The deaths of Jean Hackman and his wife remain a mystery as authorities confirm that there are “significant discoveries” of carbon monoxide and gas leaks in their New Mexico home.
New Mexico Gas conducted the survey after the Oscar-winning actor. his wife, Betsy Arakawa. And their dog was found dead last week.
Authorities found the 95-year-old Hackman in a mudroom near the kitchen in Santa Fe, according to a search warrant. Arakawa, 65, is on the bathroom floor, and a German shepherd was found by her in the bathroom closet, about 10 feet.
Two other dogs were found alive at the facility.
On Tuesday, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office released a brief update on the investigation, saying it had received the gas company’s investigation results.
“These results were relayed to the medical investigator’s office for consideration, but are not considered to be a factor in the deaths of Gene Hackman, Betsy Arakawa or their dogs,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
The sheriff’s office added that the gas company issued five red tags. One is a stove burner with a tiny non-fatal leak and four tags for leaks and code enforcement violations that do not contain carbon monoxide. The violations included water heaters and gas logwriters installed in three fireplaces, the sheriff’s office said.
The gas company did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
Authorities said the death was “suspected,” but Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza said he was confident that he “no foul plays.” The Sheriff’s Office previously said that the medical inspector’s preliminary investigation found no signs of external trauma.
Hackman and his wife may have been dead for days or perhaps weeks before they were found, Mendoza said. The search warrant said both bodies showed “clear signs of death.” When Arakawa was discovered, there was a space heater near her head and a prescription bottle with pills scattered around the counter, the warrant said.
The sheriff said information about the pills was handed over to medical researchers to determine the cause of death.
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