Police have launched an investigation into the death of two-time Oscar winner Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog, who were all found dead in their New Mexico home, local authorities said Thursday. Hackman was 95 and Arakawa was 63.
According to a Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, deputies entered the Hackman home at around 1:45 p.m. Wednesday to conduct a wellness check at a neighbor's request and discovered the bodies at that time, with gas company and fire department personnel on hand to make sure there were "no toxic fumes that would endanger deputies during their search," AP News reports. However, new details from the investigation revealed no signs of a carbon monoxide or natural gas leak, finding the couple's deaths were "suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation."
A search warrant obtained by CNN stated the couple had been dead for days before their bodies were discovered. Arakawa's body was lying on the bathroom floor with an open bottle of scattered prescription pills on the countertop, while Hackman's body was found in a separate room. According to the warrant, the home's front door was open, but there were no signs of forced entry. The couple's two other dogs were found safe.
“We’re not going to guess this was an accident or natural causes,” Sheriff Adan Mendoza of Santa Fe County told the New York Times. “It wasn’t typical.”
Gene Hackman starred in numerous dynamic roles throughout the 1960s and 1970s before retiring in the early 2000s. Over his 40-year career, he received five Academy Award nominations, winning the prestigious honor for his performances in "The French Connection" (1972) and "Unforgiven" (1992).
Hackman met Arakawa, a classically trained pianist who grew up in Hawaii, while she was working at a California gym in the mid-1980s. The couple soon moved in together, settled in Santa Fe, and married in 1991. They remained together for 34 years.
Since stepping away from Hollywood, Hackman largely avoided the spotlight, though his day-to-day activities occasionally attracted attention from local news and the tabloid press. Aside from the occasional award show appearance, he remained committed to his retirement. His final film credit was the 2004 political satire "Welcome to Mooseport," co-starring Ray Romano.
Hackman is survived by his three children from his previous marriage.
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