Gene Hackman, the veteran actor, and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead at their Santa Fe, New Mexico home nearly a week ago. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department has released an update on its investigation into the couple’s deaths.
According to the sheriff’s department, the New Mexico Gas Company conducted an extensive investigation for gas leaks and carbon monoxide at Hackman’s home on February 26 but found no significant findings. The company did issue five red tags for code enforcement violations, including a minuscule leak of 0.33% gas in air, which is not considered lethal.
The sheriff’s department confirmed that both Hackman and Arakawa tested negative for carbon monoxide poisoning. The couple’s home was also cleared by the Santa Fe City Fire Department after finding no evidence of a carbon monoxide leak or poisoning.
However, further investigation revealed scattered pills on a counter and a space heater near Arakawa’s body, as well as a cane with Hackman and sunglasses near his head. The sheriff described the deaths as “suspicious” and began an investigation into their causes.
Authorities believe both Hackman and Arakawa had been dead for over a week before their bodies were discovered. Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirmed that they are working on piecing together the timeline of events leading up to the couple’s deaths, which may help determine what happened to them.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/gene-hackman-death-no-significant-gas-carbon-monoxide-leaks-found-expanded-probe-home-appliances