Mystery has clouded the deaths of celebrated actor Gene Hackman and his wife, pianist Betsy Arakawa, both of whom were found dead inside their New Mexico home under what authorities have described as “suspicious” circumstances.
Deputies were called to the couple’s home in Santa Fe on Wednesday to perform a wellness check. When they arrived on the scene around 1:45 p.m., they found Hackman’s body in the mudroom, according to a search warrant obtained by TMZ.
Arakawa was on the floor of the bathroom by an open prescription bottle with “pills scattered” on a nearby countertop, per the documents. A German Shepherd was also discovered dead in the bathroom closet some 10 to 15 feet from Arakawa’s body, which was in a state of decomposition by the time she was found.
Authorities initially said foul play was not suspected, but that no longer appears to be the case. The Santa Fe Detective who sought the search warrant wrote that he believes “the death of the two deceased individuals to be suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation,” specifically citing the fact that there were “no obvious signs of a gas leak.”
The New Mexico gas company in statement to TMZ said it uncovered “no signs or evidence indicating there were any problems associated to the pipes in and around the residence.” The local fire department added that its crews found nothing to suggest a carbon monoxide leak or poisoning had occurred.
The detective further notes the fact that the front door was found open, and added that “deputies observed a healthy dog running loose on the property,” and a second “healthy dog” near the bodies of Arakawa and the German Shepherd.