The daughter of beloved actor Gene Hackman says he and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, likely died from carbon monoxide poisoning — while authorities said they found no signs of a carbon monoxide leak.
Elizabeth Jean Hackman told TMZ the family suspects her 95-year-old father, his 65-year-old wife and one of their dogs died from toxic fumes inside their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home.
But authorities later said the deaths were “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation” after finding an “unsecured and opened” door to the home and a prescription pill bottle and pills scattered around the room where Arakawa and one of the couple’s dogs were discovered, according to an affidavit. Fire department officials found no evidence of a toxic leak in the home, the affidavit said.
A maintenance worker who initially raised the alarm when he got no response from inside the home said he hadn’t seen the couple in about two weeks, according to the court documents. Arakawa’s body was found mummified and bloated.
Gene Hackman, his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and one of their dogs were found dead in their New Mexico home. Facebook / Animal Rescue, Inc.
Hackman’s daughter suspects the couple died of carbon monoxide poisoning in their home. BACKGRID
The couple were seen enjoying dinner together in a rare outing last year. / SplashNews.comWhile there were no signs of visible trauma, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said they could have been victims of a double homicide, suicide, accidental death, or natural causes. Two living dogs were found on the property — one inside the home and one outside, according to authorities.
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But forensic expert and Fox News contributor Dr. Michael Baden said the couple’s deaths were “typical” for carbon monoxide poisoning.
“When a car motor engine is left on…and it isn’t properly turned off, carbon monoxide comes out of the exhaust and goes into the house. Dogs, or any other type of animal, and humans die. They don’t feel any type of pain, they don’t know anything’s wrong. It’s silent. Carbon Monoxide is painless, and they just go to sleep,” he said Thursday morning.
Baden noted this could also happen from a boiler malfunctioning and producing carbon monoxide.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said the couple may have been dead for at least a day. William Farrington
Law enforcement outside Hackman’s home in New Mexico. AP
The couple had been living in their Santa Fe home since the early 2000s. APThe couple, who were married for over 30 years, had been living in their Santa Fe home since Hackman’s retirement from acting in the early 2000s.
After their bodies were found, authorities applied for a warrant to conduct a search and called in the fire department and gas company to ensure the house was safe to search.
