Gene Hackman and Wife Betsy Arakawa’s Deaths Deemed Suspicious by Police - E! Online
Following Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa’s deaths, authorities sought a search warrant over “suspicious” circumstances found in the couple’s home.
Watch : Gene Hackman, Wife Betsy Arakawa and Dog Found Dead in Santa Fe Home
Authorities want to take a closer look at the sudden deaths of acting legend Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa.
Though the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office told NBC News “foul play is not suspected a factor” immediately following the couple’s deaths, authorities have since declared, according to in an affidavit obtained by the outlet, the circumstances to be “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.”
The affidavit, which was submitted to obtain a search warrant, details what authorities observed after initially being called to Hackman and Arakawa’s home for a welfare check on Feb. 26.
According to Deputy Joshua Thomas, Arakawa—whom Hackman wed in 1991—was found deceased in a bathroom directly off the front entrance to the home. Thomas said he found the 64-year-old “laying on the ground near the countertop,” with a space heater “near” her head.
“He advised he also observed an orange prescription bottle on the counter-top near the deceased female,” the affidavit read. “The prescription bottle appeared opened with pills scattered on the counter-top.”
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Gene Hackman's Daughter Elizabeth Jean Hackman Speaks Out After Death of Actor, Wife and Dog
Further searching of the home led to the discovery of one of the couple’s three German Shepards dead in the closet of the bathroom, as well as the body of Hackman in what was “believed to be a mud-room.”
In addition to noting both bodies showed “obvious signs of death,” Thomas said in the filing that he suspected Hackman had “suddenly fallen.”
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Additionally, the affidavit noted that the Santa Fe City Fire Department responded to the home and conducted testing, but “did not locate signs of a carbon monoxide leak or poisoning.” A separate visit from the New Mexico Gas Company, per the document, likewise ruled “there are no signs or evidence indicating there were any problems associated to the pipes in and around the residence.”
The front door to the couple’s home had been left ajar—which was what had prompted the call to authorities—though there were no signs of forced entry, the affidavit continued. It further stated that given the confluence of suspicious circumstances, the home “could contain evidence that would assist law enforcement in determining the circumstances pertaining to the death investigation of Eugene ‘Gene’ Allen Hackman and Betsy Arakawa.”
Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images
The search warrant, per documents obtained NBC News, was subsequently granted by a New Mexico judge on Feb. 27.
As authorities continue to investigate the couple’s deaths, Hackman’s friends, colleagues and admirers are mourning his loss.
Star Trek’s George Takei called the French Connection star a “giant,” noting he “could play anyone, and you could feel a whole life behind it.”
He continued on X, “He could be everyone and no one, a towering presence or an everyday Joe. That’s how powerful an actor he was. He will be missed, but his work will live on forever.”
For a look back at Hackman’s life, and his years with Arakawa, keep reading.
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