Following the death of Gene Hackman at his home in New Mexico, ‘eerie’ new details from those first on the scene have now been revealed.
The Hollywood superstar, 95, and his wife Betsy, 64, were found dead at their home alongside one of their three dogs earlier this week.
Reports suggest their bodies showed signs of decomposition and, as a result, it’s suspected that the pair had been dead for a while. They hadn’t been seen for two weeks, maintenance workers who raised the alarm at their Santa Fe home said.
However, worrying details have emerged about the scene that met first responders, including the door to the mansion being unlocked and adjar…
Door ajar at home of Gene Hackman
Officers were called to the home by maintenance workers Roland Lowe Begay and Jesse Kesler after they attended the house.
They found the front door to the sprawling 12-acre, £3m property unlocked and open, with no signs of forced entry.
Inside the Santa Fe home, they found the bodies of the couple.
As a result, police were called to the address on Old Sunset Trail in Hyde Park at 1.45p.m on Wednesday (February 26). The couple were not formally identified for another 12 hours, with news of their deaths released around midnight.
They’d last been seen in public in March 2024. The final picture of the star shows him looking frail and almost unrecognisable.
Where the bodies were found – Betsy Arakawa
Betsy’s body was found in the bathroom, with one of the couple’s two surviving dogs nearby. First responders said it was clear she’d been dead for some time.
A search warrant revealed “obvious signs of death, body decomposition, bloating in her face and mummification in both hands and feet”.
Her body was positioned on the floor, with prescription drugs scattered next to her body. It’s not clear who the medication belonged to. But the prescription bottle appeared opened with pills scattered on the counter-top.
A space heater was also positioned close to her head, and investigators are considering whether it may have fallen. Santa Fe sheriff Deputy Thomas said he “suspected the heater could have fallen in the event the female abruptly fell to the ground”.
The body of one of the couple’s three German Shepherd dogs was found in a closet close to the bathroom. The final dog was found roaming in the grounds of the estate.
Gene’s body
The actor’s body, meanwhile, was found in the mud room, close to the home’s kitchen. It was said to have the same signs of decomposition as his wife.
According to The Mirror police “observed a pair of feet and legs on the ground near the kitchen area” which they found to be Hackman. The Oscar-winning Superman actor was found fully dressed. He also had his sunglasses lying beside him – a detail that hints he may have collapsed unexpectedly.
The police report reads: “The deceased male who was found wearing gray sweatpants, a blue in colour long-sleeved T-shirt, brown slippers and walking cane. Deputy Thomas indicated he observed a pair of sunglasses located near the decedent’s left of his body.”
The report then added that, based on Deputy Thomas’ “training and experience, he suspected the male individual has suddenly fallen”.
Police ruling nothing out
Emergency responders, including firefighters, were dispatched to the residence. And no evidence of a gas leak – as originally suspected – was detected.
And, according to TMZ, Santa Fe police are not ruling “anything out”.
It’s claimed that, although no visible trauma was discovered, the couple could have been victims of a double homicide, suicide or accidental death. The couple dying of natural causes has also not been ruled out.
Carbon monoxide and toxicology tests on their bodies have been requested. However, it could be as long as six weeks until the couple’s families have answers as to their cause of death and what happened at their sprawling estate.
A statement said: “The official results of the autopsy and toxicology reports are pending. This remains an open investigation.”
Read more: Gene Hackman’s post-mortem results revealed as police probe new cause of death theory
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