Acting legend Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead at their Santa Fe home in New Mexico on Wednesday afternoon. The Oscar-winning actor was 95 and his wife was 63 at the time of their deaths. Their cause of death has yet to be determined, although the county sheriff’s office initially rejected any foul play suspicions.
However, the detectives in the case have filed an application for a search warrant of Hackman’s home and premises. They claimed that the circumstances surrounding the death were “suspicious enough” to warrant a thorough investigation.
What makes Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa’s death “suspicious”?
Detective Roy Arndt with the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office asked for a search warrant from a judge, stating that actor Gene Hackman‘s death required “a thorough search and investigation” (via Variety). The bodies of the actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found by maintenance workers. The deaths were considered suspicious for the following reasons.
1. Front door – The front door of the house was found unsecured. However, the police reported that there was no sign of any forcible entry.
2. One dead dog and two alive ones – One of the couple’s dogs was also found dead in the bathroom with Arakawa. Their other two dogs were found healthy, one near Arakawa and the other running around the property loosely.
3. Gas leak? – Both deaths had resemblances to other carbon monoxide poisoning cases. According to the police, the fire department and the gas company were called out to check for a natural gas leak. Arndt shared in his court filing that there were “no obvious signs of a gas leak.”
4. Pills near Betsy Arakawa – The police found a prescription pill bottle on the countertop of the bathroom, where Arakawa was found. The pills were found scattered near her.
5. How their bodies were discovered? – Arakawa was lying on the bathroom floor, while Hackman was found in the mud room. He was found with his sunglasses at his side.
In addition, a space heater was found near Arakawa’s head. However, it was determined that the heater could’ve fallen when Arakawa fell to the ground. Judge John Rysanek of the County Magistrate Court approved the search warrant on Wednesday night.
The deaths of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa – other findings
According to Detective Roy Arndt’s report, the bodies of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa showed “obvious signs of death, body decomposition, bloating in her face and mummification in both hands and feet.” The initial analysis of their bodies found no signs of trauma inflicted by any blunt or sharp objects.
The detectives are going through any video evidence, DNA, and fingerprints. On Thursday morning, the Office of the Medical Investigator conducted autopsies. The examination confirmed no stab wound, gunshot, or other visible injury. However, they have yet to determine a cause of death.
The Medical Examiner ordered toxicology and carbon monoxide tests. Animal Control Division was called to safely remove the two alive dogs from the premises.
Gene Hackman has won two Academy Awards. He won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in the thriller film The French Connection. He later won in the Best Supporting Actor category for his villain role in Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven.
He was also nominated three times for the films Bonnie and Clyde, I Never Sang for My Father, and Mississippi Burning. His last role was in the 2004 film Welcome to Mooseport.
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