Investigators are having a hard time nailing down the timeline of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa‘s deaths, as the couple could have died anywhere from “several days” to “a couple of weeks” before being found.
“It’s very difficult to put a timeline together even with the help of the office of the medical investigator,” Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said on the “Today” show Friday.
“Just based on their body and other evidence on the body, it looked — it appears [that they were deceased for] several days, even up to a couple of weeks.”
Mendoza noted there was “no indication that anybody was moving” throughout the house, so it’s “very hard to determine if they both passed at the same time or how close they passed together.”
Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa may have been dead for weeks before they were found. / SplashNews.com
The couple and one of their three dogs were found dead in their New Mexico home on Wednesday afternoon. BACKGRID
Hackman, Arakawa and one of their dogs were found dead inside their New Mexico home on Wednesday. He was 95 and she was 64.
A search warrant obtained by TMZ showed that Arakawa was on the ground in the bathroom with pills scattered in a nearby countertop.
Mendoza said, “That’s obviously very important evidence,” adding, “We’re looking at that specifically and other medications that were possibly in the residence. So that is something of concern.”
Gene, meanwhile, was in another room near the kitchen. He appeared to have fallen.
Hackman appeared to have fallen, per a search warrant. / SplashNews.com
Arakawa was found in the bathroom with pills scattered on a counter. Her body was partially decomposed. BACKGRID
Board Certified Forensic Pathologist Priya Banerjee tells Page Six exclusively there it is too early to determine a cause of death.
“What was spilled could be helpful in understanding what medical condition [Arakawa] had,” she says. “The idea of suicide is always there … so you have to consider all the factors.”
Dr. Banerjee says that although an autopsy and toxicology report will be telling, there is still a lot of circumstantial evidence to consider.
“The medical examiner doesn’t have this universal authority. The medical examiner can investigate the scene in conjunction with the body but the body is all we have. The rest of it, like, talking to neighbors, looking at evidence, that’s a police job,” she says. “It’s all in parallel.”
However, Mendoza told “Today,” “I think the autopsy report is going to be key to this investigator.”
Dr. Priya Banerjee says the medications found near Arakawa will aid the investigation. She points out, though, that the medical examiner is not the “universal authority” and police work will also help tell what really happened. BACKGRID
Sheriff chief Adan Mendoza said, however, “I think the autopsy report is going to be key to this investigator.” GC Images
Arakawa’s body, in particular, was found in a state of decomposition with “mummification in her hands and feet” and “bloating in her face.”
Dr. Banerjee tells Page Six that the temperature of the house could have been a factor in how fast her body decomposed, noting that New Mexico has very dry, desert-like weather.
“So much is dependent on the environment, the temperature, whether it’s outside or inside,” she explains.
“There can even be differential decomposition within a house, like if one part is sunny or another part is cool like in a basement.”
Dr. Banerjee reasons that the dog likely died from dehydration since it was in the closet, and noted that there does not appear to be “animal activity” on the bodies of Hackman and Arakawa.
“The German Shepherd would have done anything it can to get to the owners,” she adds. The Santa Fe County police previously noted that the canine was either in a crate or kennel in the closet.
Dr. Banerjee noted that the dog’s death was likely due to dehydration since it was in a crate or kennel. Facebook / Animal Rescue, Inc.
There have also been suspicions that carbon monoxide poisoning was a factor, though, investigators did not find a leak. Dave Lewis/Shutterstock
Hackman and Arakawa’s family previously suspected their loved one’s causes of death to be carbon monoxide poisoning, but the search warrant showed the fire department and a gas company found no evidence of a leak.
Santa Fe Fire Chief Brian Moya told “Today” Friday, “That was a home with natural gas in it, so it could have [played a factor in their deaths].
“There’s a lot of unanswered [questions] there,” he then pointed out.
Dr. Banerjee notes that because the door was open, however, it could have let the carbon monoxide “leak out.” She reaffirms, though, that there are still too many outstanding variables, and would recommend that the coroners handling this case should recommend that carbon monoxide levels are still tested.
An investigation into Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths is ongoing. Associated Press
The couple’s official causes of death is still pending and won’t be revealed for a few weeks, per police. AP
“When we arrived, we made sure our people as well as the sheriff were safe, and there was nothing that we found. We also went back again yesterday to do another round of searches … and we didn’t find anything as well.”
A spokesperson for the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office confirms to Page Six that the investigation is ongoing, and although there appears to have not been “criminal” activity, nothing is “ruled out.”
Hackman and Arakawa were found by two maintenance workers, and we’ve been told that they have also been interview by police. However, there are no suspects and foul play is not suspected at this time.
