Tributes have poured in for the two-time Oscar-winner even as the circumstances of the couple’s deaths remain unclear.
What was Gene Hackman’s cause of death?
Their causes of death have not been confirmed, but “the circumstances surrounding the death of the two deceased individuals (are considered) to be suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation,” a sheriff’s deputy said, according to the affidavit for a search warrant obtained by CNN affiliate KOAT.
The investigation found no immediate signs of a carbon monoxide leak or natural gas leak, according to the document.
Medical examiner’s reports with the final cause of death “generally take anywhere from four to six weeks to generate,” said Chris Ramirez, spokesperson for the New Mexico medical investigator’s office.
Why did police attend Gene Hackman’s house?
A maintenance worker reported that the home’s front door was open when he arrived to do routine work on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT), and he called police after finding the bodies, investigators said.
Legendary actor Gene Hackman’s life in pictures
He and another worker said they rarely saw the homeowners and that their last contact with them had been about two weeks earlier.
Where were Gene and his wife found?
The deputy said in the document that he found Arakawa lying on the ground inside a bathroom with a space heater near her head and an open bottle of prescription pills on a countertop nearby.
A dog was found dead in the bathroom closet.
Hackman’s body was discovered on the ground in another room near the kitchen. The deputy “suspected the male individual (had) suddenly fallen,” the affidavit said. Both Hackman and Arakawa appeared to have died days earlier, the deputy said.
Two other healthy dogs were found in other parts of the residence. The front door was opened and unsecured, and there were no signs of forced entry or theft.
Is Gene Hackman’s death suspicious?
In their initial public statement on the deaths, the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office said, “Foul play is not suspected as a factor in those deaths at this time.”
The search warrant application requested permission to look for any possible combustible materials, controlled substances, weapons, DNA and other potential evidence.
It was not immediately clear if the more thorough search has taken place yet or what further evidence may have been seized.
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said they planned to issue an updated statement later in the day.
Why is the gas company assisting police?
The New Mexico Gas Company tested the gas lines in and around the home after the bodies were discovered, according to the warrant.
At the time, it didn’t find any signs of problems and the Fire Department found no signs of a carbon monoxide leak or poisoning.
A sheriff’s detective wrote that there were no obvious signs of a gas leak, but he noted that people exposed to gas leaks or carbon monoxide might not show signs of poisoning.
With CNN and Associated Press.
