Gene Hackman’s daughter has said the family believe carbon monoxide poisoning may have caused his death.
The Hollywood actor was found dead at home alongside his wife Betsy Arakawa, as well as their dog. When his death was announced, law enforcement said that no signs of foul play were found.
Now, his daughter Elizabeth Jean Hackman, has said that the family believe they might have died from carbon monoxide poisoning, according to TMZ. It’s believed that the actor’s Santa Fe, New Mexico home was fairly modern, having been built in 2000.
It’s not yet clear whether there were any gas leaks or issues reported, or service calls at the home. The couple had been living there since 2004, Elizabeth said, after Gene retired from acting.
(Image: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
It’s since been reported Hackman and his wife’s bodies were found partially mummified at the property. A police warrant, seen by Mail Online, said Arakawa was found decomposed with bloating on her face and mummification in her hands and feet.
It’s claimed Hackman had the same signs of decomposition as his wife. According to reports, Arakawa was found lying on the bathroom floor of the couple’s mansion and that Hackman was found in what appeared to be a mud room off of the couple’s kitchen.
It’s speculated the actor may have died of a sudden fall as a walking cane was reportedly found next to his body and his glasses were thrown from his body. Back in early 2024, he was seen looking frail and walking with a stick during a rare public outing with Besty.
(Image: Getty Images)
It was said the reporting party found the front door of the Oscar winner’s property to be be “unsecured and opened”, and that deputies found a healthy dog running loose on the property and another healthy dog. It was also claimed there were “no obvious signs of a gas leak” at the home.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said are still investigating the deaths and aren’t ruling anything out. He said there were no obvious signs of trauma to the bodies and that a suicide note had not been found.
Elizabeth did not comment on Gene’s recent health. However in March last year he was seen walking in Santa Fe with a cane, using Betsy’s arm for support. There are no details about a funeral service as of yet.
Earlier today, it was reported that Gene, Betsy and their dog were found dead at home after a neighbour called police for a welfare check. Law enforcement attended the $3.8million mansion at around 1.45pm on Wednesday (February 26) to find the bodies.
It’s reported that formal identification took 12 hours, with it only being announced after midnight on Thursday. An official cause of death has not yet been announced.
According to Santa Fe New Mexican, Mendoza said: “All I can say is that we’re in the middle of a preliminary death investigation, waiting on approval of a search warrant. We can confirm that both Gene Hackman and his wife were found deceased Wednesday afternoon at their residence on Sunset Trail. This is an active investigation – however, at this time we do not believe that foul play was a factor.
“I want to assure the community and neighbourhood that there’s no immediate danger to anyone.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
