In the early hours of the morning of February 26th 2025 acclaimed Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead under suspicious circumstances that police who investigated the initial scene then deemed concerning enough to warrant a much deeper investigation. This Friday more information was presented to the public by Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza of this investigation’s initial findings including Hackman’s current estimate of time and death being 9 days with his pacemaker’s last known event being recorded on February 17th.

Medoza stated that the current plan was to use that information and the rest of the investigation findings to narrow down the time frame of the time of death, “We’re doing a reverse timeline. We’re doing a timeline from the time of death and the autopsy and the results, and we’re going to start working our way backward.”

CNN has published an extensive article containing the major statements by the parties involved in the investigation.

The maintenance workers who made the 911 call reporting unconscious bodies inside the house that they were unable to enter told authorities that they hadn’t had contact with Hackman and Arakawa for 2 weeks. The call to 911 did not report the couple as dead with the maintenance crew looking through the windows assuming the couple was incapacitated in some way. The call went, “No, dude, they’re not moving. Just send somebody out here really quick,”

Autopsy reports state that Arakawa’s and Hackman’s bodies were starting to show signs of decomposition and mummification with Arakawa having swelling in the face with along signs of mummification around her hands and feet which only occur in dry climates after 2 weeks according to experts that CNN quoted. Hackman’s body showed similar signs of developing mummification though his body and his body was located in a different part of the house. There have been no reports on the dog’s estimated time of death or any unusual decomposition of its body.

Initial reports from labs find no injuries that suggest a fall from either individual or signs of foul play, “I think I’m pretty confident that there is no foul play just based on the lack of evidence of foul play,” Mendoza told NBC and continued “Of course, we’re not ruling that out.” stressing that it is not been completely disproven as a possibility with current evidence but that there is very little evidence pointing to that being the case. As of now accidents or suicide have yet to be ruled out. Mendoza also wanted to make a correction from the affidavits released on Wednesday that said the dog found dead on the scene was in a closet the dog was actually in a pet crate close to Arakawa’s body and the spilled pills in the bathroom. Two other dogs were found in the house healthy and well by police. Pathologists are investigating and have yet to determine what type of pills were found spilled in the bathroom. It was noted that Hackman’s body had a cane and sunglasses near suggesting a fall yet no evidence pointed towards that event rolling it out.

Police also have already ruled out gas leaks and carbon monoxide poisoning after the bodies of the deceased tested negative for both and inspections of the house showed that nothing was wrong with the gas installations. Police in turn have begun toxicologies on both bodies and the official results will likely not be seen soon with the current estimate being 3 months out as reported to NBC. They do not know how long the process will be depending on how many tests occur to determine if any poisoning or consumption of toxic materials was involved.

Search warrants also revealed that the house had missing items described by CNN to be a pair of Green cellular devices, three different medications, Diltiazem, Tylenol, and what has been described to reporters as a thyroid medication along with the medical records from the service myquest and the monthly planner seized by the police.

The case is still unclear about the cause of death or circumstance with the pathologist stressing again that more investigation will have to take place before any official statements are issued. Hackman’s family and community have responded to the news with great sadness many commenting on Hackman and Arakawa being friendly and inviting people with Hackman’s daughters and granddaughters stating they were devastated by the loss of their grandfather and his wife. Well there was no confirmation from the academy is likely Hackman’s passing would likely be honored in some form during the 97th Oscars