New details emerged in deaths of Gene Hackman, wife, dog
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Authorities are investigating the deaths of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, his wife and their dog at their home in New Mexico.
Their bodies were discovered in Santa Fe Wednesday afternoon during a welfare check, officials said.
Deputies with the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office discovered Hackman, 95, his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 64, and the dog shortly before 2 p.m. on Wednesday. Hackman’s and Arakawa’s bodies were found in separate rooms of the house on Old Sunset Trail in Santa Fe, the Sheriff’s Office announced in a news release.
Arakawa’s body was found near a space heater in the bathroom with prescription pills scattered on a countertop nearby, the Associated Press reported.
The office said a full investigation is underway and that no cause of death has been established. The cause of death will be determined by the Office of the Medical Examiner, officials said.
The New Mexico Gas Co. is also assisting the sheriff’s office with the investigation, according to the AP.
Actor Gene Hackman got his break in “Bonnie and Clyde” and rose to stardom in “The French Connection.” He was 95.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza told the Santa Fe New Mexican that it was unclear when the couple died.
“All I can say is that we’re in the middle of a preliminary death investigation,” he told the paper.
“I want to assure the community and neighborhood that there’s no immediate danger to anyone,” he said.
The NBC station in New Mexico reported a neighbor had called authorities out of concern about their welfare.
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