What was Gene Hackman’s cause of death? Search warrant found circumstances ‘suspicious’

Thursday was a sad day in Hollywood. Screen legend Gene Hackman, 95, his wife Betsy Arakawa, 63, and their dog were found dead at their Santa Fe home. In a statement released just after midnight, County Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirmed that the couple had been found on Wednesday afternoon.

What we know

Though authorities underlined that there’s no indication of foul play, an affidavit written by a Santa Fe detective and obtained by TMZ deemed the circumstances of Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.”

Initial suspicions pointed to a gas leak, leading to local gas company New Mexico Gas Co joining authorities in the investigation, per The Guardian. However, the same statement notes that the fire department at the scene found “no obvious signs” of this upon the initial investigation. The gas company also concluded that “as of now, there are no signs or evidence indicating there were any problems associated to the pipes in and around the residence.”

It’s unknown when exactly Hackman and Arakawa died, though the bodies were found in “in a state of decomposition.” According to CNN, police arrived at the home around 1:45 pm as a result of a neighbor requesting a welfare check on the couple, but there are conflicting reports. TMZ later reported that the bodies were found by two maintenance workers, who said they hadn’t seen them in two weeks. The front door was open, but the detective says there were no signs of forced entry.

Husband and wife had been dead “for some time” and were found in different rooms. Arakawa was found in the bathroom, lying on her side, a space heater next to her head, and a prescription bottle and scattered pills on the counter. According to TMZ, “the deputy believed the heater could have fallen in the event Betsy abruptly fell to the ground.” Hackman was found lying in a mudroom, fully clothed, his sunglasses next to his body. Authorities suspect he may have also fallen.

The reporting party found the front door of the residence unsecured and opened, deputies observed a healthy dog running loose on the property, another healthy dog near the deceased female, a deceased dog laying 10–15 feet from the deceased female in a closet of the bathroom, the heater being moved, the pill bottle being opened and pills scattered next to the female, the male decedent being located in a separate room of the residence, and no obvious signs of a gas leak.”

As of writing, no cause of death has been confirmed. In a phone interview with The New York Times, County Sheriff Mendoza clarified that “there were no obvious signs of trauma to the bodies and that no note had been found.” He also made sure to reassure the community, saying, “There’s no immediate danger to anyone.”

Hackman’s career

Whatever the circumstances, Hackman’s death will leave the entertainment world in mourning. He was one of America’s most highly regarded actors, famed for his performances in The French Connection, Unforgiven, The Royal Tenenbaums, and — of course — his hilarious villainous turn as Lex Luthor in the Christopher Reeve Superman movies.

Over the course of his career, he was a fixture at awards shows, picking up five Oscar nominations. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Bonnie & Clyde, I Never Sang for My Father, Mississippi Burning, and Unforgiven, and walked away with a much-deserved Best Actor Academy Award for his all-time great performance as “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection.

Hackman retired from acting in 2004 citing health reasons, explaining that after a stress test, “the doctor advised me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress.” He spent his final years enjoying his retirement, beginning a second career as a novelist and providing narration for the occasional documentary. Even into his later years, he remained physically active and was occasionally photographed out and about, remaining an active cyclist into his late 80s.

We will update this story as more information comes in. Here’s hoping the Santa Fe sheriffs shed some light on Hackman and Arakawa’s mysterious and sad deaths, which we can only hope were peaceful. In the meantime, I’m going to rewatch The Royal Tenenbaums, my favorite Hackman movie.