Sheriff reiterates ‘no foul play’ in deaths of Gene Hackman and wife — but cause of death remains unknown, suspect fled residence with… see more

Photo:

DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock 

New Mexico authorities reiterated Thursday afternoon that there appears to be no sign of foul play in the deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa, though what caused their deaths remains a mystery.

Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were each found dead in separate rooms of their Santa Fe home on Wednesday, Feb. 26. A German Shepherd they owned was also found deceased, while two other dogs were discovered alive and healthy on the property.

In a news release on Thursday, Feb. 27, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza repeated that there were “no apparent signs of foul play” at the scene, but nonetheless called the circumstances of the deaths “unusual.”

Arakawa’s body was discovered in a bathroom near an open bottle of pills with capsules scattered about, a sheriff’s deputy wrote in an affidavit for a search warrant reviewed by PEOPLE. The German Shepherd was found in a closet about 10 to 15 feet away.

Hackman was found in another room in sweatpants and a blue T-shirt, with a cane and a pair of sunglasses adjacent to him.

Both bodies displayed similar “obvious signs of death,” including “mummification” and bloating, suggesting they may have been dead for some time. Maintenance workers who first phoned 911 told deputies they hadn’t seen Hackman and Arakawa in approximately two weeks.

Making matters more mysterious, the local Fire Department and gas company found no immediate indication there was a gas leak or possible monoxide poisoning or leak, per the affidavit.

Hackman and Arakawa’s bodies were taken to the Office of the Medical Investigator in Santa Fe, where an autopsy was performed; investigators report there were no signs of “external trauma” after the initial probe, but no cause of death has been determined.

Full carbon monoxide and toxicology tests have been ordered for the pair, though results could take weeks to arrive.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Sheriff Mendoza noted that animal control had worked with family members to ensure the safety of the two living dogs.

Hackman, who won two Academy Awards, married classical pianist Arakawa in 1991. He had three children with his first wife, Faye Maltese.

Known for his roles in films like The French Connection, The Conversation and Unforgiven, Hackman quipped to GQ in 2011 that he would like to be remembered as “a decent actor.”

  1. Why hadn’t his children called/checked on their dad?? The fact that maintenance people found them and it’s apparent they passed away a while ago??
  2. Why didn’t anyone realize that something was wrong sooner??? 💔

Reply by Mini.

  • Mi
  • Mini
  • 38 min ago
  • Reply to Onedayatatime
  • They were elderly, wealthy with an enormous house and didn’t have cleaning ladies come in regularly?

Comment by CaliforniaGuy.

  1. Ca
  2. CaliforniaGuy
  3. 2 hrs ago
  4. Crimson Tide was absolutely one of the best – legendary actor rip

Comment by Cynthia.

  1. Cy
  2. Cynthia
  3. 4 hrs ago
  4. Maybe he died and she overdosed either accidentally or intentionally and had the dog in a crate. Or she died of a broken heart after he died. It has happened when one spouse dies, the other one dies very soon after (although she is kinda young to have had that happened). You just never know.

Comment by tinLizzyBorden.

  1. ti
  2. tinLizzyBorden
  3. 5 hrs ago
  4. CNN reporting the deceased dog was in a crate, and with the time it takes for a body to mummify, it seems that the dog may have died from dehydration/starvation 😢 My thought was that they might have been letting the dogs out for the day, she has a medical event and tries to get meds/calls out, he tries to get to

Related Posts

SAD NEWS: 30 minutes ago, ‘Married With Children’ star Cindyana Santangelo was found unconscious inside her $3 million Malibu home and she had…read more

Malibu, CA — In a shocking turn of events, Cindyana Santangelo, best known for her role in Married With Children, was found unconscious in her $3 million Malibu home. Emergency…

Read more

SAD NEWS: At the age of 39, “Gossip Girl” star Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away. The official cause of her death was revealed not to be due to illness but because she had secretly used… see more

Michelle Trachtenberg attends Cadillac Celebrates the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Chateau Marmont on February 6, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Photo: JC Olivera/WireImage Michelle Trachtenberg’s cause of death has…

Read more

SAD NEWS: 25 minutes ago, SAB ZADA – JADEN SMITH’s girlfriend confirmed that he has… read more

It is worth mentioning that just on August 5, Jaden Smith appeared with his girlfriend Sab Zada. This model and the son of actor Will Smith have been dating since…

Read more

“What is he doing?” Ten years ago, David Beckham defended himself against criticism for kissing his daughter on the lips. But on Thursday night, at the Hugo Boss launch party, 13-year-old Harper Beckham tried to avoid it but still …read more

Ten years ago, David Beckham defended himself against criticism for kissing his daughter on the lips. However, on Thursday night, at his Hugo Boss launch party, 13-year-old Harper Beckham playfully…

Read more

SHOCKING NEWS: 30 minutes ago, Jaden Smith’s girlfriend – Sab Zada ​​​​released evidence that he “CHEATED” behind her back for the past 4 years and then her family confirmed that she had… see more

It is worth mentioning that just on August 5, Jaden Smith appeared with his girlfriend Sab Zada. This model and the son of actor Will Smith have been dating since…

Read more

SAD NEWS: 40 minutes ago, Will Smith confirmed that his daughter – Willow Smith has… see more

Just 40 minutes ago, the world was shaken when Will Smith – the legendary actor and Oscar winner – officially confirmed that his daughter, singer-songwriter Willow Smith, has been diagnosed…

Read more

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *