Gene HackmanWoman Betsy Arakawa and one of their dogs were found dead more than a week ago in their Santa Fe -house.
Detectives described their deaths as “suspected enough in nature to require a thorough search and research,” said a statement of a house search order obtained by Fox News Digital.
Officials confirmed that no external trauma was seen on Hackman or Arakawa, and New Mexico Authorities immediately started a criminal investigation into their death. The case remains open in anticipation of autopsy and toxicological results.
Gene Hackman Death: Full coverage
Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were discovered dead in their house in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (Getty Images)
February 28 – Detectives work on “Reverse Timeline”
Authorities have not yet determined when Hackman and Arakawa died. During a press conference on Friday 28 February, Sheriff Adan Mendoza admitted that the department put together a timeline to determine their last steps.
“One of the things is that we try to merge the timeline in a study, usually before the event happens, and that gives us a lot of information,” said Mendoza. “But in this case it seems that we are doing an inverted timeline.
The last years of Gene Hackman in Santa Fe with wife were increasingly remote
He added: “We do a timeline from the time of death and the autopsy and the results. We are going to work back our way. We will both do both and hopefully take a determination about what happened to both individuals.”
The death investigation of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa continues in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (Ron Galella/Ron Galella collection via Getty Images)
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February 28 – Test results
Hackman and Arakawa have tested Negative for carbon monoxide, Mendoza confirmed during a press conference on Friday 28 February. Their home was tested for the colorless, odorless gas and was released by the Santa Fe City fire brigade after the authorities had not found any evidence of a carbon monoxide leak or poisoning.
Sheriffs has released a stock list of a house search order with details about items picked up from the house of Santa Fe. According to the documents obtained by Fox News Digital, researchers mentioned two mobile phones, Myquest Records, a planner from 2025, thyroid medication, blood pressure medication and Tylenol.
According to the explanation of the search order, an orange recipe bottle was found near Hackman’s wife. It seemed to be open, spread with pills on the counter.
February 26 – Hackman, Arakawa Bodies Discovered
Hackman and Arakawa were found On Wednesday 26 February by maintenance staff Jesse Kesler and Roland Lowe Begay. Kesler, who had worked as a personal contractor for the couple for 16 years, called the hectic 911 call.
Legal enforcement officials will talk outside the house of actor Gene Hackman in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Thursday 27 February 2025. Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog were found dead in the house the day earlier. (AP Photo/Roberto Rosales)
Arakawa was found on the floor in the bathroom of the house of the couple near space heating, with “clear signs of death”, according to the explanation of the search order. Hackman’s body was discovered in the mud room nearby. His stick and sunglasses were near his body.
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Officials revealed that the body of Arakawa was dissolved with a bloated feeling on her face and mummification in her hands and feet. Hackman also appeared to have the same signs of decomposition as his wife.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department revealed that autopsies were completed and that no external trauma was seen with the actor or the musician.
Listen: Gene Hackman 911 Call
View: Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza discusses the research into the death of Gene Hackman and his wife
February 26 – Decreasing death theories
The gas company in New Mexico confirmed on Tuesday “It conducted an extensive study into gas leaks and carbon monoxide” 26 February and made “no significant findings” in the remote house of the couple, in a release obtained by Fox News Digital.
The gas company noted that there was “a miniscule leak (0.33% gas in air – no deadly amount) at one of the stove burners.” In addition, there were four “red tags” for violations of the code enforcement, in which “a boiler and gas logins were installed in three open fireplaces.”
The Santa Fe -Huis van het Pair was tested for carbon monoxide 26 February, shortly after the bodies were discovered. The fire brigade of Santa Fe City has cleared the house after finding no proof of a leak or poisoning of carbon monoxide. New Mexico Gas Company also responded and found “no signs or evidence” of problems with pipes in or around Hackman’s house.
February 17 – Pacemaker – activity
Mendoza confirmed That the last activity recorded on the Pacemaker of Hackman took place on 17 February. Authorities assumed that this was the last day of Hackman, because the body of the Oscar winner was not discovered for nine days.
“According to the pathologist, I think this is a very good assumption that it was his last day of life,” said Mendoza.
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