Authorities are investigating the mysterious deaths of Hollywood star Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 63, after they were found dead at their New Mexico home.
Authorities have been working to uncover the cause of the mysterious deaths of Hollywood megastar Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 63. The couple, along with one of their dogs, were found dead at their home in New Mexico.
It has been revealed that there was a small gas leak at the property, but it was not enough to be considered lethal. A local gas company involved in the investigation referred to the leak as “minuscule.” There have been numerous theories circulating about the cause of death. The New Mexico Gas Company stated that they had “conducted an extensive investigation for gas leaks and carbon monoxide” but found “no significant findings.”
According to a press release: “One red tag was for a minuscule leak (0.33% gas in air – not a lethal amount) at one of the stove burners. The other four red tags were for code enforcement violations — not involving gas leaks or carbon monoxide — involving a water heater and gas log lighters installed in three fireplaces.” A ‘red tag’ is a warning placed by inspectors to show that something is unsafe or doesn’t meet safety rules. It means the item or equipment can’t be used until the problem is fixed.
The bodies of the Gene and Betsy were found by a neighbourhood caretaker who frantically called the emergency services after spotting the pair not moving through the mansion windows. There were no obvious wounds on either of their bodies, leading to the investigation into their passing. It is believed they had been dead for over a week.
The police force labelled this bizarre as the other two pets were found alive and healthy in the house. The dog which was found dead in the bathroom was 12-year-old Zinna. The pet was a reddish Australian Kelpie mixed breed, according to USA Today. However, police initially incorrectly named the dead dog as the couple’s German Shepherd called Bear.
Bear is reportedly alive and with the couple’s other surviving dog. It’s not known how the animal was misidentified in the initial police report. Police are said to be looking at three important clues after the mysterious deaths and mummification. A former FBI investigator Bill Daly has revealed the police would be looking at three key things, including the phones, the pills and they will also likely be going through the rubbish to try and work out what happened.
He said: “They can do geolocating around the property to see what was pinging around that time, though they won’t be able to tell who without a warrant, but can tell what activity there was before and afterward, even if they’re not suspecting foul play.” He also added one thing that he feels should be looked at closely. “There was something about the way that his wife was described in the bathroom that I think is worth looking into a bit more. And she was in the bathroom.
“I guess there was a space heater, and there were some pills that seemed to be strewn, and I don’t know where, if that space heater was turned on. That might change the way her decomposition looks. Having a heat source close to the remains really does change decomposition rate.” The investigation into their deaths is ongoing, with authorities working to determine the exact sequence of events leading up to their passing.
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