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

[minazoe]

didn't they say though that they are searching the houses for other medications.?
the autopsies didn't show heart failures..or anything. two people don't simultaneously die for no reason, with no injuries..something is very suspicious. <modsnip> mOO

 

[Sunshynn]

Friends of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa say couple were ‘alive and well’ in recent meeting | CNN

As authorities investigate the causes of deaths of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, close and longtime friends of the couple say they seemed to be in good health at their last encounter.

amp.cnn.com

From the article:

“The pacemaker shows Hackman’s “last event” was recorded on February 17, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said at a Friday news conference. “According to the pathologist, I think that is a very good assumption, that that was his last day of life,” the sheriff said.

Arakawa’s body meanwhile “showed obvious signs of death, body decomposition, bloating in her face and mummification (sic) in both hands and feet,” the affidavit states. Mummification usually starts over two weeks after a person dies, Santa Fe Fire Chief Brian Moya said.”

So, are they now thinking that Gene was roaming around the house for several days with his dead wife’s body hanging out in the bathroom? Or am I reading this wrong?

 

[NuttMegg]

I think it must be terribly sad to grow old without children or parents around.
Look at Nicholson or Eastwood or Beatty or Douglas: they have or had children , human warmth around them.

Imo terribly sad people don't live to 95.


Independently, minding their own business, not out filling People mag with "look at me I'm so cool" pleas for attention.

Everyone is different. How many serial wives, kids born out of wedlock, in that sterling bunch you laud. How many have had the warmth and joy of visiting drug addict offspring in prison (ahem...meth, heroin cocaine felonies).

How many books have they written?

The older I get the more I inwardly roll my eyes when people fervently declare, unasked, how happy they are.

 

[Kissee13]

I believe that there were 2 other dogs in the house still alive.

They said today wife was found in bathroom & Hackman was found in mudroom , dog in closet

 

[iamshadow21]

Friends of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa say couple were ‘alive and well’ in recent meeting | CNN

As authorities investigate the causes of deaths of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, close and longtime friends of the couple say they seemed to be in good health at their last encounter.

amp.cnn.com

From the article:

“The pacemaker shows Hackman’s “last event” was recorded on February 17, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said at a Friday news conference. “According to the pathologist, I think that is a very good assumption, that that was his last day of life,” the sheriff said.

Arakawa’s body meanwhile “showed obvious signs of death, body decomposition, bloating in her face and mummification (sic) in both hands and feet,” the affidavit states. Mummification usually starts over two weeks after a person dies, Santa Fe Fire Chief Brian Moya said.”

So, are they now thinking that Gene was roaming around the house for several days with his dead wife’s body hanging out in the bathroom? Or am I reading this wrong?

The actual affidavit states that his body condition was 'consistent with and similar to' hers. So, no.

MOO

 

[Sunshynn]

in closet

But there were also two dogs around the home.
One next to Betsy’s body when they walked in and one on the property - both appeared healthy.
3 dogs in total, 1 deceased.

 

[Sunshynn]

The actual affidavit states that his body condition was 'consistent with and similar to' hers. So, no.

MOO

Thank you.

I knew the affidavit stated that they were in similar states of decomposition but the article made it seem different now.

 

[ClearAhead]

Just to mention it was fire officials investigating the home who ruled out signs of a carbon monoxide leak having occurred. So it wasn’t confirmation sourced directly from autopsy results, so that possibility still remains if indications of the leak no longer existed after several days. JMO

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/01/entertainment/gene-hackman-betsy-arakawa-deaths-friends-hnk/index.html

Fire officials were unable to find signs of a “carbon monoxide leak or poisoning,” the affidavit read. Gas lines were tested in and around the home, with no immediate problems detected.

Official autopsy reports are pending, and toxicology tests have been requested for Hackman and Arakawa, according to the sheriff’s office –– but results could take months.

 

[Kissee13]

But there were also two dogs around the home.
One next to Betsy’s body when they walked in and one on the property - both appeared healthy.
3 dogs in total, 1 deceased.

Yes , they said they thought the back door was open , so probably going in & out . Maybe one dog got locked in by mistake & couldn’t get out . Poor baby .

 

[slowpoke]

Just to mention it was fire officials investigating the home who ruled out signs of a carbon monoxide leak having occurred. So it wasn’t confirmation sourced directly from autopsy results, so that possibility still remains if indications of the leak no longer existed after several days. JMO

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/01/entertainment/gene-hackman-betsy-arakawa-deaths-friends-hnk/index.html

Fire officials were unable to find signs of a “carbon monoxide leak or poisoning,” the affidavit read. Gas lines were tested in and around the home, with no immediate problems detected.

Official autopsy reports are pending, and toxicology tests have been requested for Hackman and Arakawa, according to the sheriff’s office –– but results could take months.

Not just from the Fire official—

“He said the pathologist from the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator had expedited some tests and informed him earlier Friday that the couple had tested negative for carbon monoxide.

"She shared that information with me because she thought it was relevant to the case and important for the public to know," Mendoza said.”

Gene Hackman and his wife test negative for carbon monoxide after mysteriously found dead

Authorities are searching for answers into the death of actor Gene Hackman, 95, who along with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 65, were mysteriously found dead in Santa Fe.

abcnews.go.com

 

[Cherwell]

the autopsies didn't show heart failures..or anything. two people don't simultaneously die for no reason, with no injuries..something is very suspicious.

I don't think there is anything suspicious here. A mystery at the moment, yes.
Full autopsies have yet to be carried out, and they have said it may be months before full results are available.

Nobody is claiming that they died for "no reason", or simultaneously.
Betsy may have died suddenly from eg a cardiac arrest, an embolism, an aneurysm, a brain haemorrhage ....
Any of which would cause her to collapse on the spot, and all of which could happen without warning.

Gene was very old and frail and if he fell over he probably wouldn't have been able to get up without help. It's very common for frail old people to suffer falls. They don't have such good balance or recovery skills as younger people.

 

[ClearAhead]

Not just from the Fire official—

“He said the pathologist from the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator had expedited some tests and informed him earlier Friday that the couple had tested negative for carbon monoxide.

"She shared that information with me because she thought it was relevant to the case and important for the public to know," Mendoza said.”

Gene Hackman and his wife test negative for carbon monoxide after mysteriously found dead

Authorities are searching for answers into the death of actor Gene Hackman, 95, who along with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 65, were mysteriously found dead in Santa Fe.

abcnews.go.com

Until the autopsy and investigation is fully complete it appears nothing that’s been stated can be considered 100% factual. This doctor is leaving an opening, coincidently much like the door found ajar.

Gene Hackman and his wife were not killed by carbon monoxide, sheriff says

It would be unlikely for a person who tests negative for carbon monoxide initially to later be found to have been poisoned by it, a doctor said

nationalpost.com

Dr. Philip Keen, the retired chief medical examiner in Maricopa County, Arizona, said it would be unlikely for a person who tests negative for carbon monoxide initially to later be found to have been poisoned by it.
<>
He also said the moment when a pacemaker stops working could mark the point when a person dies, but not always.

“If your heart required a pacemaker, there would certainly be an interruption at that point — and it might be the hallmark of when the death occurred,” Keen said. “But it’s not necessarily because some people get a pacemaker to augment things, not necessarily replace things.”

 

[Knox]

There’s multiple reasons one dog would be crated. People with multiple dogs sometimes “crate & rotate” to keep the peace among dogs.Visitors to the home, the crated dog is better put away. There are many reasons. imo

My pups are crate trained from the start with me. I have one crated right now, he’s in downtime after training this morning. My other one is staring at me.

Makes total sense, and you’re right- too many reasons to list. I don’t see understand why this is so difficult to grasp.

We have no idea what time this happened, but I suspect early morning. It’s entirely possible the dog hadn’t been let out yet and sadly died having no food or water for nine days.

 

[Knitty]

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