Movie legend Gene Hackman, wife, dog found dead at home; investigation begins

LOS ANGELES: Legendary actor Gene Hackman, his wife, and their dog were found dead in their Santa Fe home -- a shocking end for one of the finest actors of his generation who appeared as hero, villain and anti-hero with effortless ease in dozens of acclaimed films from the 1960s until his retirement in the 2000s.

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Hackman, 95, a five-time Oscar nominee and two-time winner, was found dead on Wednesday evening (Thursday IST) in a mudroom. His 63-yearold wife, pianist Betsy Arakawa, was found dead in a bathroom next to a space heater. There was an open prescription bottle and pills scattered on a countertop near Arakawa, Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office detectives wrote in a search warrant.

Denise Avila, a sheriff's office spokesperson, said there was no indication that any of them had been shot or had other types of wounds. Authorities initially said there were no signs of foul play, but celebrity news outlet TMZ, citing a search warrant, said a detective believed the deaths were "suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation".

A detective noted that people exposed to gas leaks or carbon monoxide may not show signs of poisoning. The New Mexico Gas Co. was working with the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department in the investigation, spokesperson Tim Korte said. The utility tested the gas lines in and around the home after the bodies were discovered, according to the warrant. At the time, it didn't find any signs of problems.