‘I think the autopsy’s going to tell us a lot’: Police probe deaths of Gene Hackman, wife and dog

The New Mexico Gas Co tested the gas lines in and around the home after the bodies were discovered, according to the affidavit.

At the time, it didn’t find any signs of problems, and the fire department found no signs of a carbon monoxide leak or poisoning. Detective Arndt noted that people exposed to gas leaks or carbon monoxide might not show signs of poisoning.

Professor Jeffrey Bellin, who works at William & Mary Law School in Williamsburg, Virginia, said the request for a search warrant was unusual, as no alleged crime was mentioned.

Police tend to overstate what they know, he said, but this is the opposite. “It just struck me as very careful in a way that search warrant affidavits often are not,” Bellin said.

Worker’s distressed 911 call

At his press conference, Sheriff Mendoza revealed that a pest control worker had first raised the alarm when he attended the property on Wednesday (US time) and believed the pair weren’t home, which seemed unusual.

“He made contact with a security officer who was there, either patrolling or in the subdivision, and then it was a security officer that went to the house and discovered the individuals in the home,” Mendoza told reporters.

In a 911 call obtained by TMZ, a man describing himself as a caretaker urges authorities to attend the property.

Asked if the couple is awake or breathing, he says: “I have no idea. I’m not inside the house. It’s closed. It’s locked, I can’t go in, but I see them, she’s laying down on the floor.”

Asked if either Hackman or Arakawa was moving, the caller says: “No, dude, they’re not moving. Just send somebody out here really quick.”

The affidavit says that when officers arrived, the workers had found the front door of the house was open. Police said there was no sign of forced entry, and nothing appeared out of place.

“[Police] did not observe any indication the residence had been rummaged through or items were taken from inside,” the affidavit read.

Hackman appeared to have fallen, an officer observed. He was wearing a blue T-shirt, grey sweatpants and slippers. A pair of sunglasses and a cane were nearby.

A German shepherd was found dead in a bathroom closet near Arakawa, police said. During the press conference, Mendoza said the dog was found in a kennel. Two healthy dogs were found on the property – one inside and one outside.

Actor known for his versatility

Hackman was among the best actors of his generation, appearing as villains, heroes and antiheroes in dozens of dramas, comedies and action films from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s.

“He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us, he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss,” his daughters and granddaughter said in a statement.

Hackman was considered among the greatest American actors. He could play virtually any kind of role, from comic book villain Lex Luthor in Superman to a coach finding redemption in the sentimental favourite Hoosiers.

He was a five-time Oscar nominee who won for The French Connection in 1972 and Unforgiven two decades later. His death came just days ahead of this year’s ceremony on March 2.

Actor-director Clint Eastwood, Hackman’s Unforgiven co-star, released a statement saying: “There was no finer actor than Gene. Intense and instinctive. Never a false note. He was also a dear friend whom I will miss very much.”

Hackman met Arakawa, a classically trained pianist, when she was working part-time at a California gym in the mid-1980s, The New York Times reported in 1989. They soon moved in together, and by the end of the decade had relocated to Santa Fe.

Their Southwestern-style ranch on Old Sunset Trail sits on a hill in a gated community with views of the Rocky Mountains.

The four-bedroom home on 2.5 hectares was built in 1997 and had an estimated market value of a little over $US4 million ($6.4 million), according to Santa Fe County property tax records.

With AP, Reuters

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