Legendary actor Gene Hackman, his wife, Betsy Arakawa and one of their three dogs, were found dead on Feb. 26, but details surrounding their deaths remain a mystery.
Earlier this week the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office appeared to rule out one cause of death based on an update from the New Mexico Gas Company’s “extensive investigation for gas leaks and carbon monoxide at Gene Hackman’s home.”
“There were no significant findings. NMGC did issue five (5) red tags. One red tag was for a minuscule leak (0.33% gas in air – not a lethal amount) at one of the stove burners,” the statement read. “The other four red tags were for code enforcement violations -not involving gas leaks or carbon monoxide – involving a water heater and gas log lighters installed in three fireplaces.”
Actor Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa pose for a portrait in 1986 in Los Angeles, California.
Donaldson Collection/Getty Images
As questions linger regarding their cause of death, Sante Fe fire chief Brian Moya revealed his opinion on the timeframe regarding the deaths of Hackman and Arakawa.
“Just because both bodies were in similar ways where we, as experts, sad to say that we know a lot about how people die and how long people are dead for – both bodies are in a similar manner that it could be a similar timeframe,” Moya told Fox Digital.
The fire chief revealed Hackman, Arakawa and the dog were all found in the same building, noting there were three different buildings on the property. In an affidavit obtained by Fox News, investigators described their deaths as “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.”
The results of the toxicology report are expected to take weeks.
