Gene Hackman dead at 95: Iconic actor and wife, 63, are found dead with their dog at Santa Fe home. #2

[avalonisland]

There might have been bruising, but it would be hidden by postmortem lividity.

Reporter | 00:09:15
Were you able to determine whether they fell or not? Was there any trauma evidence on the bodies to suggest a fall?

Sheriff Adan Mendoza | 00:09:28
No, I don’t think there was any indication of that. Again, there was no trauma indicated on the body. I'm assuming if they would have fallen or injured themselves, or if there was a head injury or brain injury, that would have been discovered by the pathologis

So his heath had declined in recent months, if she died before him he likely wouldn’t be able to care for himself or get himself off the floor if he fell.

I agree 100%.

 

[Quill]

They do not let the battery die, it’s replaced.

Well, they let you know that the battery needs replacing. In our case our loved one was at the "end" in hospice care. He would not have survived the procedure to replace. Now, I say this realizing that this was not the situation in this case, but I say it to let you know that it is left up to the patient whether or not to replace.

 

[STAGNUM]

thank you for explaining some of these medical questions. especially with the pacemaker, its been helpful and filling in a lot of holes here.
Okay next question
how would they know the date the pacemaker stopped? would they have been able to tell that without physically removing the pacemaker (such as in an autopsy)

My parents had pacemakers. My dad had an ICD (defibrillator) pacemaker. The device can be interrogated without removing it by a low frequency radio signal and/or a UHF radio signal. A technician will place a coil over it or use an antenna to interrogate the event memory. The data includes a date and time stamp. My dad had multiple painful ICD events prior to his death. He could no longer drive his Porsche safely, or even walk great distances. That was sort of the end, including the fact that he fell repeatedly at his volunteer job at a car museum. The staff gave him a crash helmet. At hospice they taped a magnet over the pacemaker which suspended the ICD events. After he passed I urged the funeral home to have the pacemaker disabled by a technician.

 

[formerreddingrunner]

My parents had pacemakers. My dad had an ICD (defibrillator) pacemaker. The device can be interrogated without removing it by a low frequency radio signal and/or a UHF radio signal. A technician will place a coil over it or use an antenna to interrogate the event memory. The data includes a date and time stamp. My dad had multiple painful ICD events prior to his death. He could no longer drive his Porsche safely, or even walk great distances. That was sort of the end, including the fact that he fell repeatedly at his volunteer job at a car museum. The staff gave him a crash helmet. At hospice they taped a magnet over the pacemaker which suspended the ICD events. After he passed I urged the funeral home to have the pacemaker disabled by a technician.

wow, that sounds terrible!! so sorry for what your dad experienced!

 

[STAGNUM]

A bit of levity!

 

[bombardier]

with respect to the talk of fall (causing death) vs 'fall' (ie slumping over once dead or in process of dying); the terminology we use for the second kind is "terminal collapse". falling limp from height can also cause head trauma, bleeding, etc, so it's difficult to determine if the fall was pre- or post-mortem, but this is a common thing in forensic pathology and im sure the pathologist/coroner will consider all options. I believe the biggest?? decider autopsy-wise would be if they can find a more likely cause of sudden death (like an MI), that likely occurred prior to the collapse. im hoping the decomp was not too severe....

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.23907/2012.003?download=true&journalCode=afpa

 

[IceIce9]

They do not let the battery die, it’s replaced.

A pacemaker sends an alert a year before the battery expiration.

 

[JDG]

A pacemaker sends an alert a year before the battery expiration.

Not all pacemakers ‘send’ alerts.

 

[NuttMegg]

A pacemaker sends an alert a year before the battery expiration.

They don't just put a battery unit inside the body, there is an electrical lead connectng the heart to the unit. And things can go wrong with that connection.

 

[Cedars]

“They were very private, and we certainly respected that,” Barbara told CNN, adding that Arakawa rarely used cell phones and would usually communicate by email.
(bbm)

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/02/us/gene-hackman-betsy-arakawa-santa-fe/index.html

Yes, rarely used a cellphone with friends, but the workers said she communicated with them by text or phone.

So she had some kind of cell capability, just didn't like using it with friends. Typical of introverts, IMO.

 

[borndem]

Is paywalled also for me...sorry!

Same darn thing for me, too.

So, we wait...

 

[borndem]

...

 

[STAGNUM]

A pacemaker would correct bradycardia. Bradycardia is actually the most common reason for a pacemaker.

JMO

If someone were having a problem breathing would the response be tachycardia? Would the pacemaker try to correct that and more importantly record that event??? If so, that may fill in the blanks where the toxicology reports are inconclusive on CO poisoning.

 

[RedHaus]

Is paywalled also for me...sorry!

Same darn thing for me, too.

Here you go, thanks to @dalsglen who posted this version (not behind paywall) a couple days ago...

https://archive.is/GfFYr
2/28/2025 DM: Crime scene experts unveil latest eerie theories about Gene Hackman and his wife's mummification deaths... and the lurking inconsistency they can't ignore

My post #167 responded with a nod to Sutton's theory plus some embellishments...

ETA: article title

 

[STAGNUM]

wow, that sounds terrible!! so sorry for what your dad experienced!

Yeah. I don't think I will ever have an ICD implanted. Near to the end, the ICD activation's were painful and torture in his words.

 

[Gemmie]

Isn't it a gated community though? So there was security, but not on the doorstep.
And i agree with your option 1. It's by far the most obvious explanation.

Yes, it's not only gated, but also no house numbers (although there'd have to be an address for tax purposes, etc.). That's what I heard the guy who called 911 say (twice) when asked for the address. No address and he'd meet them at the gate (the address he gave so they could meet him there) and take then to the house.

Gene Hackman 911 Caller Emotional on Phone, Says He Can't See Anyone Moving

Gene Hackman and his wife were inside their home, not moving ... and the sight of them got the 911 caller very emotional, TMZ has learned.

www.tmz.com

 

[SortaSleuthy]

(A.) The most common time for heart attacks and strokes is in the morning when rising or shortly thereafter.

4 Reasons:
(1.) A protein in your blood called PA1 prevents clots from dissolving and is highest when rising. This higher level of PA1 increases the risk of clot formation in a blood vessel, blocking blood flow to the heart or brain.
(2.) As you wake up, your body releases stress hormones to get your body up and going for the day.
(3.) In addition, your body tends to be dehydrated by the time you wake up and for some people, this combination of added stress hormones plus dehydration may be enough to trigger an attack.
(4.) Scientists have also found that morning heart attacks may cause more damage to the heart than those that occur during any other time of day.

(B.) At any time, you are more likely to have a heart attack or stroke when in the middle of a crisis OR during intense physical activity.
===========================

My opinion, until the test results are announced, is based upon the above:

… Gene arose and after letting the two dogs out, collapsed with a stroke or heart attack in the mud room hallway.

… Betsy, hearing the above, ran to the mud room and then to the front entry bathroom to get pills she hoped would help him. She, also under the same factors as in (A.) above plus (B.) above, had a stroke or heart attack. She may or may not have been previously diagnosed with heart problems.

… The dog in the crate perished due to a lack of food and/or water.

 

[tomstrees]

Is there any history of the principal significantly younger caregiver's dying precipitating the death of an older spouse like this? There is an indissoluble bond between people living in the same house together for years, people of high iq, people who are tough and survivors and plan ahead for things. The pets are part of their life force, being fed and taken care of every day. Statistically as much as I think of this situation, it just doesn't make sense.

I saw "French Connection" 1 & 2 in the last week, the first one was a huge hit, showcasing Gene's boundless energy.

 

[Gemmie]

Is there any history of the principal significantly younger caregiver's dying precipitating the death of an older spouse like this? There is an indissoluble bond between people living in the same house together for years, people of high iq, people who are tough and survivors and plan ahead for things. The pets are part of their life force, being fed and taken care of every day. Statistically as much as I think of this situation, it just doesn't make sense.

I saw "French Connection" 1 & 2 in the last week, the first one was a huge hit, showcasing Gene's boundless energy.

I've never seen the movie so it looks like I need to borrow it from the library. Appears I'm not the only one as I'm #8 on the list!

 

[JDG]

I've never seen the movie so it looks like I need to borrow it from the library. Appears I'm not the only one as I'm #8 on the list!

Gene Hackmans films will have a short lived rebirth for awhile.

Enjoy it when it’s your turn.