Mystery surrounds deaths of Gene Hackman and wife
Authorities have declared the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife to be "suspicious" because of the circumstances in which they were found.
Gene Hackman's wife's body was "in a state of decomposition" when it was found.
The Academy Award-winning actor, his spouse Betsy Arakawa, and one of their pet dogs were found to have passed away in their New Mexico home on Wednesday (26.02.25) and authorities have now marked their deaths as "suspicious" because of the circumstances in which they were discovered, including the fact the 95-year-old star and his wife were found in separate rooms.
According to a search warrant obtained by TMZ, a Sante Fe detective wrote in his affidavit that he requested the warrant because "the death of the two deceased individuals to be suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation".
He explained: "The reporting party found the front door of the residence unsecured and opened, 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."
The body of 63-year-old Betsy was found near the counter of the bathroom, lying on her right side with a black space heater near her head and it appeared she had been there for some time because her corpse was "in a state of decomposition with bloating in her face and mummification in her hands and feet".
The 'Unforgiven' actor was found in a separate room off the kitchen, fully clothed with his sunglasses close by, prompting authorities to speculate he had fallen.
The fire department attended and found no signs of carbon monoxide poisoning or a leak, and the New Mexico gas company tested the lines in and around the house.
They concluded: "As of now, there are no signs or evidence indicating there were any problems associated to the pipes in and around the residence."
Two maintenance workers discovered the bodies as they hadn't seen the couple in around two weeks.
They found the front door ajar, but cops reported no sign of forced entry.
