Oscar winner Gene Hackman may have been dead for more than a week before his body was found Wednesday along with that of his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and one of their three dogs.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza told reporters Friday afternoon that an ongoing investigation into the deaths indicated the 95-year-old’s pacemaker last recorded activity on Feb 17.
“It’s a good assumption that was his last day of life,” Mendoza said.
The sheriff added that it be all but be completely “ruled out” that carbon monoxide killed the couple. That suggestion was earlier made by a family member, though multiple agencies said there had been no obvious signs to suggest a carbon monoxide leak or poisoning had occurred.
Neither victim tested positive for the deadly gas, according to Mendoza. He couldn’t say how a space heater found near Arakawa’s body could have factored into the equation.
During a thorough search of Hackman’s home, investigators recovered two green cellphones, two bottles of medication and a 2025 planner, all of which are part of law enforcement’s investigation.
Mendoza said police haven’t yet been able to access information from the phones. He declined to provide details on the medication that was found, or to whom it was prescribed, but called the pills “important evidence.”
Mendoza also didn’t speak to what was written in the planner.
Police aren’t sure whether Hackman or his 65-year-old wife died first. Investigators first discovered Arakawa’s body after a maintenance worker called 911.
Police are hoping records kept by security workers in the couple’s gated community can help authorities establish a timeline. Mendoza said there’s no security video on the property that’s expected to be helpful in that regard.