Gene Hackman (†95) and Betsy Arakawa (†63) dead for days? New details leave police puzzled
Santa Fe (USA) - The death of two-time Oscar winner Gene Hackman (†95) and his wife Betsy Arakawa (†63) raises questions.
The bodies of the two celebrities were found in their home in Santa Fe in the US state of New Mexico on Wednesday afternoon, as was announced on Thursday. US media are now reporting "suspicious circumstances" at the site where the bodies were found.
The news website TMZ, for example, quotes from a police search warrant. According to the report, a criminal investigator described the circumstances of the discovery as so "suspicious" that he requested a thorough search of the property and an investigation into the deaths.
Two maintenance workers discovered the bodies. Arakawa was reportedly lying in the bathroom. Next to her was a possibly fallen radiator and scattered pills. She had probably been dead for some time.
According to TMZ, the police speak of clear signs of decomposition. The pianist's face was bloated and her hands and feet were mummified.
The 95-year-old, on the other hand, was lying in another room. It is said to have been a room next to the kitchen.
Hackman was fully clothed. The police suspect that he may have fallen suddenly. His sunglasses were lying next to the body.
Did the celebrity couple die because of gas?
Previously, Hackman and his wife had reportedly not been seen for two weeks. The door to the house was only ajar and there were no signs of a break-in. There was also a dog roaming around the property.
A second dog had been near the dead 63-year-old woman. The officers also found a third dog there. It was lying dead three to 4.5 meters away from the woman's body in a storage room in the bathroom.
It is completely unclear how the two died. There is no obvious evidence of foul play, said Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza. At the same time, however, no message or suicide note from the two had been discovered. Investigators are now focusing on the autopsy of the bodies.
One of Hackman's daughters expressed the suspicion that the two may have died of carbon monoxide poisoning. However, according to TMZ, the fire department found no evidence of this or of a gas leak.
The local gas supplier also took a close look at all the pipes in the house. He also found no evidence that there could have been a leak.
The investigation continues. The sheriff is also being assisted by the gas supplier.