Gene Hackman and wife found dead: death presumed Feb. 17, investigation continues

Gene Hackman and wife Betsy were found dead in their Santa Fe mansion, with the cause of death still being investigated. Autopsies and toxicology tests will be crucial in shedding light on the tragedy

Gene Hackman, a celebrated actor and two-time Academy Award winner, died on Feb. 17, but his body and that of his wife, Betsy, were not discovered until a week and a half later, on Feb. 26, in a mansion the couple had lived in for about 20 years in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The discovery was made by a janitor who, not seeing the couple, raised the alarm.

According to Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza, the last event recorded by Hackman’s pacemaker was just February 17, thus confirming the date of death. Although initial tests ruled out carbon monoxide poisoning, the investigation is still ongoing, with investigators not dismissing the possibility of gas poisoning. The trail was initially dismissed, but today authorities put it back on the table, with the goal of shedding light on the cause of death. “Autopsies and toxicology tests will be crucial to understanding what happened,” Mendoza said.

The circumstances under which the bodies were found are particularly disturbing: Gene and Betsy Hackman were found in two different areas of the house, “as if they had suddenly fallen,” according to a police source. The spacious, natural gas-fueled mansion is located within a gated residential community in the Santa Fe hills. The house is so large that it took time to locate Hackman’s body, after his wife’s was found in a bathroom, near the body of a dead dog and another dog that appeared to be in a state of distress.

At present, the cause of death is not yet certain. Paramedics arrived on the scene first, followed by police who seized various items, including medications and electronic devices, to try to reconstruct the events. In particular, painkillers, hypertension and thyroid medications, as well as two cell phones and a 2025 calendar were found, which could help clarify the chronology of events.

A possible cause of death could be natural gas poisoning. The Hackmans’ mansion had a system that supplied the house with natural gas, but the substance may have dissipated before the bodies were found. This hypothesis was initially advanced by Hackman’s daughter Elizabeth and now seems to be making a comeback, although it is still too early to confirm the cause of death.

New Mexico’s cold and dry weather conditions helped preserve the bodies, which were partially mummified when they were found. Despite their advanced age (Hackman was 95), statements from family and friends testify that the actor enjoyed good health, regularly practicing yoga and Pilates. The family is currently trying to understand what could have caused such a sudden and mysterious tragedy.

Investigators, who are now following several leads, are awaiting the final results of toxicology tests, which could take four to six weeks to complete. Until then, the cause of death of Gene Hackman and his wife remains shrouded in mystery.

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(Photo: © AndKronos)