‘I’m sorry—NO FOUL PLAY?’: Fans question police statement on the sudden deaths of Gene Hackman, his wife, and their dog
The two-time Academy Award-winning Hollywood actor Gene Hackman was tragically found dead in his Santa Fe, New Mexico, home on the afternoon of February 26. While Hollywood is pouring out tributes, the unusual and suspicious circumstances surrounding his and his wife’s death have set social media ablaze with speculation.
Content warning: mentions of death and decomposition
The actor, who was 95 when found deceased, wasn’t the only one found dead in the apartment by the police on Wednesday. While his body was discovered in a side room near the kitchen of the house, Betsy Arakawa, his wife of more than three decades, was also found lifeless in a bathroom. Disturbingly, reports noted that Arakawa’s body showed signs of “decomposition and mummification in both hands and feet.”
The search warrant has revealed heartbreaking details of the couple’s death
According to The New York Times, “an open prescription bottle and scattered pills” were discovered near Arakawa’s body. But what raised even more alarms was the discovery of the couple’s German shepherd, dead just 10-15 feet away from Arakawa in a bathroom closet. The police announced that the family had been deceased for “quite a while” before their bodies were discovered. Maintenance workers revealed they hadn’t been in contact with the couple in about two weeks.
According to the BBC, there were no signs of external injury on their bodies, but authorities deemed the deaths “suspicious enough” to launch further investigation. No official cause of death has been disclosed yet, but the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office revealed in a statement that “there were no apparent signs of foul play.” This has led social media to become unbelieving of the police as they speculate how the death of a couple along with their dog at the same time can be of “natural causes.”
Netizens are distrusting of the police ruling out any foul play
One user swiftly took to X to express their surprise at the police statement:
“Gene Hackman, his wife, and their dog were ALL found dead in their home. Police currently believe there was no foul play but are in an active death investigation.”
I’m sorry— NO FOUL PLAY?
Gene, his wife, and the dog all died together at the same time of… natural causes?
(via @shesbonky/X)
The replies to the post were filled with further speculations about the possible cause of their deaths. As one X user noted, “2 adults and their pet dog dying at same time is not ‘normal.'” While most of the respondents believe it to be carbon monoxide poisoning, the affidavit reveals there were no obvious signs of gas leak in the home. Additionally, the Fire Department did not find signs of a carbon monoxide leak either. So, the speculations might be incorrect.
Also, “foul play” usually refers to immediate evidence of violence—such as gunshot wounds, bruises, other external trauma, or evidence of a struggle at the scene. With no injuries reported on the bodies, authorities weren’t entirely off base in stating there was “no foul play” involved.
But to find concrete answers, autopsies on the bodies of the couple were performed on Thursday. The carbon monoxide and toxicology tests still await reports. The reports are expected to provide crucial insights into the mysterious circumstances of the couple’s deaths. For now, the case remains an “open investigation,” with authorities keeping all possibilities on the table.
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