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

[Moonsie]

I hadn’t noticed it stated the dead dog was found trapped (ie shut) inside the bathroom closet.
It doesn’t say if the bathroom closet had a door or if was found open or shut, unless you have another source, just that it was found in a bathroom closet. Maybe it just went in there to lie down, where it died?

Gene Hackman Had 2 Other Dogs That Were Found Alive After He, Wife and Third Dog Were Discovered Dead: Reports

Two other dogs at Gene Hackman's New Mexico home were found alive after a third was found dead alongside the actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa

people.com

"A deceased dog laying 10-15 feet from the deceased female in a closet of the bathroom" was also found per the affidavit…..”

Fair point.

From the affidavit supporting the search warrant:

“Affiant learned Deputy Thomas and Barron continued to search the residence where they then observed/found a deceased brown in color German-Shepard canine. The deceased canine was located approximately 10-15 feet from the deceased female in a closet of the bathroom.”

From that, I took that the deceased dog was not readily visible.

https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/santafenewmexican.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/e9/7e932158-f529-11ef-a999-7baaa12b3817/67c0957ef0a13.pdf.pdf

moo.

eta: link to affidavit supporting search warrant

 

[Leve]

With the front door open, it still could have been carbon monoxide, but it cleared out.

He succumbed first falling in the mudroom. She may have thought it was his heart so she went to get his heart pills, then she succumbed spilling the pills in the bathroom.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

That's a thought. I guess the kind of meds spilled out have not yet been identified?

Could be Tylenol for all we know or a common drugstore type for pain relief if they felt ill.

Also reminds me of the family of 3 (parents and their poor little baby) and their dog who went hiking in California that were all found collapsed dead in general same area. So random and so sad. Theirs was determined heat exhaustion or something IIRC.

 

[Quill]

Here in the UK, I would consider a closet a cupboard? Is that correct?
Which is really confusing me because a) how do you get a kennel in a cupboard unless it was adapted for the dog because people do adapt spaces for their dogs (I'd love too but DH says NO!) and b) was it an actual kennel or was it a crate or just a space where there's a dog bed and blankets? Because 2 of those options would most likely allow the dog to roam freely, if it didn't, just makes me think it didn't want to leave it's human and stayed with Betsy the entire time, eventually dying of dehydration, starvation and a broken heart.

Moo

When we say closet, we mean a small room for hanging clothing.Many are actually pretty large that you can walk-in. Mine currently is bigger than the bathroom we had in our childhood home. Ours does double duty for storm protection as we live in tornado country. We can definitely get a dog kennel/crate in ours, although I wouldn't want to do that. I would think it would create an odor issue with your clothing. Now, we do not know if this closet was being used to store clothing. They may have just converted it to keep the dog crate or crates in. If I had to guess, though, I would guess it is what we here in the US refer to as a walk-in closet.

 

[CityKid]

I’m trying to wrap my head around why these people, who have several German Shepherds, would put one in a kennel. That they kept in a closet. In a bathroom. And then shut the door to the closet. That seems odd to me.

moo.

I agree 100%. I keep thinking something has been misinterpreted or mistranslated somewhere along the line.

 

[Quill]

I’m trying to wrap my head around why these people, who have several German Shepherds, would put one in a kennel. That they kept in a closet. In a bathroom. And then shut the door to the closet. That seems odd to me.

moo.

Well, you never know If they had three dogs, they may have had a need to do some separating. Sometimes dog's don't all get along and you need to keep them apart. I haven't had to do this, but I know it happens and they will trade out time in the kennel. It also could be due to one recovering from a surgery, illness or even treatment and needs to be kept calm. Of course, we have no idea but these are a few things that come to mind.

 

[Sadi]

I’m trying to wrap my head around why these people, who have several German Shepherds, would put one in a kennel. That they kept in a closet. In a bathroom. And then shut the door to the closet. That seems odd to me.

moo.

Could the closest door have remained open and the dog went in there to lay down? Maybe he/she did ingest some of the pills and felt sick, layed down and passed away. I didn’t read the closet door was shut. Can you please attach that information. Thank you

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Here in the UK, I would consider a closet a cupboard? Is that correct?

It's like what we would call a wardrobe or walk in wardrobe here in Australia.

 

[lobo55]

More info included that the dog was in a crate in the bathroom - not in a closet. To me, a plausible scenario is that the wife may have had heart or other problems - went to the bathroom to get heart or pain pills and collapsed of a heart attack or stroke and died suddenly. Elderly and frail Hackman may have found her, headed to kitchen to call for help and died of a heart attack from the stress or fell and couldn't get up. The poor dog could not get out of the crate, with both people dead and eventually died. If they died several days or weeks ago, I wonder how the other two dogs were finding food. Just my opinion.

 

[Moonsie]

I agree 100%. I keep thinking something has been misinterpreted or mistranslated somewhere along the line.

I agree.

There is no mention of a kennel in the affidavit supporting the search warrant, only in some news articles which have been posted here.

I’d like to know if the dead dog was actually found inside a closed closet, and if it was in a kennel. May be nothing but that is just an odd fact to me.

https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/santafenewmexican.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/e9/7e932158-f529-11ef-a999-7baaa12b3817/67c0957ef0a13.pdf.pdf

moo.

eta: link to affidavit supporting search warrant

 

[Cedars]

When we say closet, we mean a small room for hanging clothing.Many are actually pretty large that you can walk-in. Mine currently is bigger than the bathroom we had in our childhood home. Ours does double duty for storm protection as we live in tornado country. We can definitely get a dog kennel/crate in ours, although I wouldn't want to do that. I would think it would create an odor issue with your clothing. Now, we do not know if this closet was being used to store clothing. They may have just converted it to keep the dog crate or crates in. If I had to guess, though, I would guess it is what we here in the US refer to as a walk-in closet.

However, it seems to have been a guest bathroom:

911 caller:
"I’m not inside the house. It’s closed. It’s locked," he told the dispatcher. "I can’t go in, but I see them ... She’s laying down from the window."

Gene Hackman and wife were 'deceased for quite a while' before bodies were discovered as deaths called 'suspicious'

The sheriff said there were no obvious signs of foul play, but authorities aren't ruling anything out as the investigation continues.

www.nbcnews.com

It's unclear to me where the mudroom was except 'next to the kitchen', which implies a back entrance...?

 

[Lyanna]

When we say closet, we mean a small room for hanging clothing.Many are actually pretty large that you can walk-in. Mine currently is bigger than the bathroom we had in our childhood home. Ours does double duty for storm protection as we live in tornado country. We can definitely get a dog kennel/crate in ours, although I wouldn't want to do that. I would think it would create an odor issue with your clothing. Now, we do not know if this closet was being used to store clothing. They may have just converted it to keep the dog crate or crates in. If I had to guess, though, I would guess it is what we here in the US refer to as a walk-in closet.

Thank you x

 

[Lyanna]

It's like what we would call a wardrobe or walk in wardrobe here in Australia.

Thank you! X

 

[Quill]

However, it seems to have been a guest bathroom:

911 caller:
"I’m not inside the house. It’s closed. It’s locked," he told the dispatcher. "I can’t go in, but I see them ... She’s laying down from the window."

Gene Hackman and wife were 'deceased for quite a while' before bodies were discovered as deaths called 'suspicious'

The sheriff said there were no obvious signs of foul play, but authorities aren't ruling anything out as the investigation continues.

www.nbcnews.com

It's unclear to me where the mudroom was except 'next to the kitchen', which implies a back entrance...?

I think it was a closet adjacent to the bathroom where his wife was found. Maybe I'm just picturing that because that is how my own is. It's within my bath but separate, if you know what I mean.

 

[CityKid]

Has there been any mention anywhere from law enforcement or in MSM of any home security footage (Ring cameras, etc.) at the property where GA and his wife BA were found? One would think a celebrity of GH's status would have some sort of security system and/or cameras in place, but I'm assuming (JMO) that's not the case or we would have likely been advised of more details by now if they've reviewed the footage...

There are just so many unanswered questions and so many variables. And as a dog person, it's the one deceased dog found near the wife's body -- and then, by contrast, the two "healthy" surviving dogs -- that throw me off. I can't even imagine anyone, especially a dog lover, ending a dog's life in a murder suicide, unless that particular dog was somehow more meaningful to the two of them for some reason. It would be very helpful to know if the dog was secured inside a kennel in the bathroom closet (as initially reported, meaning the dog would have likely had to have been fed the pills or met some other demise at the hands of someone, but which makes it much less likely the dog ingested some of the pills on the floor voluntary).

The toxicology tests of GH and his wife BA will likely be key in providing more information about what exactly transpired here, unless some other information (such as home security footage) comes to light. JMO.

A live dog was found running around. Another live dog was in the bathroom near Betsy's body. The dead dog was found in the bathroom's closet.

Gene Hackman Had 2 Other Dogs That Were Found Alive After He, Wife and Third Dog Were Discovered Dead: Reports

Two other dogs at Gene Hackman's New Mexico home were found alive after a third was found dead alongside the actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa

people.com

 

[Joe Friday]

Could be Tylenol for all we know or a common drugstore type for pain relief if they felt ill.

Also reminds me of the family of 3 (parents and their poor little baby) and their dog who went hiking in California that were all found collapsed dead in general same area. So random and so sad. Theirs was determined heat exhaustion or something IIRC.

It was said in the affidavit for the search warrant that the pill bottle that was found was described as an "Orange Prescription Bottle"


The Search Warrant Affidavit in Gene Hackman Death Inquiry

 

[Quill]

It was said in the affidavit for the search warrant that the pill bottle that was found was described as an "Orange Prescription Bottle"


The Search Warrant Affidavit in Gene Hackman Death Inquiry

and I think that whatever those pills are determined to be will be a big piece of this puzzle.

 

[ekc]

Oh gosh, it’s starting to seem to me like maybe she died or collapsed and he tried to get help but fell. Then the dog died after a while… heartbreaking no matter what happened.

the way they explained in one article ...he died in the mud room and had his glasses next to him...that leaves the pills, did she try to get some for him? and did not make it? but why...that leaves the dog and open front door...actually they describe the front door as not being totally open but ajar...also the mummification bothers me...her hands and face and parts of his body...im waiting for the pills, what were they and what were they for...this smells!

 

[Cedars]

Brief press conference in first few minutes with the Sheriff - he doesn't say much except that deceased dog was in a 'kennel or crate...'. @5:30

 

[ekc]

the way they explained in one article ...he died in the mud room and had his glasses next to him...that leaves the pills, did she try to get some for him? and did not make it? but why...that leaves the dog and open front door...actually they describe the front door as not being totally open but ajar...also the mummification bothers me...her hands and face and parts of his body...im waiting for the pills, what were they and what were they for...this smells!

forgot to add... the dog probably ate some of the pills and that may have been his passing...the daughter stated that she had not heard from them for a long time