Death of Gene Hackman, wife, dog deemed ‘suspicious’; pills found scattered
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Authorities are investigating the deaths of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, his wife and their dog at their home in New Mexico after they were discovered by a sheriff’s deputy who said the circumstances of their death were suspicious enough to warrant a deeper look.
There were no signs of obvious blunt force trauma, carbon monoxide poisoning or forced entry into the home, according to a search warrant filed in the Santa Fe Magistrate Court. While one dog was found dead inside the home, there were two other dogs running around the property and Hackman’s and wife Betsy Arakawa’s bodies showed signs that they fell down abruptly, the search warrant stated.
Their bodies were discovered in Santa Fe on Wednesday afternoon during a welfare check, officials said.
Deputies with the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office discovered Hackman, 95, Arakawa, 64, and the dog shortly before 2 p.m. Hackman’s and Arakawa’s bodies were found in separate rooms of the house on Old Sunset Trail in Santa Fe, the Sheriff’s Office announced in a news release.
Two maintenance workers reported the discovery, according to the search warrant. The front door to the two-story home was ajar when deputies arrived.
Arakawa’s body was found near a space heater in a bathroom beside the front door with prescription pills scattered on a countertop nearby. A deputy suspected the space heater could have fallen if she abruptly fell to the floor, according to the search warrant.
The office said a full investigation is underway and that no cause of death has been established. The cause of death will be determined by the state Office of the Medical Investigator, officials said.
According to the warrant, deputies found a dead brown German shepherd in a bathroom closet about 10 to 15 feet from Arakawa. Her body was already decomposing and starting to bloat when she was discovered and showed “mummification in both hands and feet.”
Hackman’s body was found on the floor near the kitchen and appeared to have fallen suddenly, according to the warrant. The deputy found a walking cane and sunglasses near his body.
He also showed signs of death similar to Arakawa.
Actor Gene Hackman got his break in ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ and rose to stardom in ‘The French Connection.’ He was 95.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza told the Santa Fe New Mexican that it was unclear when the couple died.
“All I can say is that we’re in the middle of a preliminary death investigation,” he told the paper.
“I want to assure the community and neighborhood that there’s no immediate danger to anyone,” he said.
NBC reported that a neighbor had called authorities out of concern about their welfare.
Deputies found two other dogs on the property, one in the bathroom near Arakawa and the other outside the house, according to the search warrant. The garage was locked along with other buildings on the property and there were no signs that the home was “rummaged through or items taken from inside the residence.”
The deputy reported that nothing appeared to be out of place while he was clearing the house, according to the search warrant.
The Santa Fe Fire Department did not find any signs of a carbon monoxide leak or poisoning when they tested the home and New Mexico Gas Co. is assisting with the investigation. There were no immediate signs of any issues with the gas line in the home.
Typically, the maintenance workers kept in touch with Arakawa through text messages and phone calls, according to the search warrant report. They spoke to Hackman and Arakawa two weeks earlier and rarely interacted directly with the couple when doing routine chores around the house.
Sheriff’s officials expect to update the public on the investigation on Thursday.
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