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

[ttjo]

. I really want to know if his health and mental state were as good as we've been lead to believe.

I remember a dr telling me dementia is more apparant when you remove people from their routine, when they move or if someone leaves that is their staple) but if they stay in their routine you dont notice it as much. how he presented in his home with all his routines and his wife could have masked some of it. ( if he had it )

 

[STAGNUM]

I think a pest control company was mentioned in police report/search warrant, The Search Warrant Affidavit in Gene Hackman Death Inquiry as the pest service used ~ 2 weeks ago. Fumigation is a common treatment. Was this performed or were other treatments performed? Roland Begay was the man who found the bodies. https://www.yelp.com/biz/begays-pest-control-service-gamerco

"Roland Lowe Begay ( /65). Roland advised he works as maintenance work for a company called “Hoam Company.” "

I think this is OCCAMs second razor.

 

[NuttMegg]

The part that's puzzling to me is he was found in the mudroom with his walking cane and sunglasses nearby. That leads me to believe he either just finished a walk outside... or was about to take one. Neither indicating to me that he had been ill (like how some have wondered if they ate poisonous mushrooms). It just seems like everything was normal, until it wasn't.

And the fact his wife was partially mummified she appears to have died about the same time. Their deaths just have to be connected somehow IMO. But how?

Look back at that last pic of him a year ago, his right eye is bloodshot. Half closed. Maybe he wore sunglasses all the time. I'd like to know which direction he was heading in, which way he was found.

 

[Starkville]

Re: Cell phone coverage. If the cell service were unreliable, wouldn’t they have a landline? Most older people resist relying solely on cell phones, anyway. We have a home in an area where coverage can be a bit tricky and still prone to storm damage outages (although it’s getting better because it’s a HCOL area and the rich people demand it), and we aren’t even that old, and we are not in a remote or isolated area, even. It’s just practical.

My point is, I wonder if he would have had to leave the house to make a phone call.

 

[keek]

I think this company was mentioned in police report/search warrant, (as HoamServices LLC SIC) as the pest service used ~ 2 weeks ago. Fumigation is a common treatment. Was this performed or were other treatments performed?

Fumigation - Hume Termite Treatment and Damage Repair in Oceanside, San Diego

humetermite.com

I didn't want to go there. Had the co. already done their spraying around the home or were they there to contact them before starting. Don't know what it involved though.

 

[Andreee]

Gene Hackman died at least 9 days before his, wife’s bodies found mummified at New Mexico home, sheriff says

The last “event” recorded on “The French Connection” star’s pacemaker was Feb. 17, Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza said Friday afternoon.

nypost.com

If Gene Hackman had been wearing sunglasses, as this article seems to suggest, wonder if he was heading in or out of the house at the time he collapsed.

 

[Sunshynn]

If I had to take a wild guess I’d say the senior dog became ill and was put in the crate in the bathroom, where it passed. When BH discovered the dog has died she became very distressed and has a sudden heart attack *. Then GH witnesses the tragic scene and he rushes to go outside to the location with cellphone coverage (higher ground?) to call 911 but in his haste he tripped and fell and was unable to get up

I think this situation makes sense.
MOO.
I would have bet money on the CO poisoning but this is definitely plausible.
I would wager that Betsy went first (perhaps because of the dog) and Gene was trying to summon help, falls while leaving and well, we know the rest.
JMO.

 

[slowpoke]

I remember a dr telling me dementia is more apparant when you remove people from their routine, when they move or if someone leaves that is their staple) but if they stay in their routine you dont notice it as much. how he presented in his home with all his routines and his wife could have masked some of it. ( if he had it )

That is very true regarding dementia. (My father had it. )

We’ve heard nothing (that I am aware of) regarding his cognitive state, but I did see a nephew of his say this:

“Most of his communication to his uncle was through Betsy, who he would talk to 'every once in a while' since Gene was 'at the age where he wasn't really communicative a lot with the family.'”

(LINK)

So, that could be interpreted to mean there was some cognitive issues,— or it could also be he had hearing loss bad enough that made conversations difficult. Not sure what. JMO

 

[Andreee]

Gene Hackman and his wife tested negative for carbon monoxide, sheriff says

Gene Hackman and his wife tested negative for carbon monoxide poisoning.

www.wnem.com

I kind of wondered if carbon monoxide poisoning would necessarily show up in tests, being the couple were deceased for so long. But I guess that isn't even a question, since it has been ruled out completely!

 

[PrairieWind]

Re: Cell phone coverage. If the cell service were unreliable, wouldn’t they have a landline? Most older people resist relying solely on cell phones, anyway. We have a home in an area where coverage can be a bit tricky and still prone to storm damage outages (although it’s getting better because it’s a HCOL area and the rich people demand it), and we aren’t even that old, and we are not in a remote or isolated area, even. It’s just practical.

My point is, I wonder if he would have had to leave the house to make a phone call.

Cell coverage might have been spotty but I bet they still had internet/wifi. Maybe he was confused and didn't know how to use that to call. Who knows. Lots of questions. I am guessing that something happened to wife and Gene was trying to get help and fell. Then Clint Eastwood came in and said......wait maybe I dreamed that last part.

 

[ErinC]

You *can* kill yourself with Tylenol but it's inefficient, messy, and can take days. I am now placed more firmly in the camp of "Betsy has a medical event, falls to the ground, dropping/knocking over the pills in the process. Gene realizes what's happened, tries to go for help, but either has an event himself or is bowled over by the dog. Somewhere during all this, the dog that died finds the pills, eats them, doesn't feel well, crawls into its crate and expires". IMO this is just a sad, tragic, horrible cascade of events.

 

[Cherwell]

Not much has been said in tribute to Betsy from family, friends etc that ive seen.

Yes, we don't know her lifestyle there and I haven't seen any public 'stories' or comments about her either from friends or family.

Leslie told DailyMail.com that Gene and Betsy had 'a wonderful marriage.'
'They had a wonderful marriage. And I give credit to his wife, Betsy, for keeping him alive,' she said.
'[Betsy] took very, very good care of him and was always looking out for his health.
'So I am appreciative to her for that, and I'm very saddened by her passing.'

Gene Hackman's daughter breaks silence on her reclusive famous father

Gene Hackman's daughter Leslie has broken her silence following her father and stepmother's mysterious death in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Skigh]

If I had to take a wild guess I’d say the senior dog became ill and was put in the crate in the bathroom, where it passed. When BH discovered the dog has died she became very distressed and has a sudden heart attack *. Then GH witnesses the tragic scene and he rushes to go outside to the location with cellphone coverage (higher ground?) to call 911 but in his haste he tripped and fell and was unable to get up

ETA * or stroke

My speculation only.

I do like the thought that the dog died first and therefore did not die a long slow death. That would also be a good explanation of why it was in a crate in the bathroom and the other dogs running free.

 

[STAGNUM]

I didn't want to go there. Had the co. already done their spraying around the home or were they there to contact them before starting. Don't know what it involved though.

It is a huge home and if they pest control had intended for them to leave the house before the treatment, lets say on the 17th, and knocked and got no response they might have assumed they had gone elsewhere like the guest house. When you are retired it is easy to forget what day it is or be preoccupied by medical issues. The caller on 911 said damn, damn, a few times which might indicate he had discovered a mistake on his part. Just saying....

 

[ttjo]

That is very true regarding dementia. (My father had it. )

We’ve heard nothing (that I am aware of) regarding his cognitive state, but I did see a nephew of his say this:

“Most of his communication to his uncle was through Betsy, who he would talk to 'every once in a while' since Gene was 'at the age where he wasn't really communicative a lot with the family.'”

(LINK)

So, that could be interpreted to mean there was some cognitive issues,— or it could also be he had hearing loss bad enough that made conversations difficult. Not sure what. JMO

thats right, I have never heard anything about his mental state either, he may have been perfectly fine, or his health could be very private. just thinking about how people can respond when their partner/routine is not there. This is a bit presumptuous anyway., given that we dont even know what happened or who died first.

 

[Cedars]

So, that could be interpreted to mean there was some cognitive issues,— or it could also be he had hearing loss bad enough that made conversations difficult. Not sure what. JMO

Or that he'd become a gom: grumpy old man. Not unknown in the elderly - being real old sucks

 

[ttjo]

Oh I hear ya, I have one of those too but she is a GOW, lol.
I did hear he was very blunt or gruff cant remember the exact wording they used; I think sometimes people lose patience as they age. Cant blame them when they cant do the things they used to be able to do. . GH, once being very successful 5 time oscar nominee and 2-time winner. Plus 2 golden globes and the Cecille B. DeNille award. Bet it would be tough to let that go. he said all he ever wanted in life was to be an actor, and he sure accomplished that.

 

[borndem]

Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa found dead in their home

The Oscar winner was 95 years old and had starred in numerous classic movies, including ‘The French Connection’ and ‘Unforgiven’

www.independent.co.uk

I'm wondering if it was carbon monoxide poisoning or similar. JMO and speculation. He was an amazing actor.

That was my thought -- that something in the cooling/heating system went wrong...

And yes, Bounceycat, he was a very fine actor. Just so sad for both of them and for those close to them, and a big loss to those of us who enjoyed and liked his acting.

 

[Diddian]

Not asking for a link. But where did we learn they struggled with cell phone coverage? Anyone that rich would have a satellite phone, imo. Yes I saw 2 phones collected.

If cellphone signals are not strong but there is internet in the home, then a person can use WiFi calling instead. Requires that their phone be connected to the internet and that they select "WiFi Calling" in their cellphone settings. My iPhone also requires that I enter an emergency address to use WiFi calling (presumably in case a 911 call is made from the phone).

 

[Molly's Mom]

I think Betsy had a medical event which caused her death, Mr Hackman hears something, looks for her, finds her in bathroom with dog, put the dog in the closet/crate as it could have been trying to help wake her but was possibly in the way, he then went for help and either had a fall or he himself had a medical event due to the stress.

Moo

Ebm

That's what I think, especially with the lack of CO in their systems.
This is a real stumper.