Gloriouslife & mysterious death

TRIBUTES POUR IN FOR THE CELEBRATED STAR AS QUESTIONS LINGER ABOUT HIS DEMISE

-  Jennie Noonan

On the afternoon of February 26, a caretaker made a grim discovery after arriving at a gated community in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to carry out routine maintenance work on the Southwestern-style ranch home of acting legend Gene Hackman and his wife, concert pianist Betsy Arakawa.

"I think we just found two or one deceased person inside the house," he said on a call to 911. "A female and a male, probably ... I don't know, sir, just send somebody up here quick."

What authorities discovered was as tragic as it was perplexing. According to an affidavit for a search warrant, Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were each discovered dead in different parts of the house. Arakawa was found in the bathroom, next to a space heater and an open bottle of prescription medication, with pills scattered on the counter. Medications taken from the scene by investigators were an unspecified thyroid medication, high blood pressure medication diltiazem and Tylenol. Her body showed signs of "mummification", which suggested she had likely been dead for some time. One of the couple's dogs, a German Shepherd, was found dead in a bathroom closet, while a second was found alive next to Arakawa. A third dog was running on the property when authorities arrived. The document revealed that Hackman, meanwhile, was found on the floor of a room near the kitchen, with sunglasses on the floor next to him, suggesting he had "suddenly fallen".

Activity on his pacemaker indicated he had died nine days before the couple were discovered.