UPDATE: The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office held a press conference on Friday afternoon, in which Sheriff Adan Mendoza shared additional information:

• "The Santa Fe Animal Control Division worked with family to ensure the safety of the two surviving dogs.
• "There were no apparent signs of foul play" at the scene, according to investigators.
• "In the early hours of Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, Mr. Hackman and Ms. Arakawa were transported to the office of the medical investigator. An autopsy was performed. Initial findings noted no external trauma to either individual."
• The manner and cause of death is not known, with the official results of the autopsy and toxicology reports pending.
• Mendoza said he spoke on Friday at 2:00 p.m. local time with the pathologist from the state office of the medical investigator. The doctor told him that several of the tests were submitted on an expedited basis.
• "She revealed to me the following information: Both individuals tested negative for carbon monoxide. 
• "An initial interrogation was conducted of Mr. Hackman's pacemaker. This revealed that his last event was recorded on Feb. 17, 2025," but that a "more thorough investigation will be completed."

During the media Q & A, Sheriff Mendoza said that the pathologist has not yet determined whether Hackman or his wife died first, "based on the initial autopsy result."

He said that "there is no surveillance [cameras on the property], as we know of right now, in the interior of the residence or the exterior of the residence, that's going to help us determine a timeline for events that happened."

Sheriff Mendoza said that while the couple's cellphones are in authorities' possession, they have not accessed the contents so far. He added that the department has a process in place to do that, and it can reach out to other agencies or entities, if needed, to gain access.

When asked how long the autopsy and toxicology tests could take to be finalized, he answered that it could "take months...three months or longer, in my experience."

[This is a developing story. RedState will provide more information as it becomes available.]

original story

As we reported on Thursday, legendary Hollywood actor Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, 65, along with one of their dogs, were found dead at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Wednesday, according to Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza:

Sadly, on Wednesday, Hackman popped back on the radar due to his death, possibly under tragic circumstances. 

From the local Santa Fe New Mexican: 

Legendary actor, two-time Oscar winner and author Gene Hackman and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, were found dead Wednesday afternoon in their home in the Santa Fe Summit community northeast of the city.

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirmed just after midnight Thursday the couple had died, along with their dog.

Mendoza said in an interview Wednesday evening there was no immediate indication of foul play. He did not provide a cause of death or say when the couple might have died.

But the Daily Mail added this additional bit of information:

Santa Fe sheriff Adan Mendoza added that officials are 'in the middle of a preliminary death investigation' which is 'active and ongoing'. The tragic fate of their dog could be key in the mystery surrounding their deaths and help detectives piece together the couple's final moments.

Read related: Oscar-Winning Actor Gene Hackman, His Wife, and Their Dog Found Dead in Santa Fe Home

As my colleague Jennifer Oliver O'Connell's piece noted, the additional death of the couple's dog lead some to speculate that the cause of death of all three could be carbon monoxide poisoning.

However, the information that trickled out as the day progressed, via the release of the police search warrant of Hackman's home, left more questions than answers. As our sister site Townhall.com wrote, "....[t]he initial report was that the couple perished through carbon monoxide poisoning, but that was quickly updated as something seems off about how the bodies were discovered": 

Reportedly, Hackman and his wife had been dead for quite some time, their bodies mummified, with pills all over the place, and the front door was open. The couple hadn’t been seen or heard from in about two weeks...

Authorities said the deaths were “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation” after finding the door to the couple’s home was “unsecured and opened” and an open orange prescription pill bottle and pills scattered around the room where Hackman’s wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, and one of their German shepherd dogs were discovered. 

Deputies noted that it appeared Arakawa had “obvious signs of death, body decomposition, bloating in her face and mummification in both hands and feet” when she was found on the floor of a bathroom near the home’s entry, according to the report. 

The door into the couple’s $3.3 million Santa Fe, New Mexico, home, which sits on six acres and is over 8,000 square feet, was left ajar — but there was no sign of forced entry or theft, according to the report. 

Authorities also noted in the report that a black space heater was found near Arakawa’s head. A responding officer said “he suspected the heater could have fallen in the event the female abruptly fell to the ground,” the affidavit said. 

The couple’s deceased dog was located about 10 to 15 feet away from Arakawa inside the bathroom’s closet, deputies wrote in the report.

Meanwhile, Hackman’s body was located in what deputies believe was the mudroom near a pair of sunglasses. Officers wrote in the report that it appeared he had “suddenly fallen.”

Now, Sheriff Mendoza has given an update on the investigation, in an interview Friday with NBC's "Today" show:

Santa Fe County Sheriff Aden Mendoza said he spoke with the pathologist from the New Mexico office of the medical investigator, who said that both Hackman and Arakawa tested negative for carbon monoxide.

The two apparently had been dead for days or even a couple of weeks when investigators found their bodies while searching the couple’s Santa Fe home on Wednesday. Investigators are trying to figure out the last time anyone saw or spoke to them, Mendoza told NBC’s “Today” show on Friday.

...

According to court records filed Friday, authorities who searched the home retrieved medication that treats high blood pressure and chest pain, thyroid medication, Tylenol, two cellphones, a monthly planner and records from medical diagnostics testing.

The couple was found by a maintenance worker who is regularly employed at the residence:

A maintenance worker who showed up to do routine work at the house discovered their bodies, investigators said. The worker said he was unable to get inside when a 911 operator asked whether the people in the house were breathing.

“I have no idea,” the subdivision’s caretaker said on the call. “I am not inside the house. It’s closed. It’s locked. I can’t go in. But I can see she’s laying down on the floor from the window.”

He and another worker later told authorities that they rarely saw the homeowners and that their last contact with them had been about two weeks ago

In Friday's interview, Mendoza said there are "several conflicting stories" about which doors may have been open, locked, or unlocked--especially since there were two other, healthy dogs found at the home:

Mendoza told “Today” there were several conflicting stories about which doors were locked at the house. Several were unlocked and a rear door was open, which allowed two dogs that survived to go in and out. He also said he thought the front door was closed but unlocked.

As far as pinpointing the people who last saw Hackman and Arakawa alive, Mendoza said authorities are still following up on that, telling "Today," “That is a challenge because they were very private individuals."

He added that it might be months before final results of the autopsy and toxicology testing are known.

This is a developing story. RedState will provide updates as they become available.

[Editor's Note: This article was edited for clarity after publication.]