Hollywood great Gene Hackman was found dead with his wife Betsy Arakawa and their beloved dog at their mansion in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Wednesday (February 26)
Gene Hackman’s daughter has made a devastating admission about her famous father’s death.
The 95-year-old Hollywood legend was found dead at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Wednesday (February 26) with wife Betsy Arakawa, 63, and their dog. They were found deceased in separate rooms and appeared to have been dead “for quite a while”.
Sadly, their bodies were discovered to have been decomposed and partially mummified. Police said they suspected no signs of foul play and a cause of death has not been confirmed but an investigation is ongoing.
Now, Hackman’s daughter Leslie has broken her silence on the actor’s passing. She said the family are still trying to process what has happened and made the tragic admission that “there was no indication that there was any problem” with Gene before he died.
“Despite his age, he was in very good physical condition,” she told Mail Online before explaining he did not have any major surgeries in the months leading up to his death. “He liked to do Pilates and yoga, and he was continuing to do that several times a week. So he was in good health.”
She added that it had been a few months since she had last communicated with her famous father as she lives in California. Hackman had become something of a recluse in his later years and lived a peaceful life with his 63-year-old wife Betsy, a classical musician.
“We were close,” Leslie said. “I hadn’t talked to them for a couple months, but everything was normal and everything was good,”
Betsy was reportedly found lying on the bathroom floor and Hackman was found in what appeared to be a mud room near the couple’s kitchen. A police warrant obtained by MailOnline revealed that Arakawa was “found decomposed with bloating on her face and mummification in her hands and feet” and that Hackman had the “same signs of decomposition as his wife”.
It’s suspected Gene may have died of a sudden fall as a walking cane was reportedly found next to his body as well as glasses. Last year, Hackman was seen looking frail and walking with a stick during a rare public outing with Betsy.
One of their three beloved German Shepherd dogs was found dead in a closet just off of their bathroom, about 10 to 15 feet away from Betsy. The other two dogs were found alive and healthy and roaming the property, one inside and one outside.
According to TMZ, cops have requested a search warrant for Hackman’s home as the deaths are “suspicious enough” to require a search and investigation. This is said to be because the front door of the property was open, but there was no sign of forced entry into the home.
The detective also noted that nothing seemed out of place inside of the mansion and that there was no indication that any belongings had been removed or rummaged through.
Hackman’s daughter Elizabeth Jean Hackman said the family believe they might have died from carbon monoxide poisoning. However, she admitted they were not sure of this.
Hackman had two daughters, Leslie and Elizabeth, and one son with ex-wife Faye Maltese. The couple divorced in 1986 and Hackman married Betsy in 1991.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said it seemed as though the pair had been “deceased for quite a while”. He explained there were no obvious signs of trauma to the bodies and that a suicide note had not been found.
In a news conference on Thursday, Mendoza said: “There was no immediate sign of foul play. Haven’t ruled that out yet. This is an investigation, so we’re keeping everything on the table.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
