Affidavit Describes Hackman Death Circumstances as 'Suspicious'

Gene Hackman and his wife had apparently been dead in their Santa Fe home for some time when their bodies were found by maintenance workers on Wednesday, according to a search warrant affidavit submitted by Santa Fe County sheriff's deputies. The affidavit obtained by the Santa Fe New Mexican states that Betsy Arakawa, 63, was found dead on a bathroom floor with "body decomposition" and mummification in both hands and feet. Hackman, 95, was found in a different room, and his body was in a similar condition. A dead dog was in a closet 10 to 15 feet from Arakawa. "Deputies observed a healthy dog running loose on the property" and another healthy dog near Arakawa's body, the affidavit states. Authorities say the couple had been dead for "quite a while," NBC News reports.

• A deputy saw a space heater near Arakawa's head, which he suspected may have come to the floor as she fell abruptly. "He also observed an orange prescription bottle on the counter-top near the deceased female. The prescription bottle appeared opened with pills scattered on the counter-top."
• A pair of sunglasses was found near Hackman's body, leading the deputy to suspect he had also fallen suddenly.
• Hackman's daughter Elizabeth says she suspects a carbon monoxide leak killed the couple and their dog. According to the affidavit, the Santa Fe City Fire Department found no signs of a leak, ABC News reports, though police haven't ruled it out. The document states that the New Mexico Gas Company tested gas lines in and around the residence. "As of now, there are no signs or evidence indicating there were any problems associated to the pipes in and around the residence," it states.

• The affidavit states that the front door of the home was ajar when the maintenance workers arrived, but there were no signs of forced entry, and nothing in the home appeared to be out of place. The deputy said the maintenance workers rarely saw the homeowners and last had contact with them two weeks earlier.
• "Affiant believes that the circumstances surrounding the death of the two deceased individuals to be suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation," the document states.
• The search warrant was approved Wednesday evening for investigators to search for evidence on what caused the deaths, the New Mexican reports.

(More Gene Hackman stories.)