"Suspicious" circumstances

Police puzzled: What happened to Gene Hackman?

Betsy Arakawa and Gene Hackman had been married since 1991 and lived in Santa Fe.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/AP)

Two-time Oscar winner Gene Hackman (†95) and his wife Betsy Arakawa (†63) were found dead in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. One of their three dogs was also discovered lifeless. Police are not classifying the circumstances as a crime, but as "suspicious" and have launched a full investigation.

According to the authorities, the couple's already mummified bodies were discovered in different rooms of the house. While two of their dogs were found unharmed, a third was found dead in a bathroom closet. Particularly striking: the front door of the property was open, an open pill bottle was lying next to Betsy Arakawa and there was a radiant heater in the kitchen. However, a gas leak was ruled out after the local utility company checked the pipes.

Various theories
Investigators are looking into various theories, including possible carbon monoxide poisoning, which was put forward by one of the couple's daughters. So far, however, there is no clear indication of the exact cause of death. The investigation is ongoing.

There is no obvious evidence of foul play, nor has a message from the couple been discovered, said Sheriff Adan Mendoza. "At this point in the process, there is nothing that obvious. The autopsy will tell us more. We're not going to guess if it was accidental or natural causes. It was not typical."

Betsy Arakawa and Gene Hackman had been married since 1991 and lived in Santa Fe.

(Bild: PPS/Photo Press Service)

In any case, the bodies of the actor and his wife showed no visible injuries. Police were called to the home on Old Sunset Trail in Santa Fe around 1:45 p.m. Wednesday.

Born in the midst of the Depression
Born in 1930 during the Great Depression and raised in broken homes, Hackman was one of the world's leading character actors. He starred in numerous films throughout his career and created cult moments on screen. The five-and-a-half-minute car chase, for example, in which "Popeye" Doyle grunts, grimaces and honks his way through the crowded streets of New York in "French Connection", is legendary.

Gene Hackman was 95 years old, his wife, a successful classical pianist, 63.

(Bild: AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

Hackman won his first Oscar for this police officer role in 1972 - for Best Actor in a Leading Role. His second as best supporting actor followed in 1993 for his portrayal of a brutal small-town sheriff in Clint Eastwood's western "Merciless". The actor also received countless other awards, including four Golden Globes.

2008 Retirement declared
His films include "Bonnie and Clyde" as well as "Mississippi Burning", "The Firm" and "The Royal Tenenbaums". Hackman made his last appearance in 2004 in "Welcome to Mooseport" and officially retired from the film business in 2008.

Santa Fe County police officers in front of the home of actor Gene Hackman

(Bild: Roberto E. Rosales/AP)

In all his decades on screen, Hackman avoided the public eye and rarely gave interviews. His reasoning: "I was trained to be an actor, not a star."

Married since 1991
Hackman lived with his second wife, the pianist Arakawa, in the house they shared in Santa Fe, where he wrote books and painted. The two had been married since 1991, but were now found dead together in their home.

Star director Francis Ford Coppola, who had worked with Hackman on the film "The Dialogue", paid tribute to him as a "great" actor. "I mourn his death, but I celebrate his existence and his contribution."