Summary

Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, 95, his wife Betsy Arakawa, and their dog were found dead in their New Mexico home, authorities confirmed Thursday.

Foul play is not suspected, but an investigation is ongoing.

Hackman, a revered actor known for The French Connection and Unforgiven, retired from Hollywood two decades ago and spent his later years writing novels.

He lived in New Mexico since the 1980s, remaining largely out of the public eye. His death comes just days before this year’s Academy Awards.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    391 day ago

    Foul play is not suspected

    Does “foul play” include gas leaks, etc., or are those counted as accidents or similar?

        • @IphtashuFitz
          link
          English
          131 day ago

          Could have been something like a leak in the exhaust of a gas furnace etc as well.

          • @[email protected]
            link
            fedilink
            English
            31 day ago

            Oh yeah. Because for gas itself to have killed them it would have had to have been a pretty massive leak.

            • Norah (pup/it/she)
              link
              fedilink
              English
              61 day ago

              Natural gas utilities are also required to add sulphur to it so that it stinks. You would notice and evacuate long before it overcame you.

              • @[email protected]
                link
                fedilink
                91 day ago

                Mercaptan is the chemical they add to it, which has a very recognizable smell. It is a sulfur compound though, so I guess I’m just being pedantic.

                • @Mirshe
                  link
                  31 day ago

                  It’s not just the recognizable smell they add it for, it’s the fact that it’s an odorant that’s detectable at an INCREDIBLY small concentration (humans can smell it at 1 part per BILLION).

    • @ladicius
      link
      101 day ago

      Suicide? Old people sometimes decide to end life on their own schedule.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        211 day ago

        Suuure sounds like carbon monoxide poisoning, which accidentally kills lots of people every year.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        61 day ago

        It’s the dog that knocks it off the possibility list for me. Most people who commit to the act of suicide start giving stuff away. That and a sudden ‘happiness burst’ are things that you sometimes see in people who have made the decision. Why would you take a chance to kill your dog, when you could just take a half day and get a vet to do it, or just ask someone to take care of the dog for a few days with the excuse you’ll be out of town or are hosting a party or a half dozen of the other plausible reasons?

    • Y|yukichigai
      link
      fedilink
      English
      31 day ago

      It doesn’t, but per comments from the fire department and the gas company there were no signs of leaking pipes or carbon monoxide.

      The fact that the dog died makes me think it was environmental of some kind though. Maybe something they all ate/drank?