05-03-2025
Gas utility findings in Hackman home not factors in deaths, sheriff's office says
After an investigation into possible gas leaks and carbon monoxide in the house in which actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead last week, New Mexico Gas Co. confirmed there were "no significant findings" but did flag a few minor code violations "not involving gas leaks or carbon monoxide."
The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, which is investigating their deaths, made the announcement in a news release Tuesday.
Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were found dead in separate rooms of their large Hyde Park-area home — along with one of their three dogs — by property maintenance staff on the afternoon of Feb. 26. The sheriff's office investigation into their deaths has also ruled out carbon monoxide poisoning, Sheriff Adan Mendoza said last week.
Investigators do not suspect foul play, but a search warrant affidavit from detectives stated the circumstances of their deaths were "suspicious enough to warrant a thorough search and investigation."
The investigation by staff from the gas utility confirmed there were no findings investigators believe could be factors in Hackman's and Arakawa's deaths, but utility staff did issue five "red tags," which indicate appliances or systems that need to be fixed or replaced, according to several online sources.
Utility staff flagged one of the stove burners for a "minuscule leak" that resulted in .33% gas in the air, the release states, which is "not a lethal amount." The other four red tags were issued for code violations related to a water heater and gas log lighters installed in three fireplaces in the home, according to the sheriff's office.
Hackman, the star of many well-known films, lived in Santa Fe for more than three decades before his death. The mysterious deaths of Hackman and Arakawa have attracted interest from national and international news outlets. Mendoza has pointed to pending autopsy and toxicology reports for more answers, but he said those reports — from the state Medical Investigator's Office — could take three months or longer.
