Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on February 26, and a fire chief has now shared a new development in the case
The mysterious deaths of Hollywood legend Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa are still under investigation.
Speculation that the couple died by “companion suicide” has been largely dismissed. Gene’s nephew has broken his silence on the suggestion, too.
Now, Santa Fe fire chief Brian Moya providing a significant update. Speaking to Fox News, Moya suggested that the couple may have died within a “similar timeframe”.
The 95-year-old two-time Oscar winner and his 63-year-old classical pianist wife were discovered dead, along with their 12-year-old dog Zinna, at their secluded Santa Fe, New Mexico home on February 26. Moya elaborated: “Just because both bodies were in similar ways where we, as experts, sad to say that we know a lot about how people die and how long people are dead for – both bodies are in a similar manner that it could be a similar timeframe.”
He also revealed that during his tenure as fire chief, neither the Fire Department nor emergency medical services had ever responded to calls from the couple’s residence.
The case is now in the hands of the Sheriff’s Department, with Moya stating they last intervened on February 27. Initial suspicions pointed towards carbon monoxide poisoning as the cause of death, but tests on both bodies have since returned negative results.
Initially, Gene’s family suspected a gas leak caused the tragic deaths at their mansion, but it turned out there was only a “miniscule” leak, not enough to kill. A local gas company confirmed after an “conducted an extensive investigation for gas leaks and carbon monoxide” that they found a minor gas leak – far from deadly, reports the Mirror.
The press release clarified: “One red tag was for a minuscule leak (0.33% gas in air – not a lethal amount) at one of the stove burners. The other four red tags were for code enforcement violations – not involving gas leaks or carbon monoxide – involving a water heater and gas log lighters installed in three fireplaces.”
A ‘red tag’ is an alert from inspectors indicating a safety hazard or non-compliance with regulations, prohibiting use until rectified. Records from Gene’s pacemaker indicate he was alive on February 17, nine days before his and his wife’s bodies were found by authorities at their home.
Police believe it’s a “reasonable assumption” that Gene passed away when his pacemaker recorded its “last event”.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
