Details of the heartbreaking last few days lived by Hollywood icon Gene Hackman are emerging in the wake of authorities confirming a cause of death for both the actor and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa.
The pair were found dead at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico last month, prompting all manner of conspiracy theories and wild speculation.
In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, it was assumed by many that Hackman and Arakawa had succumbed to some sort of gas leak. After all, though Hackman was 95, his wife was only 63, and the fact both of them were found dead without signs of struggle – along with one of their three dogs – implied that they must have passed at the same time.
Indeed, one of Hackman’s daughters, Elizabeth Jean Hackman, went on record to state the family’s early belief that carbon monoxide poisoning was to blame.
“The house is fairly modern, built in 2000,” Elizabeth explained to TMZ. “But we don’t know if there were any issues with gas leaks or if there were any recent service calls to the property.”
Yet as part of the investigation into the deaths, Santa Fe City Fire department ruled out carbon monoxide leak or poisoning as they found no signs present at the home.
It was reported that the New Mexico Gas Company also found no signs of this after carrying out tests on the gas line and around the residence.