Santa Fe, New Mexico – While Gene Hackman’s For a long time business partner Dough Lanham is waiting for answers with regard to the mysterious death of the legendary actor, he is left with good memories, including the time that the Oscar winner established a golf betting with a toolbox full of pennies.
During an interview with Fox News Digital, Dough Lanham explained that the mysterious dead ask him many questions and long for answers. Authorities have said that Hackman and Arakawa had been dead for a few days when they were discovered in their remote house, but did not release any cause of death.
“She is incredible,” Lanham said about Arakawa. “Her love of animals, her love for her German shepherds, was incredible. They were the love of her life and that is why the news of the last few days is really nerve -racking, hard to understand. Hopefully we get some answers.”
Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were discovered dead in their house in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (Urschke/Ullstein image via Getty images)
Lanham told Fox News Digital that Hackman and Arakawa “were very, very private until you got to know them.”
The death of Gene Hackman and the woman called ‘suspect’, showed bodies of ‘mummification’ signs
Lanham told Fox News Digital that it is “too difficult” to limit how Hackman will be remembered. Instead, he decided to tell a loved one that he has about the late star.
“They were the love of her life and that is why the news of the last few days is really nerve -racking, hard to understand. Hopefully we get some answers.”
“Let me tell a story. This is a good thing. We used to play a lot of golf, and we would have friendly commitment, and it was Gene, Tom Allen, myself and. And Gene was notorious for a kind of Weltering on the bets.
“So finally I said,” Gene, what about some money, friend? ” And he just gave me that gene hackman and shook his head, said nothing good, about a week later I was back in my office and the hostess came back and said, “Mr. Hackman” and I said, “Oh, what are they?” And they said, “No, he has this large toolbox and it is on wheels, and he comes to your office.”
View: the business partner of Gene Hackman shared details about his friendship with the actor
“I said” what! ‘So he picks up, opens the door, he has this huge, huge toolbox on wheels. He turned around and walked outside, “said Lanham.
“Well, I opened the toolbox and there was probably $ 700 in money. And then there was this document that he had stopped about his feelings about paying this bet. So we called him Captain Hollywood,” concluded Lanham.
It was five or six years ago that Lanham had seen the couple, but he told Fox News Digital about the time he met them for the first time and what encouraged their partnership.
Legal enforcement officials talked outside the house of actor Gene Hackman on Thursday. (AP Photo/Roberto Rosales)
“We met here in the restaurant. A mutual friend lunched with Gene and Betsy, and he introduced us. He was pretty interested in the restaurant and the food,” Lanham said.
“Betsy is a great chef in itself, just an incredible person. So, just like an idiot, I said,” Hey, we’re going to cook tomorrow, do you all want to participate with us? ” And they said, “Oh yes, that would be great.” I said, “Okay, let’s see what’s happening tomorrow.” ”
Lanham said that Betsy and Hackman walked into the restaurant on “exactly 2 hours” with a “cooler full of food” that Hackman’s wife would prepare for everyone.
Gene Hackman collaborated with Dough Lanham in the Santa Fe, New Mexico Restaurant, Jinja Bar & Bistro. (Warner Brothers/Everett Collection)
A criminal investigation into the Death of Hackman And his wife was launched on Wednesday after the New Mexico authorities had considered the dead, and those of one of their dogs, suspicious.
View: Doug Lanham explains how he had come a restaurant with Gene Hackman
Detectives believe that the circumstances surrounding the death of Hackman and his wife, a classic pianist, a thorough search and require research. Officials confirmed that no external trauma was seen on Hackman or Arakawa, and the case remains open in anticipation of autopsy and toxicological results.
The bodies of Hackman and Arakawa tested negatively on carbon monoxide poisoning and the Oscar-winning Actor probably died about nine days before his body was discovered by the authorities, officials revealed.
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa were found dead on Wednesday in their Santa Fe, New Mexico house. (Ron Galella/Ron Galella collection via Getty Images)
During a press conference Friday, Sheriff from Santa Fe County Adan Mendoza confirmed that the last event was noted on the Pacemaker of Hackman was February 17. When he was asked if February 17 – nine days before his body was found – it could be the day Hackman died, Mendoza noted that that was a logical conclusion.
“According to the pathologist, I think this is a very good assumption that it was his last day of life,” said Mendoza. He also confirmed after a discussion with the medical researcher that Hackman and his wife “tested negative on carbon monoxide.”
“The way and cause of death is not exactly.”
“The way and cause of death is not exactly,” said Mendoza.
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Jinja Bar & Bistro Executive Chef Fernando Flores shared details with Fox News Digital about what it was like to have Hackman as a boss.
View: Gene Hackman was a ‘really nice’ boss in the restaurant Santa Fe
“When I met him, I was a bit impressed by him because he was really, for me, someone was really important. So I didn’t try to ask too many questions and listen to what he said. He was really a nice person,” Flores told Fox News Digital.
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Lanham told Fox News Digital that Hackman has made artworks over the years that are now shown in the restaurant. His first piece was a large wall painting that the actor was not sure if he could create.
View: the business partner of Gene Hackman tells the story behind the iconic painting of the actor
“So we took it down, had it framed,” Lanham said over the mural. “Gene would not come and look at it. We said,” Gene, this thing is beautiful, everyone talks about it. ” Now Betsy came in: “Gene, it’s beautiful.” A few months later he came in, looked quickly, left, and that was on the mural.
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Stephanie Giang-Paunon from Fox News Digital has contributed to this report.
