Police have released the 911 call in actor Gene Hackman and his wife’s deaths, and reports also claim that Hackman’s wife was found decomposing with signs of “mummification.”
As we previously shared, Hollywood has lost another legend. According to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, two maintenance workers found Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, dead inside their New Mexico home. The workers said they hadn’t seen the couple in about two weeks. They also said upon arrival, they found the front door ajar, but deputies found no signs of forced entry.
After the workers’ discovery, deputies conducted a welfare check around 1:45 p.m. on Wednesday (February 26). Upon their arrival, authorities found Hackman, 95, Arakawa, 65, and one of their three dogs, a German Shepherd, deceased inside their home.
During the initial reports, police did not confirm the cause of death, but they stated that they found no signs of foul play. Additionally, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said they are now investigating the deaths of Hackman, Arakawa, and their dog.
Gene Hackman’s Family Suspect He And Wife Died Of Possible Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Amid the police investigation, Gene Hackman’s family suspects that he and his wife died of carbon monoxide poisoning. The legendary actor’s daughter, Elizabeth Jean Hackman, told TMZ that they are not fully sure, but suspect the couple and dog died from toxic fumes. The outlet reports that The Hackmans’ house is fairly modern and was built in 2000.
Meanwhile, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza told the outlet that his deputies haven’t ruled anything out and are still investigating. Mendoza also said that upon deputies locating the bodies, gas company and fire department personnel also responded to make sure there were no toxic fumes that would endanger deputies during their search.
The New Mexico Gas Company conducted testing on the gas lines in and around the home. They concluded:
“As of now, there are no signs or evidence indicating there were any problems associated to the pipes in and around the residence.”
Police Aren’t Ruling Anything Out In Gene Hackman And Wife’s ‘Suspicious’ Deaths
However, the sheriff said the office is investigating all possible outcomes: double homicide, suicide, accidental death, natural causes, etc. Furthermore, authorities are reportedly considering the deaths “suspicious.”
According to TMZ, a Santa Fe detective has requested a search warrant. In his affidavit, he said he believed:
“The death of the two deceased individuals [are] suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation because the reporting party found the front door of the residence unsecured and opened. Deputies observed a healthy dog running loose on the property, another healthy dog near the deceased female, a deceased dog laying 10-15 feet from the deceased female in a closet of the bathroom, the heater being moved, the pill bottle being opened, and pills scattered next to the female, the male decedent being located in a separate room of the residence, and no obvious signs of a gas leak.”
Police said they found Arakawa in the bathroom on the ground, lying on her right side. A black space heater stood near her head. The deputy believed it could have fallen in the event and caused the woman to abruptly fall to the ground. An orange prescription bottle also sat on the nearby countertop, which was open with pills scattered.
Authorities believe Gene Hackman’s wife was dead for some time because her body was decomposing, with bloating in her face and mummification in her hands and feet. Meanwhile, deputies found Gene Hackman’s body in a separate room off the kitchen. He was fully clothed and suspected of suddenly falling to the ground. They found his sunglasses next to his body.
Furthermore, in the 911 call to report the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife, TMZ reports that the caller got very emotional. An unnamed male caretaker of the area frantically pleaded with the dispatcher to quickly send someone to the house.
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