New Details Raise More Questions About the Deaths of Gene Hackman and His Wife

In the days since we learned about the deaths of legendary actor Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa, and one of their dogs, and we don’t have any definitive answers yet.

Originally, it was believed that carbon monoxide poisoning may have caused their deaths, but that has been ruled out.

In a Feb. 28 press conference, Sheriff Adan Mendoza said investigators have ruled out carbon monoxide poisoning as the cause of death for now, because a local pathologist determined both individuals tested negative for the poisonous gas.

"At the time of death, they were negative for carbon monoxide, which means to me that is possibly ruled out," he shared. "Right now, there's no indication that that has any anything to do with it."

However, Mendoza noted the police will continue to discuss with the pathologist to "make sure."

A new theory has been put out by Radar that suggests that Hackman suffered a fall.

According to reports, Hackman and Arakawa were possibly dead for weeks before the bodies were found and were "mummified."

The Hollywood icon was found in the mud room, while she was found on the bathroom floor with the dead dog nearby.

An investigation was launched following the shocking deaths, but police assured the public "there’s no immediate danger to anyone."

According to a warrant, the couple's deaths were "suspicious enough to require a thorough search and investigation."

Based on how the actor's body was found, police suspect he possibly suffered a fall – despite being considered fit and active for his age.

Hackman was fully dressed, and his cane was found next to his body, according to police.

Police are currently investigating to see if the couple's deaths were caused by the same thing.

According to the Associated Press, “Whether the pills or other drugs were a factor won’t be known until toxicology tests are completed in the coming weeks.”

“Examiners will look to test blood and urine, if available, but also could turn to an oily fluid that typically accumulates in lung and abdominal cavities, and samples of muscle and brain, to help determine the causes of death.”

Previous: Gene Hackman and Wife’s Deaths Now Being Investigated as 'Suspicious'

An examination of Hackman’s pacemaker found that it had stopped working on Feb. 17, which means he could have died as many as nine days before the bodies were discovered. However, the pacemaker may not be an accurate indicator of when he died.

Dr. Philip Keen, the retired chief medical examiner in Maricopa County, Arizona, said the moment when a pacemaker stops working could mark the point when a person dies, but not always.

“If your heart required a pacemaker, there would certainly be an interruption at that point — and it might be the hallmark of when the death occurred,” Keen said. “But it’s not necessarily because some people get a pacemaker to augment things, not necessarily replace things.”

There are a lot of questions that need to be answered. For one thing, who died first—Hackman or Arakawa? Both reportedly suffered falls, but it’s unclear whether these were fatal accidents or merely symptoms of a more ominous, undetermined cause.

To complicate matters further, the couple had three dogs, but only one was found dead, while the other two survived—a curious and unexplained detail that baffles me. Given the circumstances, it seems likely that Hackman and Arakawa died around the same time, a possibility that aligns with the confusing evidence. The cause of the dog’s death will likely be important to determining what exactly happened.

It’s certainly possible that Arakawa might have found Hackman after his fall and tried to assist him before calling for help. In the midst of trying to help him, she could have fallen herself. But this doesn’t explain the mysterious death of just one dog.