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

[IceIce9]

This. It's amazing that at least two weeks went by before anyone thought to check up on them. That no family members, albeit estranged ones, friends, acquaintances, or even door-to-door solicitors or even a random perfect stranger would not, at some point, either call, e-mail or come by the residence in what must have been nearly a month, based on the level of decomposition noted on both people.

It's really sad that anyone would die, and then for their bodies to deteriorate significantly before they were found.

You would think mail would have piled up, or packages that had been delivered.

Very sad that no family members seemed to be in regular contact.

 

[NuttMegg]

Here in Canada we have both. Many radiators are now portable. They're electric and filled with oil and they're on wheels. A space heater is a different design.

I have a couple, but they don't heat up rapidly.

 

[Dotta]

Why do people keep saying the wife’s body was more advanced stage of decomp?

It was reported.
Also,
decomposition was due to higher level of moisture in the bathroom than in mud room IMO.

JMO

 

[NuttMegg]

You would think mail would have piled up, or packages that had been delivered.

Very sad that no family members seemed to be in regular contact.

I don't see anything odd about it. His wife BA was in their age group and it's described how well she took care of him. Maybe he didn't carry around a smart phone.
Now I wish I would have called my Dad more often, but it just wasn't like that. Love doesn't have to be continually, verbally reinforced.

Also, in the 911 call the maintenance guy keeps saying to meet him at the gatehouse. As they won't be able to get in. I imagine mail was delivered there. And probably in a way that mailmen couldn't see a buildup.

 

[K9Enzo]

But where is the source of this data....?
I may have missed a linked article upthread...
Hopefully someone can post again, if that is the case....

It's my opinion that she passed away before him based on her state of decomp - her hands and feet and bloating in the face are noted. To me that matters, imo only.

Gene was discovered fully clothed in a wet room off the kitchen with his cane laid out next to him, according to the warrant. Did Gene suffer sudden collapse? Cops point to key clues by body amid mystery

The body “showed obvious signs of death, body decomposition, bloating in her face and mumification (sic) in both hands and feet,” the affidavit said. https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/28/us/what-we-know-gene-hackman-betsy-arakawa-hnk/index.html

 

[Bahshudc]

I'm sure the children and family members are blaming themselves enough already, as well as grieving 2 parents. Not sure how productive it is to speculate on why they didn't visit or check in -- they're at an age where you're naturally more distanced from your parents than when you were a child. We do not know the exact nature of his relationship with his children / how independent they were from family. They were reclusive as a couple and I don't think it's anyone's inherent responsibility to be consistently checking in on family IF that's not the nature of their relationship. IMO

 

[fsngruv]

IMO neither of them fell.
They have completed autopsies & still are unsure of cause and manner of death.
If they had fell, the coroner/ pathologist would have been able to tell.

I'm going off what was stated in the affidavit...
"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."
It goes on to say
"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."

These statements are based on deputy Thomas' experience and suspicion.

 

[friendlysleuther]

But it says, in the report Knox linked to:
Deputy Thomas advised the male decedent also showed obvious signs of death, similar and consistent with the female decedent.

Similar and consistent with. Which implies that they're at a similar level of decay.

Minor differences could be down to things like body fat level (he would have had absolutely minimal amounts, based on the photo from a year ago) and the immediate environment around the body (air flow, heat level, moisture level, exposure to sunlight (through windows or doors), etc.

MOO

(who is Knox?)

Anyways, please take a moment to read the actual search warrant affidavit if you haven’t yet. The media will twist and turn things, so, hear it from the source

SEARCH WARRANT AFFIDAVIT

 

[friendlysleuther]

I'm going off what was stated in the affidavit...
"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."
It goes on to say
"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."

These statements are based on deputy Thomas' experience and suspicion.

Yeah, that’s what they were led to believe — initially. Until the autopsy came back & they still don’t know cause + manner of death

 

[fsngruv]

Yeah, that’s what they were led to believe — initially. Until the autopsy came back & they still don’t know cause + manner of death

Right on. The autopsy's are still in the preliminary stages, correct?

 

[iamshadow21]

(who is Knox?)

Anyways, please take a moment to read the actual search warrant affidavit if you haven’t yet. The media will twist and turn things, so, hear it from the source

SEARCH WARRANT AFFIDAVIT

Knox is a forum member. They posted the relevant document here. Gene Hackman dead at 95: Iconic actor and wife, 63, are found dead with their dog at Santa Fe home.

The quote I posted I took directly from it. It's the same document, the search warrant affidavit. If you read thoroughly, you can see it for yourself. Page three (numbered four) if you prefer to read your own link.

 

[IceIce9]

I don't see anything odd about it. His wife BA was in their age group and it's described how well she took care of him. Maybe he didn't carry around a smart phone.
Now I wish I would have called my Dad more often, but it just wasn't like that. Love doesn't havr to be continually, verbally reinforced.

It just seemed odd to me. Most of my friends have aging parents, although not into their 90s, and they keep in close contact, visiting daily if they live nearby, or phoning daily or several times a week if they live out of state.

As I mentioned upthread my dad and I spoke on the phone every day from the time he was 65. He lived in a different state and I visited in person at least a couple times every month.

Maybe my circle of friends and I are the exceptions but we keep or kept in close contact with our parents.

 

[friendlysleuther]

I'm going off what was stated in the affidavit...
"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."
It goes on to say
"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."

These statements are based on deputy Thomas' experience and suspicion.

The search for and collection of items listed above to included biological material, trace evidence, or latent fingerprints at the residence can assist with the determination and cause of death.

At this time; the manner and cause of death pertaining to Eugene “Gene” Allen Hackman and Betsy Arakawa passing is unknown.

(Affidavit)

 

[BrianJohnson]

What i cant fathom is how 2 dogs survived yet both Gene's body and his wife's were found in a state of decomposition with mummified hands and feet. That points to death quite dome time ago? Such a sad case for all including the dogs

It is not beyond the realms of possibility that the dogs were eating Gene and his wife to survive, sickening thought but when starving people/animals do whatever it takes, like those survivors of a plane crash that ate the deceased to survive

 

[fsngruv]

The search for and collection of items listed above to included biological material, trace evidence, or latent fingerprints at the residence can assist with the determination and cause of death.

At this time; the manner and cause of death pertaining to Eugene “Gene” Allen Hackman and Betsy Arakawa passing is unknown.

(Affidavit)

Right. They were preliminary findings

 

[IceIce9]

I don't see anything odd about it. His wife BA was in their age group and it's described how well she took care of him. Maybe he didn't carry around a smart phone.
Now I wish I would have called my Dad more often, but it just wasn't like that. Love doesn't have to be continually, verbally reinforced.

Also, in the 911 call the maintenance guy keeps saying to meet him at the gatehouse. As they won't be able to get in. I imagine mail was delivered there. And probably in a way that mailmen couldn't see a buildup.

Even though he had a much younger wife who could take care of him you would think his children would want to converse with their father regularly. {shrug}

JMO

 

[IceIce9]

Right on. The autopsy's are still in the preliminary stages, correct?

Yes. And tox reports can take weeks for results.

 

[FromGermany1]

What we know about Gene Hackman and wife’s ‘suspicious’ deaths

Hollywood star died at the same time as wife of 34 years and one of their pet dogs

www.independent.co.uk

 

[ClearAhead]

Yeah, that’s what they were led to believe — initially. Until the autopsy came back & they still don’t know cause + manner of death

The results of the autopsy is still pending. For exemple toxicology results often take weeks.

Gene Hackman and Wife Betsy Arakawa’s Initial Autopsy Reports Show No Signs of External Trauma

The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office initially indicated "foul play was not a factor," but investigators quickly reversed that statement, calling the deaths "suspicious" amid an ongoing investigation.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

“The manner and cause of their deaths have not been determined, and any official results of the autopsy and toxicology reports are still pending, according to a Thursday afternoon press release from the Sante Fe County Sheriff’s Office, which noted again that the investigation is still open.”

 

[friendlysleuther]

Right on. The autopsy's are still in the preliminary stages, correct?

Just waiting on toxicology & carbon monoxide testing

“In the early hours of Thursday, February 27, 2025, Hackman and Arakawa were transported to the Office of the Medical Investigator. An autopsy was performed.

Initial findings noted no external trauma to either individual. Carbon monoxide and toxicology tests were requested for both individuals. The manner and cause of death has not been determined. The official results of the autopsy and toxicology reports are pending. This remains an open investigation.”

—- If they died from a fall, stroke, etc —> autopsy would have been able to conclude this (already).