Gene Hackman’s family is speaking out. After the legendary actor was found dead on Wednesday at 95, his daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie, and his granddaughter, Annie, released a statement.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy,” they told The Post on Thursday.
“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,” the continued. “We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”
The actor’s wife of 34 years – pianist Betsy Arakawa, 63 – and one of their dogs were also found dead with him in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home.
The sheriff’s office said the “exact cause of death has not been determined” and initially revealed that foul play was “not suspected as a factor.”
Elizabeth told TMZ she suspected her father and stepmother died of carbon monoxide poisoning. However, the police noted in the affidavit that the deaths were “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.”
The door to their home was “unsecured and opened,” but there was no sign of forced entry or theft. Authorities also found an open orange prescription pill bottle and pills scattered around the room where Arakawa and one of their German shepherds were discovered, according to the report.
Despite the family’s carbon monoxide positioning theory, the affidavit stated that there was “no obvious sign of a gas leak.”
Hackman’s wife had “obvious signs of death, body decomposition, bloating in her face and mummification in both hands and feet,” per the affidavit, which noted she was found on the floor of a bathroom near the home’s entry.
A space heater was located near Arakawa’s head, with one of the responding officers suspecting it “could have fallen in the event the female abruptly fell to the ground.”
Hackman had “obvious signs of death, similar and consistent with the female decedent,” according to the police report.
The Oscar-winning actor’s body was discovered near a pair of sunglasses in what authorities believe was the couple’s mudroom. Responding officers noted that it appeared Hackman had “suddenly fallen.”
A medical examiner will determine the cause of death for both Hackman and his wife.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the investigation is “active and ongoing,” reported NBC News on Thursday.
The New Mexico Gas Co. is cooperating with the sheriff’s office in the investigation, spokesperson Tim Korte told the Associated Press.
Hackman retired from acting in 2004 and walked away with two Academy Awards during his decorated career in Hollywood.
He won his first Oscar for his role in the 1971 crime movie “The French Connection.” His second Oscar win was for his portrayal of Little Bill Daggett in Clint Eastwood’s 1992 film “Unforgiven.”
While Hackman was given his flowers for those roles, he also appeared in several other classics like “Bonnie and Clyde,” “Mississippi Burning,” “Superman,” “A Bridge Too Far,” “Hoosiers,” “The Firm” and “The Royal Tenenbaums.”
Be First to Comment