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

[Warwick7]

SFS&BBM

If the concentration of CO or poisonous gas was so high that GH was immediately taken by the poisoning gas upon walking in the door, I think all three of the dogs would have perished at the same time and been found deceased within the house as well.

JMO

I have a feeling he let the dogs outside. He may have spent some time outside as well. Then he came back in. Thus why 2 dogs were out on the property.
M00

 

[Sunshynn]

I have a feeling he let the dogs outside. He may have spent some time outside as well. Then he came back in. Thus why 2 dogs were out on the property.
M00

You and I are 100% on the same theory.
I think this too - hence the sunglasses near his body.

 

[Fabled Automatic]

SFS&BBM

If the concentration of CO or poisonous gas was so high that GH was immediately taken by the poisoning gas upon walking in the door, I think all three of the dogs would have perished at the same time and been found deceased within the house as well.

JMO

I hate to quote myself, but I came across this chart earlier today that demonstrates common toxicity levels of carbon monoxide. As I've said before, I'm no expert, but I'm just not sure that an almost 9000 sq foot house would fill up with enough carbon monoxide to make a person drop dead within a minute or so.

As you can see, high concentrations can kill you in less than 5 minutes, so I suppose it's possible. Just seems less probable.

 

[Gemmie]

same. It's whatever the pharmacy chooses to use. We have some that use clear, I don't think its related to the medication specifically. Most use orange ( like amber) because over time, some meds can degrade if not protected from light,

As a lot of you are stating, an orange bottle doesn't tell us anything. Orange isn't used for certain medicines. An example sitting right in front of me are pets meds. They are BOTH the same exact med prescription. One bottle is empty and holding empty capsules (I use them to put the meds in), and the other bottle is new. One bottle is orange and the other bottle is green. So... color means nothing, IMO. Same script, different colored bottles. JMO

 

[Fabled Automatic]

NYT is reporting Tylenol was recovered from the scene. I can't get past the paywall.

 

[whitelilac]

Some good questions asked here.

Investigators pursue clues in deaths of Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa

Santa Fe authorities have called the deaths “suspicious” as they found no signs of a gas leak, foul play or anything out of place at the sprawling property.

www.nbcnews.com

Also, door ajar was in the back of the home, plus there were several doors to the outside.
He mentions the house is very large, so that points to the scene being in the larger house and not the smaller house...this is the first time I hear that. I had read it was unknown which house on the property it was.

 

[Fabled Automatic]

Iirc he said he saw a man and a woman, so he must have seen more than feet.

Very possible. I imagine he knew the couple, to some degree? I feel like if I arrived at the house of a couple I knew, even in passing, and saw two bodies, I might instinctively refer to them as "he" and "her". But who knows.

edit: I just re-listened to the 911 call and he says, "a female and a male, probably. I don't know sir."

 

[HarmonyE.]

I hate to quote myself, but I came across this chart earlier today that demonstrates common toxicity levels of carbon monoxide. As I've said before, I'm no expert, but I'm just not sure that an almost 9000 sq foot house would fill up with enough carbon monoxide to make a person drop dead within a minute or so.

As you can see, high concentrations can kill you in less than 5 minutes, so I suppose it's possible. Just seems less probable.

It can be a slow poisoning and they may have spent most of their time in a confined portion of the home.

I had CO poisoning once. Gas leak I was completely unaware of. I was asleep in an upstairs bedroom and a neighbor smelled gas and called the police. I woke up to the fire department trying to knock down my front door because I never heard them knocking or ringing the bell. Thanks to the neighbor and a slightly cracked bedroom window I survived, but the headache was other worldly bad.

 

[sds71]

Investigators seized two green cellular devices, thyroid medication, Diltiazem medication, Tylenol, MyQuest records and a 2025 monthly planner, according to the warrant.

Diltiazem appears to be a calcium channel blocker that "works by affecting the movement of calcium into the cells of the heart and blood vessels" and "relaxes the blood vessels, lowers blood pressure, and increases the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart while reducing its workload," according to the Mayo Clinic.

Sheriff: Hackman likely dead at least 9 days; no carbon monoxide found

The sheriff said it is "a very good assumption" Hackman had been dead at least 9 days, noting the "last event" on his pacemaker was on Feb. 17.

www.santafenewmexican.com

 

[Rolypolyoly]

Perhaps she knew he hadn’t just fallen, but that he was gone.
I can only say that there are devoted caretaking spouses that find the prospect of future life without their partner terrifying. If he passed first, we don’t know how long he was gone before she passed. Grief is a powerful emotion.

jmo

I understand your reasoning but surely if that was the case, she would've laid down with him and taken her pills, not left him there on the cold floor and then killed herself away from him? And I honestly don't believe a dog owner would knowingly leave an animal crated to die painfully and alone. JMO

 

[Sunshynn]

And I honestly don't believe a dog owner would knowingly leave an animal crated to die painfully and alone. JMO

And why only one when there were three?

 

[Deleted member 235284]

NYT is reporting Tylenol was recovered from the scene. I can't get past the paywall.

https://archive.is/HdkD3

Link to full article.

 

[bmacmillan1]

Sheriff: Hackman likely dead at least 9 days; no carbon monoxide found

The sheriff said it is "a very good assumption" Hackman had been dead at least 9 days, noting the "last event" on his pacemaker was on Feb. 17.

www.santafenewmexican.com

Medications, cellphones seized from Gene Hackman and wife’s home as investigation into their mysterious deaths continues

Three different kinds of medication, two cellphones and a planner were among the items taken from actor Gene Hackman’s New Mexico home after he, his wife and a dog were found dead…

nypost.com

Cannot see any of these 3 meds mentioned being used if you wanted to commit suicide

 

[Joe Friday]

Now knowing what medications were found and collected from the home, I'm leaning more towards Carbon Monoxide poisoning being the cause of death for both GH and BA.

I think the colder snap of weather a few weeks ago made it necessary to heat the area of the house used by the couple beyond what the space heaters could handle. This may have been done by the use of the gas furnace or fireplaces (Gas or Wood) or possibly gas or fuel burning space heaters which then generated the Carbon Monoxide inside the house.

A gas or fuel burning portable space heater would eventually run out of fuel and no longer produce Carbon Monoxide. Same with a wood burning fireplace.

I think Betsy went to the bathroom to get medicine for a headache, she collapsed while in the bathroom. Gene may have been unaware for some time of her demise. He eventually went looking for her or decided to exit the house after feeling the effects of the Carbon Monoxide falling short of the door and perishing in the mudroom.

JMO

 

[Cedars]

Caretaker?

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?

I think OP was meaning 'caregiver', ie his wife -
[Mod Snip]

 

[ldlager]

I hate to quote myself, but I came across this chart earlier today that demonstrates common toxicity levels of carbon monoxide. As I've said before, I'm no expert, but I'm just not sure that an almost 9000 sq foot house would fill up with enough carbon monoxide to make a person drop dead within a minute or so.

As you can see, high concentrations can kill you in less than 5 minutes, so I suppose it's possible. Just seems less probable.

They were found in their smaller 2100 sq ft house next door

 

[Fabled Automatic]

I was struggling to understand how the 911 caller saw both bodies from a window or two if they, as we now know, weren't near each other.

The caller doesn't seem to actually knowledge that he saw two bodies. Let alone the gender of the body.

Caller: "I think we just found two *very brief pause* - a one deceased person inside the house."

911: "How old is the patient?"

Caller: "I have no idea."

911: "Is the patient a male or a female."

Caller: "A female, and a male, probably. I don't know. I don't know sir."

I'm not sure where the info that he saw both bodies came from, but it doesn't seem accurate given his words in the 911 call.

 

[keek]

Cannot see any of these 3 meds mentioned being used if you wanted to commit suicide

That's a not well thought out theory, swoon and run to the bathroom for 'pills' to end your life right then and there, not call 911 and so on. Not you, but others remarks.

 

[Fabled Automatic]

They were found in their smaller 2100 sq ft house next door

Are we certain? I've read reports that they were in the smaller one, and others that they were in the larger one.

 

[Fabled Automatic]

Now knowing what medications were found and collected from the home, I'm leaning more towards Carbon Monoxide poisoning being the cause of death for both GH and BA.

I think the colder snap of weather a few weeks ago made it necessary to heat the area of the house used by the couple beyond what the space heaters could handle. This may have been done by the use of the gas furnace or fireplaces (Gas or Wood) or possibly gas or fuel burning space heaters which then generated the Carbon Monoxide inside the house.

A gas or fuel burning portable space heater would eventually run out of fuel and no longer produce Carbon Monoxide. Same with a wood burning fireplace.

I think Betsy went to the bathroom to get medicine for a headache, she collapsed while in the bathroom. Gene may have been unaware for some time of her demise. He eventually went looking for her or decided to exit the house after feeling the effects of the Carbon Monoxide falling short of the door and perishing in the mudroom.

JMO

This is the most reasonable assumption. I know LE said they checked the house and didn't find any signs of a leak, but obviously if the autopsies/toxicologies come back positive, they'll have to investigate further.