The Strange Death of Famed Actor Gene Hackman

The following report about the suspicious death of Gene Hackman, his wife and one of his dogs, came from the New York Times.

Authorities are investigating the deaths of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, his wife and one of their three dogs at their home in New Mexico after they were discovered by a sheriff’s deputy who said the circumstances of their death were suspicious enough to warrant a deeper look.

There were no signs of obvious blunt force trauma, carbon monoxide poisoning or forced entry into the home, according to a search warrant filed in the Santa Fe Magistrate Court.

While one dog was found dead inside the home, two other dogs were running around the property and Hackman’s and wife Betsy Arakawa’s bodies showed signs that they fell down abruptly, the search warrant stated.

Their bodies were discovered in Santa Fe on Wednesday afternoon during a welfare check, officials said. A neighbor called it in.

Deputies with the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office discovered Hackman, 95, Arakawa, 64, and the dog shortly before 2 p.m. Hackman’s and Arakawa’s bodies were found in separate rooms of the house on Old Sunset Trail in Santa Fe, the Sheriff’s Office announced in a news release.

According to the search warrant, two maintenance workers reported the discovery. When deputies arrived, the front door to the two-story home was ajar.

Arakawa’s body was found near a space heater in a bathroom beside the front door with prescription pills scattered on a countertop nearby. According to the search warrant, a deputy suspected the space heater could have fallen if she abruptly fell to the floor.

The office said a full investigation is underway and that no cause of death has been established.

According to the warrant, deputies found a dead brown German shepherd in a bathroom closet about 10 to 15 feet from Arakawa. Her body was already decomposing and starting to bloat when she was discovered and showed “mummification in both hands and feet.”

Hackman’s body was found on the floor near the kitchen and appeared to have fallen suddenly, according to the warrant. The deputy found a walking cane and sunglasses near his body.

He also showed signs of death similar to Arakawa.

No sign of robbery.

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