Police probing 'suspicious' deaths of Hollywood giants
Published: 05:02 PM,Feb 28,2025 | EDITED : 09:02 PM,Feb 28,2025
Reporters gather outside the entrance to the gated community where actor Gene Hackman was found dead on Wednesday with his wife and dog, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S., February 27, 2025. REUTERS/Andrew Hay
LOS ANGELES: Authorities will provide an update about their investigation into the deaths of Oscar-winning cinema giant Gene Hackman and his wife, who were found dead in their home in circumstances police are calling 'suspicious.'
The bodies of Hackman, 95, and his classical pianist wife Betsy Arakawa, 63, along with that of a pet dog, were discovered at their property in New Mexico on Wednesday. Authorities initially reported there were no signs of foul play, but a search warrant said a detective believed the deaths were 'suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.'
The Santa Fe County Sheriff's office said on Facebook it would hold a press conference with the fire department at 3 pm local time on Friday.
Police officers called to the home by maintenance workers found the door unlocked and open, and pills scattered next to Arakawa's body, which was in the bathroom.
It appeared Arakawa had been dead 'for some time,' with the body in a state of decomposition, the warrant noted.
Hackman's body was found in another room, fully clothed, with sunglasses next to his body, apparently having fallen suddenly.
A German Shepherd was found dead in the bathroom, and two other healthy dogs were at the house.
Hackman's daughter Elizabeth Jean said to entertainment outlet TMZ that carbon monoxide poisoning may be to blame for the deaths of the couple, who married in 1991.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said in a previous press conference that an initial inspection by the local fire department had not found high levels of the gas, but no conclusions had been drawn yet.
'This is an investigation, so we're keeping everything on the table,' he said, adding that there was no sign of a struggle.
Initial autopsy findings showed 'no external trauma to either individual,' the sheriff's office said in a written update.
Carbon monoxide and toxicology tests have been requested but results are still pending and no cause of death has been determined, it said.
Hackman's family was 'devasted by the loss', according to a media statement issued by his daughters and a granddaughter.
'He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa,' daughters Elizabeth and Leslie Hackman and granddaughter Annie Hackman said. — AFP
The bodies of Hackman, 95, and his classical pianist wife Betsy Arakawa, 63, along with that of a pet dog, were discovered at their property in New Mexico on Wednesday. Authorities initially reported there were no signs of foul play, but a search warrant said a detective believed the deaths were 'suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.'
The Santa Fe County Sheriff's office said on Facebook it would hold a press conference with the fire department at 3 pm local time on Friday.
Police officers called to the home by maintenance workers found the door unlocked and open, and pills scattered next to Arakawa's body, which was in the bathroom.
It appeared Arakawa had been dead 'for some time,' with the body in a state of decomposition, the warrant noted.
Hackman's body was found in another room, fully clothed, with sunglasses next to his body, apparently having fallen suddenly.
A German Shepherd was found dead in the bathroom, and two other healthy dogs were at the house.
Hackman's daughter Elizabeth Jean said to entertainment outlet TMZ that carbon monoxide poisoning may be to blame for the deaths of the couple, who married in 1991.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said in a previous press conference that an initial inspection by the local fire department had not found high levels of the gas, but no conclusions had been drawn yet.
'This is an investigation, so we're keeping everything on the table,' he said, adding that there was no sign of a struggle.
Initial autopsy findings showed 'no external trauma to either individual,' the sheriff's office said in a written update.
Carbon monoxide and toxicology tests have been requested but results are still pending and no cause of death has been determined, it said.
Hackman's family was 'devasted by the loss', according to a media statement issued by his daughters and a granddaughter.
'He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa,' daughters Elizabeth and Leslie Hackman and granddaughter Annie Hackman said. — AFP