Investigators Not Ruling Out Carbon Monoxide Poisoning In Deaths Of Gene Hackman & Wife, Daughter Says Her Dad Was In “Good Health”

Investigators say they are not ruling out carbon monoxide poisoning or foul play in the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa.

While investigators determined there was no sign of a gas leak when the bodies were discovered, due to the length of time that the bodies had been there, a leak could have dissipated, so nothing is being ruled out, Santa Fe Fire Chief Brian Moya said Friday morning on Today.

Santa Fe fire and sheriff’s officials also say the couple, along with their dog, had been deceased for some time when their bodies were discovered Wednesday at their Santa Fe home. “Just based on their body and other evidence on the body, it appears several days and possibly up to a couple weeks,” Santa Fe County Sheriff Adam Mendoza told Today.

Mendoza also said several doors were found unlocked at the home, except for one door where the couple’s other two dogs who survived went in and out.

Mendoza said prescription pills that were found near Arakawa’s body are “very important evidence” in terms of determining the cause of death, adding toxicology reports will be key to the case. “I am pretty confident that there is no foul play just based on the lack of evidence of foul play, but of course, we’re not ruling anything out,” he said.

“That’s obviously very important evidence at the scene,” Mendoza said in response about the medication, which was found left open with pills scattered near Arakawa’s body. “That information was collected, that information was passed to the office of the medical investigator to help them make a determination. So we’re looking at that specifically and other medications that were possibly in the residence. So that is something of concern.”

Moya said there were no signs of foul play, but the cause remains a mystery.

“I am pretty confident that there is no foul play just based on the lack of evidence of foul play, but of course, we’re not ruling anything out,” he said.

Hackman’s daughter, Leslie, said her father had no major health issues leading up to his death.

‘Despite his age, he was in very good physical condition,’ she told the Daily Mail, while adding that her father did not have any major surgeries these last few months. “He liked to do Pilates and yoga, and he was continuing to do that several times a week. So he was in good health,” she said.

The local coroner’s office said it could be 4-6 weeks before a full report on the 95-year-old Hackman and the 63-year-old Arakawa is complete.

Dominic Patten contributed to this report.