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

[NuttMegg]

Poor GH looked very frail in that pic, above, in March 2024. A whole year ago. So if he fell because of whatever, or 1-2 of his beloved dogs knocking him, he may not have been able to move. Or had a heart attack with the shock.

I all but revered the guy. Like Rod Steiger or DeNiro. Gets cast into a silly movie like The Firm. And shines as the only bonafide actor in it. Then there is Mississippi Burning. Omg

He lived to 95. Stayed out of a nursing home or hospice, to the end with his girl and his dog buddies in gorgeous Santa Fe. Not a bad way to go out.

 

[friendlysleuther]

Mummification usually takes weeks to months, depending on environmental conditions. Given that the maintenance workers hadn't seen them for two weeks, and their bodies were already partially mummified, it’s likely they had been dead for at least two to four weeks, maybe longer. [1] [2] [3]

What we know

• Front door was open
• 1 dog deceased
• Found in different areas of the home
• Both Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa were found in similar states of decay.
• No signs of forced entry
• Neither firefighters nor the gas company could find signs of a gas leak
• Arakawa was found lying on her right side in a bathroom, with a space heater "MOVED" near her body, with pills scattered next to her.
• Dog was 10-15ft away from Arakawa, in the bathroom closet.
• Hackman was found near the kitchen, in the assumed 'mud-room'. He was wearing gray sweat pants, a long-sleeve t-shirt, brown slippers, and had a walking-cane
• Hackmans sunglasses were found to the left of his body.
• The parcel of land and residence (1245 Old Sunset Trail) belong to the “Trustee of Edgar Gross.”

Questions

1. How did the other dogs survive for so long? Did they just have an enormous amt of food and water? Dogs can only go about 3-5 days without water before severe dehydration sets in.

In My Opinion..

• Pills scattered about is just odd, This screams coverup
• What breed were the dogs? Could it of been that the dog that was found deceased, was protecting its owners?

[Affadavit]

 

[slowpoke]

I don't think we know the kennel door was closed. It could easily have just been the dog's safe space where it went when it didn't feel well.

Also, it's occurred to me that if this is the second set of GSDs they've had, starting in 1999 was it? -- they might be quite elderly dogs by now.

I wonder if the dog died of old age, complicating the mystery.

As some others suggested, maybe the wire crate was in a big walk-in type of closet, and the crate door was kept open. And the closet door could have been kept open, too. I don’t think we know.

And for all we know, the other two dogs could have had crates of their own in the same closet, too. As you say, it could be that the one that died walked into its crate on its own because it didn’t feel well, or was anxious and afraid due to the circumstances.

Just thoughts.

 

[friendlysleuther]

Layout of the home [Source]

 

[bmacmillan1]

You're not including murder-suicide?

I see it as a possibility. Why was the dog shut in a closet in the bathroom?

Who ever shuts a dog in a closet?

Mummification usually takes weeks to months, depending on environmental conditions. Given that the maintenance workers hadn't seen them for two weeks, and their bodies were already partially mummified, it’s likely they had been dead for at least two to four weeks, maybe longer. [1] [2] [3]

What we know

• Front door was open
• 1 dog deceased
• Found in different areas of the home
• Both Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa were found in similar states of decay.
• No signs of forced entry
• Neither firefighters nor the gas company could find signs of a gas leak
• Arakawa was found lying on her right side in a bathroom, with a space heater "MOVED" near her body, with pills scattered next to her.
• Dog was 10-15ft away from Arakawa, in the bathroom closet.
• Hackman was found near the kitchen, in the assumed 'mud-room'. He was wearing gray sweat pants, a long-sleeve t-shirt, brown slippers, and had a walking-cane
• Hackmans sunglasses were found to the left of his body.
• The parcel of land and residence (1245 Old Sunset Trail) belong to the “Trustee of Edgar Gross.”

Questions

1. How did the other dogs survive for so long? Did they just have an enormous amt of food and water? Dogs can only go about 3-5 days without water before severe dehydration sets in.
2. What made the neighbors finally go and check on them?

In My Opinion..

• Pills scattered about is just odd, This screams coverup
• What breed were the dogs? Could it of been that the dog that was found deceased, was protecting its owners?

[Affadavit]

I read that the workers communicated via messaging, mainly with her and not direct contact. There is such a lot of conflicting info

 

[friendlysleuther]

I read that the workers communicated via messaging, mainly with her and not direct contact. There is such a lot of conflicting info

That seems to be correct--
"Deputy Thomas indicated he spoke to two individuals(one of which was the reporting party) who found and located the front door of the residence(1425 Old Sunset Trial) to be opened/ajar.(...) Deputy Thomas indicated he asked Roland and Jesse when the last had contact with the homeowners and they both advised it was approximately two (2) weeks prior. Both individuals advised they rarely saw the owners (of the residence) when conducting routine maintenance on the home. Both indicated they maintained contact with the homeowners through text message and phone calls and primarily communicated with the female homeowner identified the deceased female as Betsy Arakawa /61). These two males identified Betsy’s husband and Gene Hackman (or Eugene Allen Hackman)( /30), however did not positively identify him as the deceased male."

So, at the time of this report, the males couldn't identify Eugene Hackman by seeing him--- If that tells you anything about either A) how often they saw him OR B) How badly decomposed/ unrecognizable he was.

Read The Affidavit For Search Warrant, here

 

[iamshadow21]

So, at the time of this report, the males couldn't identify Eugene Hackman by seeing him--- If that tells you anything about either A) how often they saw him OR B) How badly decomposed/ unrecognizable he was.

Read The Affidavit For Search Warrant, here

After a few weeks at ambient temperature, not extreme cold, nobody really looks like themselves any more. I think close family would have difficulty identifying someone if there wasn't something like unique jewellery.

MOO

 

[friendlysleuther]

As for the pills, I think they were knocked over when the space heater fell. Toxicology would make any sort of coverup impossible.

Ehhh. You think she just had a bottle of pills opened and then a heater fell, causing the pills to be scattered?

I also find it worth mentioning, the affidavit states the space heater was "Moved"

 

[friendlysleuther]

I would also like to point out something I haven't seen discussed yet--
Strangulation can also be hard to detect... Especially due to the amt of time they were down for..
(I genuinely have no clue what happened, but, worth mentioning)

 

[MassGuy]

Ehhh. You think she just had a bottle of pills opened and then a heater fell, causing the pills to be scattered?

I also find it worth mentioning, the affidavit states the space heater was "Moved"

Or she fell as she was grabbing them or something, perhaps thinking they would help her symptoms (from potential CO poisoning). Thanks for the clarification on the heater, I had fell in my mind for some reason.

 

[friendlysleuther]

(from potential CO poisoning).

• Neither firefighters nor the gas company could find signs of a gas leak
• Front door was open
• 2 dogs were alive

 

[MassGuy]

• Neither firefighters nor the gas company could find signs of a gas leak
• Front door was open
• 2 dogs were alive

The gas could have dissipated, helped by that front door. The source of the leak could potentially have been a car, which eventually ran out of gas. It could also be another appliance that eventually stopped working.

Grok's response addresses the dogs.

 

[NuttMegg]

Mummification usually takes weeks to months, depending on environmental conditions. Given that the maintenance workers hadn't seen them for two weeks, and their bodies were already partially mummified, it’s likely they had been dead for at least two to four weeks, maybe longer. [1] [2] [3]

What we know

• Front door was open
• 1 dog deceased
• Found in different areas of the home
• Both Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa were found in similar states of decay.
• No signs of forced entry
• Neither firefighters nor the gas company could find signs of a gas leak
• Arakawa was found lying on her right side in a bathroom, with a space heater "MOVED" near her body, with pills scattered next to her.
• Dog was 10-15ft away from Arakawa, in the bathroom closet.
• Hackman was found near the kitchen, in the assumed 'mud-room'. He was wearing gray sweat pants, a long-sleeve t-shirt, brown slippers, and had a walking-cane
• Hackmans sunglasses were found to the left of his body.
• The parcel of land and residence (1245 Old Sunset Trail) belong to the “Trustee of Edgar Gross.”

Questions

1. How did the other dogs survive for so long? Did they just have an enormous amt of food and water? Dogs can only go about 3-5 days without water before severe dehydration sets in.
2. What made the neighbors finally go and check on them?

In My Opinion..

• Pills scattered about is just odd, This screams coverup
• What breed were the dogs? Could it of been that the dog that was found deceased, was protecting its owners?

[Affadavit]

Where did you read the space heater was "moved near her body" ?

Same question for your saying pills were "scattered next to her" ?
______
"The pills from the bottle were “scattered on the counter-top,” it says."

"Arakawa’s body was found on the floor of a bathroom. A space heater was near her head and a bottle of prescription pills was on the counter, the warrant says.

The responding deputy believes the heater “could have fallen in the event the female abruptly fell to the ground,” the warrant says."

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

 

[friendlysleuther]

The gas could have dissipated, helped by that front door. The source of the leak could potentially have been a car, which eventually ran out of gas. It could also be another appliance that eventually stopped working.

Grok's response addresses the dogs.

Garage was detached.
Carbon monoxide spreads evenly & affects all living beings the same way

 

[friendlysleuther]

Where did you read the space heater was "moved near her body" ?

Same question for your saying pills were "scattered next to her" ?
______
"The pills from the bottle were “scattered on the counter-top,” it says."

"Arakawa’s body was found on the floor of a bathroom. A space heater was near her head and a bottle of prescription pills was on the counter, the warrant says.

The responding deputy believes the heater “could have fallen in the event the female abruptly fell to the ground,” the warrant says."

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

From the actual affidavit that I linked in my posts.

 

[friendlysleuther]

Where did you read the space heater was "moved near her body" ?

Same question for your saying pills were "scattered next to her" ?
______
"The pills from the bottle were “scattered on the counter-top,” it says."

"Arakawa’s body was found on the floor of a bathroom. A space heater was near her head and a bottle of prescription pills was on the counter, the warrant says.

The responding deputy believes the heater “could have fallen in the event the female abruptly fell to the ground,” the warrant says."

"At this time; the manner and cause of death pertaining to Eugene “Gene” Allen Hackman and Betsy Arakawa passing is unknown. Affiant believes that the circumstances surrounding the death of the two deceased individuals to be suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation because the reporting party found the front door of the residence unsecured and opened, deputies observed a healthy dog running loose on the property, another healthy dog near the deceased female, a deceased dog laying 10-15 feet from the deceased female in a closet of the bathroom, the heater being moved, the pill bottle being opened and pills scattered next to the female, the male decedent being located in a separate room of the residence,and no obvious signs of a gas leak. At this time Affiant believes there is sufficient probable cause for the issuance of this search warrant. Any evidence collected could corroborate or refute statements made by those associated to the investigation; and would assist law enforcement in determining the cause and manner of death in this death investigation."
AFFIDAVIT

 

[whitelilac]

The space heater described as moved, may simply mean it wasn't in the original normal location. It still could have been knocked over, as a result of Betsy's falling down.
I don't think it implies moved by a third party.

 

[NuttMegg]

Mummification usually takes weeks to months, depending on environmental conditions. Given that the maintenance workers hadn't seen them for two weeks, and their bodies were already partially mummified, it’s likely they had been dead for at least two to four weeks, maybe longer. [1] [2] [3]

What we know

• Front door was open
• 1 dog deceased
• Found in different areas of the home
• Both Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa were found in similar states of decay.
• No signs of forced entry
• Neither firefighters nor the gas company could find signs of a gas leak
• Arakawa was found lying on her right side in a bathroom, with a space heater "MOVED" near her body, with pills scattered next to her.
• Dog was 10-15ft away from Arakawa, in the bathroom closet.
• Hackman was found near the kitchen, in the assumed 'mud-room'. He was wearing gray sweat pants, a long-sleeve t-shirt, brown slippers, and had a walking-cane
• Hackmans sunglasses were found to the left of his body.
• The parcel of land and residence (1245 Old Sunset Trail) belong to the “Trustee of Edgar Gross.”

Questions

1. How did the other dogs survive for so long? Did they just have an enormous amt of food and water? Dogs can only go about 3-5 days without water before severe dehydration sets in.
2. What made the neighbors finally go and check on them?

In My Opinion..

• Pills scattered about is just odd, This screams coverup
• What breed were the dogs? Could it of been that the dog that was found deceased, was protecting its owners?

[Affadavit]

They weren't found by neighbors. They were maintenance men.

I have dogs, I also live in a high desert like GH and his wife. I have large bins of water auto filled. The dogs know where the main stash of food is. Just in case.

Doesn't scream coverup to me.

 

[friendlysleuther]

The space heater described as moved, may simply mean it wasn't in the original normal location. It still could have been knocked over, as a result of Betsy's falling down.
I don't think it implies moved by a third party.

IMO, I can't imagine 2 people falling to their death at the same time

 

[airportwoman]

I'm sure they will do a necropsy on the dog, on top of autopsies for Gene and Betsy. Of course they will do a full tox screen, and we won't have complete results from that for a long time.