Authorities say they believe actor Gene Hackman may have died on Feb. 17, more than a week before his body was found Wednesday alongside the bodies of his wife and their dog in their New Mexico home.
At a Friday afternoon news conference, Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza cautioned that the investigation remains ongoing. He said an initial assessment of Hackman’s pacemaker revealed that its last recorded “event” was on Feb. 17.
“According to the pathologist, I think that is a very good assumption that that was his last day of life,” the sheriff said.
Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found dead in their Santa Fe home on Wednesday when deputies responded to a welfare check at the residence. The manner and cause of their deaths have not been determined.
Authorities have said there were no signs of forced entry and no apparent signs of foul play in the couple’s deaths, though Mendoza said investigators are not ruling anything out just yet.
According to a search warrant obtained by NBC affiliate KOB, deputies from the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office found Arakawa in a bathroom by a countertop that had pills strewn about, as well as a dead German Shepherd in the bathroom closet. Hackman was found in what appeared to be the mud room; one deputy speculated that he had fallen suddenly.
Two other healthy dogs were found on the property, according to the warrant.
Mendoza said at a news conference on Thursday that the couple had been deceased “for quite a while” when deputies found their bodies. He told reporters Friday that it is “very hard” to determine who died first. Neither Hackman nor Arakawa showed any sign of external trauma, the sheriff said, and both tested negative for carbon monoxide. Authorities are still awaiting the full toxicology and autopsy report. Mendoza said investigators have collected several items from the home, including two cellphones, two bottles of medication, one bottle of Tylenol, medical records and a 2025 calendar. The sheriff declined to go into detail about the prescription medication. Hackman and Arakawa, a classical pianist, were married for more than 30 years. The couple’s death has led to an outpouring of tributes from loved ones and Hackman’s former colleagues.
Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News.
Latest Post
Recommended
