Investigation into deaths of Gene Hackman, wife continues in New Mexico
Authorities are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Academy Award-winning actor Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 64, a classical pianist. The couple were found dead, along with one of their dogs, Wednesday in their home in the southwestern U.S. state of New Mexico.
Investigators have retrieved an assortment of prescription and over-the-counter medications, in addition to cellphones and records from medical diagnostics testing from the house.
"I'm pretty confident there is no foul play," Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said Friday on The Today Show. He said the autopsy results "will steer us in the right direction" in determining what happened to Hackman and his wife.
Without the autopsy, the sheriff said, it is difficult to determine how long the couple had been dead.
A search warrant affidavit issued Thursday said the circumstances surrounding the couple's deaths were "suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation."
Mendoza told The Today Show that several doors around the house were unlocked and one door in the rear of the house was open. Earlier reports said the front door was open.
Hackman's body was found near the rear of the house, while his wife's body was found in a bathroom. The dead dog's body was found in a dog crate, not far from Arakawa's body. The couple had three German shepherds. The other two dogs were found alive and healthy at the property.
The search warrant affidavit also revealed that police called the Santa Fe Fire Department and the New Mexico Gas Company to Hackman's residence, but no toxic fumes or leaky pipes were found on the grounds.
Storied career
Hackman had a lengthy career on stage and screen, including appearing in Broadway shows, on television and in more than 80 films.
He won an Oscar for best actor for his role in the 1971 film The French Connection and a best supporting Oscar for the 1992 film Unforgiven.
Hackman's resume featured three other Oscar nominations, including his breakout role in Bonnie and Clyde in 1967 as well as I Never Sang for My Father in 1970 and Mississippi Burning in 1988.
His work crossed genres as he appeared in action movies, thrillers and off-beat comedies.
In addition to his award-nominated works, he was also known for roles in films such as The Poseidon Adventure, Young Frankenstein, Superman, Hoosiers, The Birdcage, and The Royal Tenenbaums.
His last film was Welcome to Mooseport in 2004.
His loss was immediately felt throughout the entertainment community as fellow artists praised him on social media. Director Francis Ford Coppola and actor Morgan Freeman were among those who posted their remembrances of the actor.
"The loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration," Coppola posted on Instagram. "Gene Hackman a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity. I mourn his loss and celebrate his existence and contribution." Hackman starred in Coppola's 1974 film The Conversation.
Freeman posted on Instagram: "One of the personal highlights of my career was bringing the French Film Gardé a Vue (Under Suspicion) to life with the incredibly gifted Gene Hackman. And of course... Unforgiven. Rest in peace, my friend."
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
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