Hollywood legend Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead on February 26, but the actor’s handyman has now spoken out and claimed he was “concerned”
The mystery surrounding Gene Hackman’s death has taken yet another turn.
The Hollywood legend, 95, was discovered dead at his Santa Fe home in New Mexico on February 26, along with Betsy, 65, and one of their dogs. Their bodies were found decomposed and partially mummified, in separate rooms of their property.
Authorities said Hackman died of coronary artery disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease as a contributing factor. They believe he likely died on February 18, around seven days after Arakawa, who died from Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, a rare virus caused by exposure to infected rats.
The man who came across their bodies at the property and called 911 to report the deaths has now claimed he “knew something was wrong” with the couple. Jesse Kesler told Fox he was “concerned” and had tried to arrange a wellness check on the couple before discovering the bodies.
Kesler, who had worked for Hackman and Arakawa for 16 years, claimed he visited the house as he hadn’t heard from Betsy in two weeks. The maintenance worker said he used to speak to her “every three days”.
“We were getting pretty worried,” he said. “We knew something was wrong.”
“We asked law enforcement for advice on how to do it,” Kesler said. “We started the process of a wellness check. We had to involve a family member to do a wellness check. They had to have an authorization from a family member.”
The worker said they were unable to get hold of any members of Hackman’s family, so he decided to go into the house of his own accord. “And finally, finally, I saw the security guard, and that’s when me and him went in,” he added.
He has also shared his regret at not going into the property sooner. Kesler told the Daily Mail that, had he done so, he “might have been able to save Gene or the dog.”
Hackman’s daughter Leslie told Fox News that she had never had any contact with Kesler before and that she was unaware anybody was pursuing a wellness check. She said “No one had reached out,” adding that authorities did not speak to her about her father’s wellbeing until “the discovery”.
Santa Fe police also said they were not contacted about Hackman until the 911 call on February 26, when the bodies were found. Betsy was found dead on a bathroom floor near to a portable heater, while Gene was found in a room near to the kitchen.
Their dog Zinna was also found dead in a closet near to Betsy’s body, but the other two dogs – Nikita and Bear – were found alive roaming the property. Both dogs have been safely rescued.
It’s been reported that the French Connection star’s mansion was in “a state of disarray” before his passing. A source told MailOnline: “The inside of the house was shocking. They didn’t have a housekeeper or a maid, so it had beautiful things – furniture and paintings – but there was dog poop on the floor. The inside of the house was bad. Nothing had been dusted. There was nothing in the fridge.”
Gene and Betsy didn’t have any kids together, but Gene was already a dad to son Christopher Allen, 65, and daughters Leslie Anne, 58, and Elizabeth Jean, 62, from an earlier relationship. After the couple passed away, Leslie sang praises for Betsy, crediting her with “keeping him alive” and highlighting their “wonderful marriage”.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
