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

[Moonsie]

Another possibility is if they have a car parked in a garage that has remote start. Some vehicles were recalled because of this "feature" activating in the garage. A woman died in Naples Florida because her car started up in the garage.

Assuming they were in the “main” house, the garages appear to be detached structures.

Source: SFC Assessor: Property Assessment & Tax Information

eta: moo.

 

[LaborDayRN]

They may have chosen to use their smaller home sometimes, but they also had a $4 million dollar home next door.

My point is, why would they stint on heat and have to use a dangerous portable heater?

"Their Southwestern-style ranch on Old Sunset Trail sits on a hill in a gated community with views of the Rocky Mountains. The 8,700 square-foot (808 square-meter), four-bedroom home on six acres was built in 1997 and had an estimated market value of a little over $4 million, according to Santa Fe County property tax records.

Hackman and his wife also owned a more modest 2,000 square-foot (186 square-meter) home next door that was built in 2000."

Actor Gene Hackman, 95, his wife, 63, were dead for some time before they were discovered

Foul play was not suspected, but authorities did not release circumstances of their deaths and said an investigation was ongoing

nationalpost.com

Do we know which home they were found in? It's my understanding that they were no longer living in the 8,700 sf home. It was my impression that they were living in the 2,000 sf home. Can anyone confirm that?

 

[Dotta]

I'm surprised the couple didn't employ live-in trusted staff, like a maid/cleaner, cook, gardener, etc.
This mansion is huge!
Who took care of it?

 

[Molly's Mom]

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

See, I just think she was trying to get to the pills and collapsed before taking them. I suppose they could be heart pills but there hasn't been any mention of her having any health problems. It's sad we haven't heard from her family.

 

[Cedars]

Trying again. I've gifted an article from the NYT. It contains a link to the downloadable PDF of the Affidavit for Search Warrant in this sad turn of events. I will never, ever forget Gene Hackman in The Conversation.

New York Times - Inquiry Continues

Thank you!

My first observation from the search warrant is the deputy describes entering the grand front entrance and the bathroom was 'to the left of the front door' in the entryway. More of a 'parlour room' I think it would be called.

 

[Boxer]

I was thinking self harvested mushrooms. Because accidental poisoning would account for no foul play, yet they all die including the dog.

 

[ilovewings]

See, I just think she was trying to get to the pills and collapsed before taking them. I suppose they could be heart pills but there hasn't been any mention of her having any health problems. It's sad we haven't heard from her family.

What makes me feel sad is they laid there a long time without being discovered
I mean no family members or neighbors came around to their homes ------it is just so sad

 

[JennieM]

Death of Hackman and wife 'suspicious enough' for investigation, police say​

Gene Hackman: Death of actor and wife 'suspicious enough' for investigation, police say

Authorities say there was no sign the couple had sustained any injuries, but no cause of death has been given.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Ghostwheel]

I notice that sometimes when people read "dog in a crate" or "dog in a kennel" they automatically assume closed or locked in a kennel or crate. Many dogs go to their crate for a safe space or to sleep if they were crate trained. No closing or locking in. So if the dog ingested some of the pills and those could kill a dog, then the likely scenario here is that the dog went to the crate because they were feeling poorly and died. This would account for one deceased and two others not if the others didn't eat everything in sight.

Definitely an autopsy case. Need to know who died of what.

 

[armchairagatha]

She was 64. Old enough for sudden death due to heart attack which is what I think unfortunately happened here, leading to the death of Gene and the dog (that seemed to have been locked in a crate) under her care. A 95 year old is like a baby in that they need care and without a caretaker or an emergency alerting service, are unlikely to survive for too long on their own. A fall (which is what seems to have happened to Gene) is enough to incapacitate and eventually kill them if help doesn't arrive in time. JMO.

Clint Eastwood’s much younger gf passed away last year from a heart attack at 61. Who Was Clint Eastwood's Girlfriend? All About Christina Sandera
Not a stretch to think something similar happened to Betsy. He looked frail and she looked healthy, but looks can be deceiving. An autopsy will clear this up. The prescription pills found near her can also provide a clue. Were they heart medication?

 

[Cardgame]

I am really hoping the investigation can rule out the possibility that other people were in the house in the weeks previous, before the bodies were discovered. Hopefully cameras etc and phone analysis.

The moved heater could be an indication that a third party wanted to speed up decomposition.

They sound from some reports to have been a little isolated, words like "reclusive" and not being in touch with family.

Isolation can make people vulnerable to predators, especially wealthy and elderly people.

Betty wasn't elderly by any means. But if she was the beneficiary of genes will, then she could have been vulnerable.

Eg to cuckoos.

It sounds outlandish, and of course we hope it's not the case. But I am relieved investigators will be looking into this thoroughly to rule out sinister scenarios.

 

[steeltowngirl]

To be fair , when they said no signs of gas , they did say no OBVIOUS signs of gas, so CM cant be ruled out completely.
Just wondering , I read a door was open,? don't know if that is true, but would that be a way for the CM to air out a little?

Betsy may have went into the bathroom with a CO headache and looking for pills to relieve. She may have moved closer to the source and then succumbed. Gene may have realized what was happening and began opening doors, even attempted to exit, but succumbed, or simply fell.

I am suspicious of that space heater. Do we know if it was gas or electric?

 

[snowleopard]

I was thinking self harvested mushrooms. Because accidental poisoning would account for no foul play, yet they all die including the dog.

Good thought, although I believe mushrooms usually cause a good bit of vomiting before death.....

 

[al66pine]

WHO entered home?

but the frony door was ajar, enough that the workers were able to open and go in...

@ekc

Affidavit* does not say "workers" entered home (unless I missed it).

Quote from sheriff** says that one of them, the "security officer," discovered individuals in home. Maybe he meant by looking thru windows, not by entering home.

Net result = IDK if either HOAMCO employee entered home, a bit confusing. May or may not be critical.

Regardless, the SF Co. Deputies went to front door, found it ajar, and entered home.
______________________________________
The quotes from LE:
Affdavit, for searching home, page 3:
"Santa Fe County patrol deputies Javier Barron and Joshua Thomas were then dispatch to location to conduct a death investigation. When Deputy Thomas and Barron arrived, 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 identified the reporting party (RP) to be a male named Roland Lowe Begay ( /65). Roland advised he works as maintenance work for a company called “Hoam Company.” The other maintenance worker was identified as Jesse Kesler ( /72.)" BBM

Affidavit, page 4:
"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)"

From local news, interview w Santa Fe County Sheriff:**
“From what I understand, there was a gentleman that was doing some pest control work that had gone to the Hackman residence, and he noticed that they weren’t home which was odd, I guess in as far he was concerned. He made contact with the security officer that was there, either patrolling or in the subdivision, and then it was the security officer that went to the house and had discovered the individuals in the home,” Mendoza said." BBM
_______________________________
*https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.tow...-11ef-a999-7baaa12b3817/67c0957ef0a13.pdf.pdf
** https://www.krqe.com/news/new-mexic...of-gene-hackman-his-wife-and-dog-in-santa-fe/

*** Home - Hoamco I'm familiar w HOAMCO as it provides management services for our HOA.

 

[Moonsie]

I am suspicious of that space heater. Do we know if it was gas or electric?

I wondered about this as well. Not so much that it may have been the source of any carbon monoxide (although anything is possible) - more for the possibility that if they suspected an issue with carbon monoxide (or if a detector had gone off), that they had turned off the main source of heat in the house and were using other heat sources as result, but still died from carbon monoxide poisoning because it was too late.

This whole thing is just tragic.

moo.

 

[K9Enzo]

IMO, I don’t believe this will be CO poisoning. Where the bodies were located don’t point to that. I also think LE could rule that out by any malfunctioning sources in the home.

This is super sad and I think it will become even more heartbreaking once LE piece this together. imo

 

[airportwoman]

Good thought, although I believe mushrooms usually cause a good bit of vomiting before death.....

Not always, and THOSE are the ones you really need to worry about!

 

[Gemmie]

Death of Hackman and wife 'suspicious enough' for investigation, police say​

Gene Hackman: Death of actor and wife 'suspicious enough' for investigation, police say

Authorities say there was no sign the couple had sustained any injuries, but no cause of death has been given.

www.bbc.co.uk

I'm trying to make sense out of their deaths being suspicious enough for an investigation, yet no foul play was suspected? Can someone help me make sense out of that because I can't.

 

[Molly's Mom]

I know we just don't know but the door locked/door closed confuses me. I wonder if the 911 caller is not the same as the 2 men who are identified in the warrant as caretakers? At least, I think that's who they are. Maybe the 911 caller went to a side door and found that locked but panicked when he saw Betsy on the floor? Or, he thought he checked the door but misremembered due to the trauma of finding her.

 

[Molly's Mom]

I'm trying to make sense out of their deaths being suspicious enough for an investigation, yet no foul play was suspected? Can someone help me make sense out of that because I can't.

I know that some districts require investigations for unattended deaths.