A pathologist has spoken out about Gene Hackman’s cause of death and delivered a bombshell over the theory of “companion suicide”.
Betsy and Gene were found dead in their Santa Fe home last week – but their bodies are presumed to have been there for at least 10 days before they were discovered, with “mummification” and decay setting in. Now James Gill, Connecticut’s Chief Medical Examiner, has spoken out.
Speaking to People, he said it is “not likely” the pair took their own lives together, revealing: “I’ve seen cases like that – usually they’re together in bed. The fact that they’re in two separate locations tells me that I think that’s less likely.”
He added: "From the initial kind of circumstances, it seems like he may have collapsed — he's got a history of heart disease. He's got a pacemaker. So that would not be unusual.” He also dismissed the theory that Gene may have died from dehydration if Betsy passed away before him, as the star was not bedridden and could still move around on his own.
Gill went on to ask one of the most important questions of the investigation, wondering: “What’s the time [of Gene’s death] related to his wife? When did she die? That’s a little bit more of a grey area, I think.”
As for their pet dog, who was also found dead, he surmised that there simply wasn’t enough food or water available in its location. The couple’s two surviving dogs are being taken care of by a family friend.
It comes after cops admitted to an error in their investigation – misidentifying the dog who was found dead at the scene. It was initially thought that Bear, a German Shepherd, had died, but Bear was alive with their other dog Nikita, an Akita-shepherd mix.
Instead, 12-year-old Australian Kelpie mix Zinna was found dead at the scene. The reason for the mix-up in the police report regarding the identity of the dog remains unclear.
