The death of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, have been ruled as suspicious.
According to reports, their bodies were found in a “state of decomposition” along with one of their three dogs in their Santa Fe home. Speculation that it could’ve been carbon monoxide poisoning; however, the local gas provider, the New Mexico Gas Co. was involved in the investigation along with the Sheriff’s department.
Alternative suspicions were raised once investigators found prescription pills near Arakawa’s body. The sheriff’s spokesperson said that foul play was not suspected and that a cause of death has not been determined. The spokesperson also added that a cause of death will not be determined until an autopsy is conducted.
The search warrant also revealed that their bodies had “bloating in their face and mummification on their hands and feet.” A prescription bottle was found on the countertop, with the pills scattered everywhere.
Arakawa was found lying on the bathroom floor, while Hackman was found in another room, fully clothed. Authorities believe that he had fallen in the room. “All I can say is that we’re in the middle of a preliminary death investigation,” Sheriff Adan Mendoza said.
Authorities also reported that there were no signs of trauma to the bodies, and no suicide note was discovered.