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

[CityKid]

Was just kinda struck by the reference to ‘his wife’. I mean, BA and GH have been married for 35 years at this point. Why not ‘stepmother’? Or any other words about missing her? Anyway, just nattering nabobbery; I loved GH in the Royal Tenenbaums and French Connection.

His children are pretty close to BA's age so I doubt she was a mother figure to them.

 

[erikar]

Re: the portable heater. If it was an electric one, it wouldn't be a CO hazard, just a possible fire hazard.

I am thinking the door found open may have been opened by one of the surviving German Shepherds.

Did they have reasonable/reliable cell phone coverage at their property?

MOO.

We had a Kuvasz dog that would regularly come into the house from the yard by pressing the door handle of the front door with his paw, leaving the door open even in winter. Eventually, the lock and the handle were refitted so that it stood vertically so that he could not press it. And one of my cats, if it happened to be left in one of the rooms, would jump up on the small table next to the door and from there put her weight on the door handle with her front paws and let herself out into the hallway. So the dog could learn to open the door.

 

[Quill]

The front door was reportedly open when LE arrived. I would guess the two living dogs could come and go from the residence.

Yes, I read that, too. It would be wise to inspect the other doors as well as the one that was opened.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

She and Hackman met in the mid-1980s at a gym in California, according to a 1989 story in The New York Times, and they married in 1991. Hackman would deny that their relationship broke up his first marriage, to Faye Maltese.

“By the way, I did not leave my real life wife for a younger woman. We just drifted apart,” he told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in 1985, when he was promoting the film “Twice in a Lifetime,” in which his character is a family man who falls for another woman

https://www.timesunion.com/entertainment/article/betsy-arakawa-concert-pianist-married-to-actor-20192454.php

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I think it's not so much the wife/stepmother, it's more the seemingly lack of feeling that she had passed away.
I'm waiting for someone to mourn her loss.

 

[Fabled Automatic]

The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator told USA TODAY Thursday that its autopsy, toxicology and postmortem exam reports – which includes the cause of death – could take anywhere from four to six weeks.

Gene Hackman, wife's cause of death: Police call scene 'suspicious' but don't suspect foul play

 

[Lyanna]

People don't normally die from a fall. Only if they have, eg, fallen on a rock and there is evidence of head trauma.

If Gene had fallen and his wife called 911, an interview with her could have described signs of a heart attack and that would probably be the ruling.

The unexplained death of a 65 year old woman in a bathroom with pills, reported by her husband, wouldn't, IMO, have been ruled as caused by a fall.

Someone Mr Hackmans age could have died from a fall. Bone fractures, internal bleeding/organ damage or trauma to the head can all occur following a fall, for someone in their 90's, clearly with some mobility issues due to walking stick being present, any one of those can be fatal.

Really very sad, and such a tragic end of a life for a great actor. Understand its newsworthy, just feel bad for him, his wife and their family at the circumstances and the coverage.

hope the remaining 2 doggos are rehomed together

moo

Ebm, spelling

 

[BrianJohnson]

I wish he had died in his sleep or from a sudden heart attack, sadly in decades to come people will be remembering/talking about his demise way more than his glittering career, one of my fave actors ever

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Crimson Tide featured Hackman as the trigger happy captain of the U.S.S. Alabama, a nuclear submarine. The actor’s character even had a Jack Russell Terrier named Bear.

Fans of University of Alabama sports may remember Oscar winner Gene Hackman for one movie

The world continues mourning the loss of two time Oscar winner Gene Hackman. Rolling Stone magazine is out with its list of his twenty most memorable films. Along with the French Connection and Superman, fans of University of Alabama sports may see one movie with a familiar name.

www.apr.org

 

[Moonsie]

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.

 

[ClearAhead]

They probably were adults themselves when Gene and Betsy married. Likely the same age or younger than Betsy. Gene was only four months younger than my dad. I'm 68 and Betsy is 63. 35 years ago, I was raising kids myself.

Yes the girls were born in 1962 and 1966, Betsy was born in 1959 so far too close in age for there to have been a traditional stepmother/daughter relationship.

Gene Hackman Family Guide: Meet the Late Actor’s Kids and Wives

Gene Hackman welcomed three children with ex-wife Faye Maltese before he moved on with late wife Betsy Arakawa

www.usmagazine.com

 

[Lalalacasbah]

Sorry if already mentioned, catching up.

Could they have been poisoned or food poisoning? Maybe the one dog ingested it as well? Reminds me of that couple on vacation who drank a bad bottle of wine IIRC, they were found in separate rooms and both ill before dying.

Maybe the pills in this case were pain relief if both Gene and his wife were feeling ill but collapsed before seeking medical help.

 

[MassGuy]

Deputy Thomas advised he observed a black in color space heater near the female’s head. He advised he suspected the heater could have fallen in the event the female abruptly fell to the ground. He advised he also observed an orange prescription bottle on the counter-top near the deceased female. The prescription bottle appeared opened with pills scattered on the counter-top.

I think it's plausible that she was overcome by CO, and collapsed, knocking over the space heater and perhaps that pill bottle.

Deputy Thomas and Barron then proceeded to clear the other portions of the residence. In doing so, they observed a pair of feet and legs on the ground near the kitchen area. Deputy Thomas identified a male (to be deceased) in an area of the home he believed to be a mud-room. The deceased male who was found wearing gray sweat pants, a blue in color long-sleeve t-shirt, brown slippers, and walking-cane.

Deputy Thomas indicated he observed a pair of sunglasses located near the decedent’s left of his body. Based on Deputy Thomas’ training and experience he suspected the male individual has suddenly fallen. Deputy Thomas advised the male decedent also showed obvious signs of death, similar and consistent with the female decedent.

The same sort of situation seemed to happen with Hackman. He's likely walking in the kitchen with use of his cane, has his glasses on his head, and collapses.

We don't know where the leak came from, but I'm convinced there is something there that suddenly poisoned them. Before we had this warrant, pretty much anything was possible based on the brief descriptions we had from the media. This seems to paint a picture of a tragic accident.

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

 

[IslandGirlOBX]

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.

 

[SMK777]

Sorry if already mentioned, catching up.

Could they have been poisoned or food poisoning? Maybe the one dog ingested it as well? Reminds me of that couple on vacation who drank a bad bottle of wine IIRC, they were found in separate rooms and both ill before dying.

Maybe the pills in this case were pain relief if both Gene and his wife were feeling ill but collapsed before seeking medical help.

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

 

[Lyanna]

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.

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

 

[imstilla.grandma]

 

[ClearAhead]

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 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…..”

 

[Fabled Automatic]

I wish he had died in his sleep or from a sudden heart attack, sadly in decades to come people will be remembering/talking about his demise way more than his glittering career, one of my fave actors ever

It may not be as nefarious as we think. Also, Gene's legacy was solidified well before his death, so I wouldn't worry too much about that.

I'm a big fan of music and know lots of musicians. Every single one of them talks about how amazing and talented Jimi Hendrix was. I can count on one hand how many times over the last 20 plus years that I've heard someone lament his cause of death.

 

[Friday Fan]

It may not be as nefarious as we think. Also, Gene's legacy was solidified well before his death, so I wouldn't worry too much about that.

I'm a big fan of music and know lots of musicians. Every single one of them talks about how amazing and talented Jimi Hendrix was. I can count on one hand how many times over the last 20 plus years that I've heard someone lament his cause of death.

Oh I've done a deep dive (rabbit hole) into Jimi's death! It's very interesting.

However, I don't think this will be the case here. Gene will be remembered for his talent. The cause here will come to light. He was 95 with no evidence of trauma, so obviously natural causes. In the end, there will be little or no controversy about his death.