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

[Kudzuu]

People who care for those with needs not requiring a certified medical care usually called caregivers.

People who take care of properties, cemeteries etc are usually referred to as caregivers.
MOO

 

[tlcya]

The thing I don't get - at all - is the "dog in the closet."

Maybe that description is simplified, but if this was a murder-suicide... or a natural death, then suicide... why would a dog be put in the closet to suffer a horrible death?

I suspect if a dog was in a closet it accidently shut itself in there. We have a very small bathroom on our first floor. there is barely room to turn around in it. If we leave that door open our dogs go into the bathroom struggle to turn round and in the process, close the dang door, effectively locking themselves in. It happens several times a week.

Depending on if the door opens in or out the dog could have accidently shut the door itself or another of the dogs could have accidently closed it while passing by it.

 

[branmuffin]

The low temperature was 15 degrees on February 13, not -3 and the high was 48 degrees.

Santa Fe, NM Weather History | Weather Underground

My apologies. It appears I typed in 2024 instead of 2025.

 

[Sunshynn]

The thing I don't get - at all - is the "dog in the closet."

It was in a kennel in the closet.
It hasn't been said whether the dog was in an open kennel or a closed.
Could have felt 'sick' and retreated to its kennel. Or been put in there.

 

[Cedars]

I am not sure how accurate this is but FWIW:

I think that's generated from an old Architectual Digest article.

 

[ClearAhead]

People who care for those with needs not requiring a certified medical care usually called caregivers.

People who take care of properties, cemeteries etc are usually referred to as caregivers.
MOO

‘People who take care of properties, cemeteries etc are usually referred to as caregivers.”

You might’ve meant to write Caretakers?

Caregivers generally refer to a support workers who anssist others with general health care. Caretakers usually tend to property (ie maintenance, etc).

JMO

 

[CityKid]

The press conference will be held at 5pm EST so people can do the math for their time zones. Also, it'll be on LE's FB page, but not everyone may be able to access if not on FB. In the event that's you, WFAA will also be streaming it live.

Officials provide update on Gene Hackman death investigation | How to watch on WFAA+

Here is an excellent tool to help folks figure out for their time zone:

Dateful Time Zone Converter

Dateful Time Zone Converter converts times instantly as you type. Convert between major world cities, countries and timezones in both directions.

dateful.com

Looks like the page that will stream it on FB is Santa Fe County Sheriff

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[IceIce9]

People who care for those with needs not requiring a certified medical care usually called caregivers.

People who take care of properties, cemeteries etc are usually referred to as caregivers.
MOO

In the area where I live people who take care of properties are called caretakers.

 

[thebedbug]

I suspect if a dog was in a closet it accidently shut itself in there. We have a very small bathroom on our first floor. there is barely room to turn around in it. If we leave that door open our dogs go into the bathroom struggle to turn round and in the process, close the dang door, effectively locking themselves in. It happens several times a week.

Depending on if the door opens in or out the dog could have accidently shut the door itself or another of the dogs could have accidently closed it while passing by it.

Good point.

We had a cat that loved to go into the bathroom and close the door so he couldn't get out. Believe it or not, he'd sometimes do the same with the fridge. You'd open it up and if you weren't keeping a close eye, he'd quickly sneak on to the bottom shelf and hide himself in the back and you'd never even know. One time, he actually spent about 10 mins or so locked in, even though it was our habit to check/watch. Dude was lucky one of us went back for a drink or he would've been one cold cat.

Despite his best efforts, he eventually passed from natural causes.

 

[Kudzuu]

‘People who take care of properties, cemeteries etc are usually referred to as caregivers.”

You might’ve meant to write Caretakers?

Caregivers generally refer to a support workers who anssist others with general health care. Caretakers usually tend to property (ie maintenance, etc).

JMO

Leave it to me to cause more confusion. Thank you for the correction.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

Poisoning is my final answer, best guess— Guess we can revisit this when more info comes out

I am thinking poisoning or ingested contaminated food or drink possibly somewhere and the dog ingested it as well.

Still reminds me of the couple in Vietnam... both gravely ill, both went to lie down thinking they'll sleep it off but with Gene and his wife sounds like possibly the wife might have tried to medicate herself from illness with pills.

Either that or she died suddenly from a heart condition and poor Gene fell or was vulnerable and succumbed having no caregiver. Sad all around JOO MOO

 

[ttjo]

I am thinking poisoning or ingested contaminated food or drink possibly somewhere and the dog ingested it as well.

Still reminds me of the couple in Vietnam... both gravely ill, both went to lie down thinking they'll sleep it off but with Gene and his wife sounds like possibly the wife might have tried to medicate herself from illness with pills.

Either that or she died suddenly from a heart condition and poor Gene fell or was vulnerable and succumbed having no caregiver. Sad all around JOO MOO

Maybe the dog was put in the kennel b/c he was sick and they didnt want him to have accidents all over the house? Seems like they both loved dogs so Im going to guess whatever reason that dog was in a kennel was loving.
So hard to know what happened with all the circumstances.

 

[HarmonyE.]

About 20 years ago I recall that Weird Al Yankovic's elderly parents both died from CO poisoning when they lit a fire in their wood burning fireplace and either didn't open or closed the flue. So gas doesn't have to be involved necessarily.

The weird thing about the Hackman situation is that both appear to have been up and about when they collapsed. I find it hard to believe that a woman in her 60's would have immediately killed herself upon finding her 95 year old husband dead on the floor instead of just calling 911. But Hackman looked very frail in the photos from last year, and as he's been a recluse for years, we really have no idea if he'd suffered from a serious cognitive decline.

I think it's possible she was overcome first whilst maybe looking for something for a headache or nausea in the bathroom and maybe Hackman either couldn't find or remember how to use a phone (happened to a family member of mine with dementia) and was looking to leave the house when he was overcome.

Dog doors could have explained why two of the dogs survived. Maybe they came and went in and out of the house.

 

[Cherwell]

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.

What most surprises me is that they don't seem to have had a cleaner. You would expect someone to come in at least a couple of times a week to clean.

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.

They were on the floor, ergo they fell. There are various common reasons why a person may fall.
Suddenly losing consciousness for whatever reason; fainting.
Suffering a dizzy spell.
Slipping or tripping up on something.
Falling over an obstacle, eg a dog.

Postmortem lividity or hypostasis would probably mask any bruising from a fall. After death, blood ceases to circulate and settles in the lowest parts of the body resulting in discolouration.

 

[al66pine]

Caretaker?

.... After all, he did have a caretaker that was about the same age as they were.

snipped for focus @fsngruv

A caretaker. For Mr. Hackman, or Ms A, or both, or the property?

I'm behind on reading and so far have only seen posts here referring to a "caretaker," not used in affidavit, not in MSM but could have missed it.

Anyone?

 

[jmz]

The caretaker also saw GH. Do you think the mudroom was further to the left?

My sense was that he walked forward towards the kitchen and the mudroom was maybe off the kitchen to the right? and his feet were there? the kitchen looked very big from the photo I saw

 

[Quill]

What most surprises me is that they don't seem to have had a cleaner. You would expect someone to come in at least a couple of times a week to clean.

BBM and SBM
Yes! I've been wondering about this, as well!

 

[minazoe]

there is a test for CO2 poisoning right? does it show up in toxicology? wonder if they were poisoned. weird. mOO

 

[jmz]

I agree, this struck me right away.

Isn't it true that normally the powder room is never used by owners, so it will always be clean for guests? Also, as you say, you don't have a shower or bath, medicine cabinet, towel storage, etc...there's just a toilet and sink with a stack of guest hand towels.

My thought is, it could be near some type of coat closet for guests, which is where the crate might have been.

I also assume that the couple would have spent much of their time in the kitchen/maybe a den/mudroom (for the dogs)/patio--wouldn't there normally be another bathroom there for family use?

I guess, since they were reclusive, they maybe adapted to not expecting guests. And perhaps had downstairs his and her bathrooms...?

That could be, he absolutely designed the house to his tastes.. I saw a photo of the foyer, it is also quite large and full of artsy things. The dog crate in the bathroom still baffles though, most people have them in them in a room off the kitchen, out of the way, like the mud room. They have always been dog lovers so seems like they would have had a place for them outside of a bathroom. Some people have elaborate dog washing stations, but again, probably in a room off of a garage. Baffling!

 

[ttjo]

here is the schematic that @friendlysleuther posted earlier ( saves the trouble of having to go look)
rooms labelled OMP are open masonry porch ( mudroom off of that maybe?) Maybe someone can determine which mud room it was because that is way out of my knowledge base.
Parcel Map Search | Office of the Santa Fe County Assessor