Actor Gene Hackman is believed to have died about nine days before his body was discovered, People reported on Feb. 28 (local time), citing police.
According to reports, police confirmed that Hackman's heart monitor last functioned on Feb. 17. The police noted, "It's a very good guess that was his last day alive."
The 95-year-old actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Bessy Arakawa, 65, were found dead at their home in New Mexico on the 26th, shocking many. They were discovered in separate rooms of their palace-like Santa Fe home. A shepherd they owned was also found dead, while two other dogs were fortunately found to be healthy. The police reiterated, "There were no clear signs of foul play," but still stated that the circumstances of their deaths were "unusual." One of Hackman's three children, Leslie Ann Hackman, also said to Daily Mail, "The deaths of our parents remain a mystery, so the family is waiting for answers regarding the cause of death from law enforcement." The children suspect the deaths were caused by a gas leak.
However, the police confirmed that "there were no clear signs of a gas leak" and mentioned that pills were found scattered in the house, which raises suspicions. Arakawa's body was reportedly discovered in the bathroom next to an open pill bottle with scattered capsules. The shepherd was found about 10 to 15 feet away in a closet, while Hackman was found in another room wearing sweatpants and a blue T-shirt, with a cane and sunglasses beside him. According to the police, the couple's bodies had already started to decompose when they were discovered. The maintenance worker who first called 911 told police that he hadn't seen Hackman and Arakawa for about two weeks. Even more mysteriously, according to the statement, local fire departments and gas companies found no immediate signs of a gas leak or carbon monoxide poisoning. The bodies of Hackman and Arakawa were transported to the medical examiner's office in Santa Fe for autopsies. Investigators reported that there were no signs of external trauma after the initial investigation, but the cause of death has yet to be determined. It may take weeks for the results to come in. Hackman, who won Academy Awards for the films "The French Connection" and "Unforgiven," married classical pianist Arakawa in 1991. He had three children with his first wife. In a 2011 interview with GQ, he stated, "I want to be remembered as a 'pretty good actor.'"
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