The entertainment industry was shocked to its core last Wednesday (February 26) as Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead at their residence in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Though initial reports claimed that no foul play was suspected in their deaths, there have been several updates since then, including one that suggests that circumstances were suspicious enough to warrant an investigation.
As per reports, Hackman, 95, was found in a mudroom, partially mummified, while Arakawa’s body was discovered in the bathroom, beside pills that Santa Fe sheriff Adan Mendoza described as a “significant” piece of evidence.
In light of the tragedy, Hackman’s daughter, Elizabeth Jean Hackman, shared in an interview with TMZ that the family wasn’t entirely sure what led to the deaths, but that they suspected carbon monoxide poisoning could be to blame.
“The house is fairly modern, built in 2000,” Elizabeth explained, “but we don’t know if there were any issues with gas leaks or if there were any recent service calls to the property.”
As part of the subsequent investigation into the deaths, Santa Fe City Fire department have seemingly ruled out carbon monoxide leak or poisoning as they found no signs present at the home.
It’s reported that the New Mexico Gas Company also found no signs of this after carrying out tests on the gas line and around the residence.
What exactly occurred is a question that requires further investigation, but there’s been no shortage of speculation and rumor regarding the case. Hackman was a two-time Oscar winner who had featured in over 70 movies, remember, and the sudden nature of he and his wife’s passing has naturally become global news.
Sheriff Mendoza said on Friday, February 28, that Hackman’s pacemaker recorded its final heartbeat on February 17, making it ‘a very good assumption’ that it was the last day of his life.