Police probing bizarre deaths of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa backflip on possible gas ‘poisoning’ cause of death theory
The bizarre deaths of Hollywood legend Gene Hackman and his wife continue to baffle police, who’ve backflipped on one possible theory.
Police investigating the bizarre deaths of Hollywood legend Gene Hackman and his pianist wife Betsy Arakawa have announced a shift in focus in the probe.
The pair’s bodies were discovered in different parts of the US$3.8 million (AU$6.1 million) mansion they shared in Santa Fe in the US state of New Mexico on Wednesday afternoon.
A dog was also found dead in the home.
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The shock incident has sparked widespread shock and speculation, with revelations Arakawa’s body was partially “mummified”, suggesting the couple had been deceased for some time.
Autopsies have been completed as new details emerge about the widening investigation.
‘Poison’ theory back on the table
Hackman’s family quickly spoke of their suspicions that a carbon monoxide leak might be the cause of death.
But Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office deputies initially ruled out the theory, saying there were no signs of carbon monoxide in the air.
Contradicting that rejection overnight, the city’s Fire Department chief Brian Moya said it was still firmly on the table.
Speaking to the Today show, Mr Moya refused to rule out the gas leak theory.
“At the time of the incident, we did not determine anything that was in the house with our meters that was concerning to our guys doing the searches,” he said.
But given Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 64, had lay dead for several days or “even up to a couple of weeks”, Mr Moya said it couldn’t be entirely ruled out.
It was “possible” the gas had cleared in that stretch of time, he conceded.
Fire investigators returned to the property on Friday to inspect gas lines running to it and outlets inside.
Autopsies raise more questions
Initial results of the autopsies conducted on Hackman and Arakawa have raised more questions than they’ve answered.
It appears unlikely that the couple met with foul play, although police aren’t ruling it out entirely.
There were no clear signs of blunt force trauma on either body.
An opened bottle of medication was found on a bench next to Arakawa’s corpse and a number of pills were strewn across it.
However, police have confirmed they did not find a suicide note.
A toxicology report, which could prove key in uncovering the cause of death, might take three months to be released.
A spokesperson for the New Mexico Medical Examiner’s Office told The Sun that a formal report could be up to six weeks away.
‘Suspicious’ circumstances revealed
When police arrived at the time, investigators found Arakawa’s body on the floor in a bathroom.
A room heater was found knocked over on the floor next to her head.
A police report read: “(A deputy) suspected the heater could have fallen in the event the female abruptly fell to the ground.”
One of the couple’s dogs was found dead in a cupboard in the bathroom, close to Arakawa’s corpse.
However two other canines were alive inside the property.
Hackman’s body was found on the floor of a room next to the kitchen, with signs he had “suddenly fallen”.
A pair of sunglasses were on the floor next to him alongside a walking stick.
One of the officers who arrived at the scene “advised based on his training and experience that nothing appeared to be ‘out of place”, a report revealed.
The grim discovery was first made by a maintenance worker who arrived at the home on Wednesday.
The man phoned 911 in an emotional state.
Audio of the call depicts him telling an operator he had “found two or one deceased person inside a house”.
“Please send somebody really quick,” he said. He could be heard sobbing and saying “damn” over and over again.
It does not appear he knew the couple. When asked for their names, he said he didn’t know.
Despite previous media reports, the man was recorded saying the front door to the mansion was locked.
“[The house] is closed. It’s locked. I can’t go in. But I see that she is lying down on the floor from the window.”
Arakawa was not “awake or alert”.
“No, dude, they’re not moving,” he said. “Just send somebody out here really quick.”
TMZ reported the couple hadn’t been seen around their neighbourhood for at least two weeks.
The initial police report noted that the circumstances were “suspicious” and warranted a wide-ranging investigation.
There was no sign of forced entry to the property.
‘Frail’: Last sighting of couple
The last public sighting of Hackman was in March 2024.
He and Arakawa were photographed leaving a restaurant in Santa Fe after a dinner to celebrate his birthday.
Hackman appeared somewhat frail. He walked with the aid of a cane and held his wife’s arm for support.
They were also spotted earlier in the day at a local grocery store. The actor bought a cup of coffee and an apple pie, according to TMZ.
Despite his appearance in those photographs, loved ones say the couple had been in good health.
Leslie Hackman told Fox News her father ate well and regularly took yoga and pilates classes with his wife.
While he was elderly, he was in good health.
Arakawa’s death was “very shocking” given her younger age and good health.
“We don’t understand what happened.”
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