An update has been provided by the police following the tragic deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa.
The esteemed Hollywood actor and his cherished wife were tragically discovered deceased at their residence in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Their deaths remain shrouded in mystery as police continue to investigate after a maintenance worker spotted one of the bodies through a window while performing routine upkeep on the property.
In a press conference today, Sheriff Adan Mendoza discussed the incident. Both Gene and his wife tested negative for carbon monoxide. Mendoza further stated: "An initial interrogation was conducted of Mr. Hackman's pacemaker. This revealed that his last event was recorded on February 17, 2025, I was advised that a more thorough investigation will be completed that'll conclude my statement."
At present, it is unclear who passed away first. There is also no CCTV footage to aid their investigation, reports the Mirror.
"There is no surveillance as we know it right now, in the interior or exterior of the residence," added Mendoza. The police will also refrain from disclosing the names of the pills found with Betsy.
He remarked: "We're going to go through the planner. We're contacting workers, maintenance workers, family members, security. We're going to be talking to security. There's in and out that's, I believe, is documented. So we're working with them to try to determine, you know, when the last contact was, and that'll help us put together that timeline."
The Sheriff went on to say: "An autopsy was performed. Initial findings noted no external trauma to either individual. The manner and cause of death has not been determined. The official results of the autopsy and toxicology reports are pending."
Stay updated on the tragic passing of Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa in the Mirror's live blog HERE.
A 911 call was placed and police promptly arrived at the property. In a recent update, police confirmed early on Friday that they will conduct a press conference at 3pm local time (10pm UK time).
Earlier this week, at the shared property of Gene and Betsy, police discovered two 'mummified' bodies along with a deceased dog. Two surviving dogs were found - one inside the house and another in the garden.
The police have now launched an investigation due to several perplexing observations at the residence.
Among these were an "unsecured and opened door, (how) deputies observed a healthy dog running loose on the property, another healthy dog near the deceased female, a deceased dog laying 10-15 feet from the deceased female in a closet of the bathroom, the heater being moved, the pill bottle being opened and pills scattered next to the female, the male decedent being located in a separate room of the residence, and no obvious signs of a gas leak."
An initial autopsy revealed no signs of "external trauma" and further tests for carbon monoxide and toxicology are underway. The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office disclosed: "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."
