Santa Fe County Sheriff’s deputies found Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa and a dog dead when they preformed a welfare check, a spokesperson said.

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.

  • @IphtashuFitzEnglish
    13•1 day ago

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

    • @[email protected]English
      3•1 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)English
        6•1 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]
          9•1 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
            3•1 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).