Gene Hackman and wife – all the biggest mysteries after triple death tragedies

The mysteries into Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa’s death have deepened as authorities investigate what happened in the triple death tragedy.

Gene was found dead at the age of 95 at his Santa Fe, New Mexico, home, along with his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64, and their pet dog last month. The police were called to an address on Old Sunset Trail in Hyde Park at 1: 45p. m on Wednesday, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, with the forces publicly announcing the deaths just after midnight.

The couple’s mummified bodies were found by two maintenance staff in separate rooms, with Gene being found lying in a mudroom with his sunglasses and cane nearby while Betsy was found lying on her side in the bathroom with a space heater next to her head and prescription pills scattered on a nearby countertop.

It was first suspected that the couple, who had been away from the spotlight for decades, had played victim to carbon monoxide poisoning, however both bodies have since tested negative. Despite authorities providing updates on the heartbreaking situation, further questions have been raised on the details surrounding their deaths.

How were they found?

Gene and his wife Betsy were found partially-mummified at the couple’s mansion, with pills strewn in their bathroom. An arrest warrant has revealed that Betsy, 64, was found decomposed with bloating on her face and mummification in her hands and feet. The warrant, obtained by Mail Online, also saw that Sheriffs said Hollywood actor Gene also had the same signs of decomposition as his wife.

Two maintenance staff, Roland Lowe Begay and Jesse Kesler, arrived at a sprawling Santa Fe estate on Wednesday afternoon, only to stumble upon the lifeless bodies of Betsy and her husband. The time was 1: 46 p. m. Mountain Time. The authorities didn’t publicly confirm the couple’s identities for almost 12 hours.

According to Begay and Kesler, neither of them had seen the pair in approximately two weeks. Evidence suggests they had been deceased for some time before being found. It was also revealed Gene’s pacemaker’s last recorded activity was on February 17.

Betsy was located on the bathroom floor, near an open prescription bottle with pills scattered across the counter. Officials have yet to specify what type of medication was present or whether it belonged to Betsy or her husband. A space heater was positioned close to her head, and investigators are considering whether it may have fallen.

Meanwhile, Gene’s body was discovered in a mudroom near the kitchen, as detailed in the search warrant. The Oscar-winning Superman actor was found fully dressed, with his sunglasses lying beside him – a detail that hints he may have collapsed unexpectedly. Emergency responders, including firefighters, were dispatched to the residence, but no evidence of a gas leak was detected.

Is there foul play involved?

Although authorities said there were no signs of foul play, they haven’t completely ruled out the possibility. Detective Roy Arndt said the presence of one dead dog, alongside two living dogs, was a mystery. On February 27, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said to TMZ the couple ‘ could have been victims of a double homicide, suicide, accidental death or natural causes’.

The next day, the Sheriff said the bodies showed no signs of foul play or trauma. However, he said he couldn’t completely rule it out. It was then revealed Gene’s pacemaker stopped functioning on February 17, nine days before his body was discovered, which is most likely when he died.

Detective Arndt speculated Gene could have fallen over and died, as his sunglasses and a can were seen near his body. Detectives are still unable to say whether the couple died at the same time or if one died before the other. Santa Fe fire chief Brian Moya spoke to Fox News this week and claimed the couple could have died in a “similar timeframe”.

The fire chief explained this week: “Just because both bodies were in similar ways where we, as experts, sad to say that we know a lot about how people die and how long people are dead for – both bodies are in a similar manner that it could be a similar timeframe”.

He said since he has been a fire chief, the Santa Fe Fire Department and emergency medical services never responded to any calls from the couple’s home. The case is now with the Sheriff’s Department and the Moya added they were last involved on February 27.

Both were tested negative for carbon monoxide poisoning, ruling out the possibility the couple were slowly poisoning until they died. A local gas company stated that they had “conducted an extensive investigation for gas leaks and carbon monoxide” and found a gas leak – but it wasn’t strong enough to be fatal. Meanwhile, a full autopsy report and toxicology tests will take another three to five weeks to be shared.

How did one dog die?

The bodies of the Gene and Betsy were found by the neighbourhood caretaker who frantically called the emergency services after spotting the pair not moving through the mansion windows. There were no obvious wounds on either of their bodies, leading to the investigation into their passing.

The police force labelled this bizarre as the other two pets were found alive and healthy in the house. Zinna, who was found mummified, was a reddish Australian Kelpie mixed breed, according to USA Today. However, police initially incorrectly named the dead dog as the couple’s German Shepherd called Bear.

Bear survived, along with another dog called Nikita. Zinna was found dead in a ‘ crate ‘ or ‘ kennel ‘ in a closet close to Betsy’s body. Zinna probably died from hunger or thirst from being stuck in the crate.

It’s not known how the animal was misidentified in the initial police report. Joey Padilla, the owner of Santa Fe Tails pet care, where Gene and his wife Arakawa frequently boarded their pets, explained that Zinna’s strong bond with Betsy may have played a key role in her death.

Joey described how Zinna, had always been incredibly close to Betsy. “Zinna was always attached to Betsy at the hip, and it was a beautiful relationship”, Joey said to the Associated Press.. He added that Zinna, who had once been a returned shelter dog, had flourished under Betsy’s care, becoming a loyal and devoted companion. Their strong bond may have played a role in Zinna being the only dog of the three to tragically pass away.

Was their door locked or ajar?

Investigators had been looking to why the door to their home was ajar when their bodies were found. In the search warrant affidavit saw the authorities arriving on the scene describe the couple’s front door as ‘ ajar ‘ with no signs of forced entry. It was added the workers reported the door as being ajar in the 911 call.

However, in the audio of the 911 call made by maintenance worker Rowland Lowe Begay, he specifically told the dispatched: “The house is closed. It’s locked. I can’t go in but I can see she’s laying on the floor”. There has been no suggestion of any wrongdoing from the maintenance staff.

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Source: Mirror