to block release of records

The release of this information to the media is somewhat surprising, given that a New Mexico court had recently issued a temporary restraining order to try and protect the privacy of the deceased and their family members, according to USA Today.

That order barred the sheriff's department and medical examiner from publicly releasing any photos or videos, including bodycam footage, that revealed the interior of the Santa Fe home or the bodies of Hackman, Arakawa, or their dog that was discovered dead while locked in a kennel, as well as any autopsy or investigation reports.

A hearing on whether to extend or end that TRO, which was granted in light of the fact that the "Hackmans placed significant value on their privacy and took affirmative, vigilant steps to safeguard their privacy," is scheduled for March 31.

Who will be the beneficiary of Hackman's estate?

Unanswered questions also remain about the status of the Hackmans' estate, as ABC News revealed that the actor had left in his will his estimated $80 million in property and wealth to Arakawa instead of his adult children, and she, in turn, had specified that all of her belongings be donated to charity.

Those official last wishes could be complicated by the timing of their deaths, however, and the matter will likely have to be sorted out in a court.

"If Betsy passes away first, and then Gene, his will, in a sense, would become void, because the individual he wanted his items to be passed to no longer exists in the eyes of the law," Brian Buckmire, an ABC News legal contributor, told the outlet. "His estate and everything he left in his will would go to probate court, where individuals can argue that they should receive the benefits of Gene Hackman's will."