Hollywood legend Gene Hackman was found dead, decomposing and partly mummified at his Santa Fe home with his wife – but investigators are baffled

It’s a riddle that has baffled police and left his family desperately searching for answers.

The death of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy in mysterious circumstances at their remote home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has even the most experienced officers scratching their heads. The chaotic scenes which greeted cops as they attended his isolated home were laid bare in a four-page search warrant.

Hackman was found slumped on the floor in the kitchen, while his wife was in the bathroom, a dead dog in the closet. In the document, it quickly becomes apparent that there could be all manner of ways the couple may have met their sad demise.

Did Hackman Fall?

Cops “observed a pair of feet and legs on the ground near the kitchen area” which they found to be Hackman. The report states he was in “the mud room” when he was found. It reads: “The deceased male who was found wearing gray sweat pants, a blue in color long-sleeve t-shirt, brown slippers, and walking-cane.” Pictures of Hackman taken last year show him being supported by his wife in Santa Fe, with his walking cane by his side. It goes without saying also that he was 95-years-old, and susceptible to tripping up.

Associate Editor Tom Bryant outside Gene Hackman’s house ( 
Image:
Jonathan Buckmaster)

Why was the door to the house ajar?

The two maintenance people found the front door ajar but cops concluded there was no sign of forced entry. It’s not known how long the door was open for and one of the dogs was in the garden who could have forced their way out. Was it a burglary that turned violent? Cops says there was no evidence to suggest anything was missing, and other outbuildings were secure. But officers say they still believe the open door to be suspicious – and warrants further investigation. “There was no indication of anything that was missing from the home or disturbed that would be an indication that there was a crime that had occurred.”

Did the scene of Betsy’s death suggest she too had fallen?

A black heater was found near her head which the attending police officer “suspected…could have fallen in the event the female abruptly fell to the ground.” The officer also “advised he also observed an orange prescription bottle on the counter-top near the deceased female. The prescription bottle appeared opened with pills scattered on the counter-top.” Cops will have to wait for the results of the postmortem which could take weeks to ascertain if the drugs in her system may have killed her. Again, if she fell it could explain why the pills were scattered.

Reporters gather for news of Gene Hackman’s death ( 
Image:
Jonathan Buckmaster)

Why was the dog in the closet?

This is perhaps the biggest mystery. The report states how the cops “then observed/found a deceased brown in color German-Shepard canine. The deceased canine was located approximately 10-15 feet from the deceased female in a closet of the bathroom.” The report does not state if the closet door was open or shut but the police did confirm that the bathroom door was open. The remains of the dog were mummified.

When was the last contact with Hackman and his wife?

Both bodies showed signs of mummification meaning they had been lying there for some time. Sheriff Adan Mendoza said yesterday that they could have been dead for days or even weeks when investigators found their bodies.He said finding out who they spoke to last was “a challenge because they were very private individuals” and added that post-mortem examination results could take months.

This appears to contradict details in the search warrant which claims that two maintenance workers last had contact with the Hackmans. The report states “they both advised it was approximately two (2) weeks prior. Both individuals advised they rarely saw the owners (of the residence ) when conducting routine maintenance on the home. Both indicated they maintained contact with the homeowners through text message and phone calls and primarily communicated with the female homeowner.” It is not clear if this was face to face contact or via text message. One of Hackman’s daughters admitted she hadn’t seen her dad in months,

Why were the other two dogs healthy?

The report states “the healthy dogs was initially observed near the deceased female (inside the bathroom) and the other healthy dog was observed outside the residence.” If they were healthy, who had been feeding them…or were the deaths more recent than envisaged.

The front of Gene’s house ( 
Image:
Jonathan Buckmaster)

Was it a carbon monoxide leak?

Santa Fe City Fire Department underwent testing to determine if there were signs of a possible carbon monoxide leak (or poisoning). The report states: “He advised the fire department did not locate signs of a carbon monoxide leak or poisoning….as of now, there are no signs or evidence indicating there were any problems associated to the pipes in and around the residence.”

But a a detective noted that people exposed to gas leaks or carbon monoxide may not show signs of poisoning, so arbon monoxide and other toxicology test results are pending.

Tragedy: Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa are dead ( 
Image:
Getty Images)

Why were blunt force items seized?

The report states there was “no immediate signs or indications of blunt force trauma” but cops are going to “seize any blunt force objects in the event there is any indication of blunt force trauma” if a pathologist determines this to be the case. But Mr Mendoza confirmed yesterday there was “no indication of a struggle.”

Why do police deem this case to be suspicious?

They say there are a multitude of reasons including the “unsecured and opened door, (how) deputies observed a healthy dog running loose on the property, another healthy dog near the deceased female, a deceased dog laying 10-15 feet from the deceased female in a closet of the bathroom, the heater being moved, the pill bottle being opened and pills scattered next to the female , the male decedent being located in a separate room of the residence, and no obvious signs of a gas leak.“