Mummification explained after Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa tragedies
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa, the Hollywood star's wife of more than 30 years, were found dead at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and an investigation continues
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa, the Hollywood star's wife of more than 30 years, were found dead at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and an investigation continuesVideo Loading
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Gene Hackman and wife found dead at home with their dog
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's deaths are the subject of an active investigation after their bodies were discovered at their home.
The couple may have been dead for some time before being discovered, forensice detail suggests. A search warrant reads: "[Arakawa’s] body was in a state of decomposition with bloating in her face and mummification in her hands and feet."
Mummified bodies are often seen as an indicator of social isolation, say forensic scientists, who stress it is not a particularly rare occurrence. Mummification is a gradual process and studies have shown it could take up to 18 days for the whole body to reach this state.
And evidence - gathered from analysing Gene's pacemaker - has shown the Hollywood megastar's heart stopped days before being found. It was first feared the 95-year-old actor and his wife, who was a classical pianist, had suffered carbon monoxide poisoning but tests on Friday night ruled this out.
(Image:
Getty Images)What is mummification?The body normally undergoes a process of decomposition after death which ultimately results in all skin and soft tissue breaking down, decaying and a skeleton being left behind.
Mummification occurs when this process is stopped in its tracks, preserving the body’s tissues for an extended period of time. Mummification can be brought about artificially through embalming, or due to a body being frozen, or parched in hot and dry conditions.
As mummification occurs, the skin and eventually the soft tissue beneath become desiccated, and the body ultimately takes on a dark, leathery appearance.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza speaks during a press conference (Image:
Getty Images)How could a body be mummified in Santa Fe in the winter?The temperature in Santa Fe drops below 0C (32F) at this time of year, but indoor conditions are likely to be warm and dry. Warm, ventilated spaces, which in winter are also more likely to deter insects, provide the optimal conditions for a body becoming mummified.
Dr Nicholas Marquez-Grant, a forensic anthropologist at Cranfield University, told The Guardian: “We tend to think about bodies being mummified in ancient Egypt, or those found in the Andes and high mountains, in frozen areas such as the iceman, or bog bodies. The mummification depends on the dehydration of the tissues, so in forensic cases you’d have this in a house with the heating on high.”
Does it normally occur in the extremities?Mummification is a gradual process and can involve the complete body or be localised. Prominent body parts or those with a greater skin surface-to-tissue ratio, such as the fingers and outer ears, are more prone to desiccation, according to research.
Clothing, which might cause the body to retain more moisture, may also have an effect on which parts of the body mummify. Marquez-Grant said: “What we’ve found is that you may have someone who is wearing a T-shirt and that part of the torso has been skeletonised, while the legs and the feet have been mummified. In some cases we’ve had the reverse, where the bits that are covered tend to preserve better.
"You can get remains that are in different states of decomposition. The skull has a very thin skin layer so it becomes skeletonised more quickly. The hands decompose more quickly. The hips and buttocks have more fat so will take a bit longer."
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