Oscar winner Gene Hackman was found dead at his New Mexico home in February along with wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog, and cops are investigating the mysterious triple death
The deaths of Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog remain a mystery.
The Hollywood legend, 95, was found dead at his Santa Fe home in New Mexico on February 26 with his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, and one of their dogs. Their bodies were discovered in separate rooms of the property, decomposed and partially mummified.
Santa Fe cops are investigating the mysterious triple death and believed it to be “suspicious enough” to require a search warrant. Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said no foul play is suspected but police aren’t ruling anything out at this stage.
Police gave a press conference last week, where they shared key updates on their investigation. However, there are still several unanswered questions surrounding the deaths, so here’s what we know so far.
Discovery of the bodies
The bodies of Gene and Betsy were discovered at their $3.3m (£2.61m) Santa Fe home on February 26 by a maintenance worker who had arrived to do some work on the property. The worker made a panicked call to 911 after spotting the actor and his wife through a window of the property – they were unresponsive and lying on the ground.
In the heartbreaking call, the worker could be heard sobbing and repeating the word “damn” as they told the operator Betsy’s body was “not moving”. He urged the operator to “send someone up here real quick”, after which deputies arrived on the scene.
‘Chilling’ bodycam footage
Harrowing bodycam footage from the scene of Hackman’s death is reportedly being released by cops. It’s said Santa Fe police are reviewing video material from the ten deputies who were first to arrive on the scene – and that they hope to figure out how well the property was secured.
The maintenance worker had reported the front door of the property was open when he arrived. A search warrant deemed the circumstances of their death “suspicious enough” to require a thorough search and investigation as the worker who called 911 had found the front door of the property to be open.
However, police found no evidence of forced entry into the property and nothing out of place inside, and detectives said there was no indication that any items had been rummaged through. “There was no indication of a struggle,” said Sheriff Mendoza. “There was no indication of anything that was missing from the home or disturbed, you know, that would be indication that there was a crime that had occurred.”
According to the Mirror, police are trying to establish a “fully rounded picture” to ensure they haven’t missed any key details that could prove helpful to the case. This footage could also be released to the public.
‘Mummified’ corpses
Betsy was found lying on the bathroom floor of the 2,300 sq ft ranch-style property, which is part of a gated community. Cops said she was “found decomposed with bloating on her face and mummification in her hands and feet”.
Gene, who was in a mud room near the kitchen, displayed the same signs of decomposition as his wife. The search warrant said: “The male decedent also showed obvious signs of death, similar and consistent with the female decedent”.
Investigators believe Gene and Betsy died around 10 days before they were found. Hackman’s pacemaker last recorded an event on February 17, with authorities suggesting this heavily suggests this was the last day he was alive.
Cause of death
No official cause of death has been given yet, but an autopsy and toxicology tests have been ordered for both Gene and Betsy. Authorities have said it could be several months before the results of these are released.
However, an initial autopsy found “no external trauma” on the bodies of either Gene or Betsy. Carbon monoxide tests also came out negative for the couple – there had been a belief that carbon monoxide poisoning could have caused their deaths.
Detectives suspect Hackman could have fallen suddenly as a walking cane was found next to his body, as well as a pair of sunglasses. They also believe Betsy could have fallen too as a portable heater was next to Betsy’s head, which could have been brought down during a fall.
A forensic expert has speculated that the French Connection star could have died from a cardiac arrest, claiming the pacemaker’s last recorded event would have been a cardiac arrest caused by an abnormal pulse rate. He also told Fox News that Betsy may have fallen and hit her head while trying to help her husband.
Scattered pills and a prescription bottle were discovered on the bathroom countertop near to Betsy’s body. Mendoza confirmed the pills are a “significant [piece of] evidence” and are “of concern”.
At the press conference last Friday, he confirmed these have been passed onto a medical expert. The search warrant stated the prescription pills were common medications for thyroid and high blood pressure.
Gas leak
There has been some confusion during the investigation as a gas leak was discovered at Hackman’s mansion despite a belief no signs of a leak had been detected. A search warrant stated the local utility found no sign of a leak and the fire department had detected no indication of a carbon monoxide leak.
However, the New Mexico Gas Company has now confirmed, via the Daily Mail, a “miniscule leak” was found at the property, but this is not believed to be “lethal”. The company flagged five “red tags” during their investigation – one of these was for a minor leak at the stove burner which registered “0.03 per cent gas in the air”.
CCTV footage
It seems police have no CCTV footage that could help them piece together Gene and Betsy’s final movements and, ultimately, how they died. Hackman was known to be reclusive and appeared in his last film in 2004, but the apparent lack of surveillance is strange considering how famous he and his wife are.
Mendoza said there was no “surveillance as we know it right now in the interior or exterior of the residence.” He added: “I think everyone here understands that they were very private individuals and a very private family.”
The dogs
Three dogs were found at the property – one was dead in a bathroom closet, close to Betsy’s body. The other two dogs, who have been safely rescued, were found alive and healthy and roaming the property, one inside and one out.
Police have reportedly made an error in the investigation by misidentifying the dog that had died and was found at the property. It was originally thought the couple’s German shepherd dog Bear that had died, but according to USA Today, he survived along with the second dog, Nikita.
Joey Padilla, the owner of the Santa Fe Tails pet care facility that is looking after the surviving dogs, said it was the couple’s kelpie mix, Zinna, who died. A spokesperson for the cops said: “Our deputies, they don’t work with canines on a daily basis.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
