Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa’s terrible state of body raised suspicion after their sudden death.
The couple passed away in their home along with their dog on February 27, 2025.
As per TMZ, the Santa Fe detective who examined the scene said there was “bloating in her face and mummification in her hands and feet.”
Betsy, 64, was found lying in the bathroom with a black space heater near her head.
Moreover, an opened orange prescription bottle was left on the countertop with pills scattered on the surface in the bathroom.
The NBC News reported that a search warrant described their deaths as “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.”
Gene, 95, was found in a separate room near the kitchen with his body fully clothed.
Despite initial suspicions that the couple passed away from carbon monoxide poisoning, the officer said there were “no obvious signs of a gas leak.”
“As of now, there are no signs or evidence indicating there were any problems associated to the pipes in and around the residence,” a statement read.
However, the investigation is still ongoing and the official cause of death has yet to be determined.
