Sheriff: Gene Hackman and Wife Showed No Signs of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
SANTA FE, N.M. — Authorities investigating the deaths of Gene Hackman, the Oscar-winning actor, and his wife, reported Friday that the couple tested negative for carbon monoxide. The cause of death remains undetermined.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Aden Mendoza stated that the pathologist from the New Mexico medical investigator’s office confirmed that both Hackman and Arakawa tested negative for carbon monoxide.
The couple had apparently been dead for several days, possibly weeks, when their bodies were discovered Wednesday during a search of their Santa Fe residence. Sheriff Mendoza told NBC’s “Today” show on Friday that investigators are working to establish the last time anyone had contact with the couple.
The sheriff noted, “That is a challenge because they were very private individuals,” adding that autopsy and toxicology results could take several months to be processed.
Hackman, 95, was found in the home’s entryway on Wednesday, while Arakawa, 65, was found lying on her side in the bathroom. Sheriff Mendoza stated on Thursday that a deceased German shepherd was also discovered in a kennel near Arakawa.
According to the search warrant, an open prescription bottle and pills were found on a countertop near Arakawa. Court documents released Friday revealed that authorities recovered medication for high blood pressure and chest pain, thyroid medication, Tylenol, two cellphones, a monthly planner, and records from medical diagnostic tests during the search.
The sheriff’s office reported no indications of foul play. Detectives stated in a search warrant affidavit that the circumstances of the deaths were “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.”
Although no gas leaks were detected in the residence, a detective noted in the affidavit that exposure to gas leaks or carbon monoxide may not always present obvious signs of poisoning.
According to the affidavit, a space heater was located near Arakawa and may have fallen when she collapsed. The sheriff’s office scheduled a news conference Friday afternoon to provide updates on the investigation.
Investigators said that a maintenance worker discovered the bodies while arriving to perform routine work at the house. The worker told a 911 operator that he couldn’t determine if anyone inside was breathing because he couldn’t enter the locked house.
“I have no idea,” the subdivision’s caretaker said during the call. “I am not inside the house. It’s closed. It’s locked. I can’t go in. But I can see she’s laying down on the floor from the window.”
The maintenance worker and another worker later informed authorities that they rarely saw the homeowners, with their last contact occurring approximately two weeks prior.
Mendoza told “Today” that conflicting accounts existed regarding which doors were locked at the house. Several doors were unlocked, and a rear door was open, allowing two surviving dogs to move freely. He also believed the front door was closed but unlocked.
Hackman was a highly acclaimed actor of his era, portraying diverse roles in numerous dramas, comedies, and action films from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s.
He received five Oscar nominations, winning Best Actor for “The French Connection” in 1972 and Best Supporting Actor for “Unforgiven” two decades later. He also earned recognition for his role in “Hoosiers.”
He met Arakawa, a classically trained pianist, at a California gym in the mid-1980s. They relocated to Santa Fe by the end of that decade. Their Pueblo Revival-style home is situated on a hill within a gated community, offering views of the Rocky Mountains’ foothills.
During his initial two decades in New Mexico, Hackman was a familiar figure in the state capital and served on the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum’s board of trustees from 1997 to 2004.
In recent years, he maintained a lower profile. Apart from appearances at award ceremonies, he seldom attended Hollywood social events and retired from acting around 20 years ago.
Hackman had three children from a previous marriage. He and Arakawa did not have children but were known to own German shepherds.
Seewer reported from in Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press writers Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff, Arizona; Jacques Billeaud in Phoenix; and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed.
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