Following news of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa’s deaths, police shared insight into the circumstances of their passing, revealing that their bodies were partly “mummified” when found.
More details are being uncovered in the investigation into Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa‘s deaths.
The acting legend, 95, and his wife, 65, along with one of their three dogs, were found dead in their home after police were called to their residence for a routine welfare check on Feb. 26. And now, the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office has provided further insight into why authorities believe the pair—who married in 1991—had been deceased for “at least a day.”
According to an affidavit obtained by NBC News Feb. 27, Arakawa’s body—which was found in the home’s bathroom next to a space heater and a bottle of pills that was “open with pills scattered on the countertop,” per the document—was already showing visual indications of decomposition.
“The female decedant showed obvious signs of death, body decomposition, bloating in her face,” read the affidavit, “and mumification in both hands and feet.”
For reference, the process of bloating and mummification usually begin about 24-48 hours after a body has been deceased, according to Live Science.
And Hackman—who was discovered in the kitchen area of the house and suspected to have “suddenly fallen”—was in a similar state upon their arrival. As the affidavit, which was submitted to obtain a search warrant, continued, “The male decedent also showed obvious signs of death, similar and consistent with the female decedent.”
In addition to providing insight into the timing of the passing of Hackman and Arakawa, the Sante Fe Sheriff’s Office declared that officials have deemed the circumstances around the tragedy as “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.”
Photo by Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images
For one, preliminary findings found no external signs of trauma, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office told NBC News. However, when the Santa Fe City Fire Department responded to a request to conduct carbon monoxide testing, they “did not locate signs of a carbon monoxide leak or poisoning.” A cause of death has still yet to be determined, according to the outlet.
Furthermore, the front door to the couple’s home had been left ajar—which was what had prompted the call to authorities—though there were no signs of forced entry, per the affidavit.
Following the pair’s untimely deaths, Hackman’s friends, colleagues and admirers spoke out to honor his legacy.
“Gene Hackman (was) a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity,” Francis Ford Coppola—who directed the actor in 1974’s The Conversation—wrote on Instagram Feb. 27. “I mourn his loss, and celebrate his existence and contribution.”
And Star Wars‘ George Takei echoed that sentiment, describing the Birdcage star as “one of the true giants of the screen.”
“Gene Hackman could play anyone, and you could feel a whole life behind it,” George wrote in a message on X. “He could be everyone and no one, a towering presence or an everyday Joe. That’s how powerful an actor he was. He will be missed, but his work will live on forever.”
