Further details surrounding the deaths of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, have been released by authorities, who have announced that preliminary autopsies have been carried out.
The couple, who married in 1991, were found dead in their Santa Fe home along with one of their dogs on February 26th. A maintenance worker hadn’t heard from Hackman or Arakawa in two weeks, so he reportedly requested a welfare check from security, leading to the discovery of their bodies.
The 95-year-old actor – known for movies like The Conversation, Unforgiven, and The Royal Tenenbaums – was found in the mudroom, while Arakawa was in the bathroom near some scattered pills. One of their dogs was also dead, with its body found in a closet near the bathroom. Interestingly, their other two dogs were still alive and on the property when officials entered the building.
According to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office on February 27th, there are “no apparent signs of foul play,” and “carbon monoxide and toxicology tests were requested for both individuals.” However, a detective claimed there were “no obvious signs of a gas leak” and those who have been investigating the property “did not locate signs of a carbon monoxide leak or poisoning.”
The Sheriff’s Office added, “The manner and cause of death has not been determined. The official results of the autopsy and toxicology reports are pending.”
No signs of external trauma have been found on the pair’s bodies. When Arakawa was found, there were “obvious signs of death, body decomposition, bloating in her face and mummification in both hands and feet.”
Arakawa’s body was discovered by the police in a bathroom with a space heater near her head. A dead dog was also found within 10 to 15 metres of her body, and two other dogs survived.
“He advised he suspected the heater could have fallen in the event the female abruptly fell to the ground,” the affidavit read regarding Awakawa. “He advised he also observed an orange prescription bottle on the counter-top near the deceased female. The prescription bottle appeared opened with pills scattered on the counter-top.”
Meanwhile, Hackman “also showed obvious signs of death, similar and consistent with the female decedent.”
The affidavit claims that the circumstances surrounding Hackman and Arakawa’s death are “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation,” with the cause of their deaths still remaining uncertain.
A press conference has been scheduled for 3pm local time at the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office on February 28th.
Hackman’s two daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie, and his granddaughter, Annie, also shared their “sadness” upon learning of his passing.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy,” they wrote, per The New York Post. Continuing: “He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”
