The shocking discovery of the bodies of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa late last month has puzzled investigators, who are still trying to determine how and when the couple died.
Hackman, who was 95, and Arakawa, 65, were discovered in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, by a neighborhood security officer after pest-control workers reported not being able to get in touch with the residents.
Authorities investigating the deaths have already said a deadly carbon monoxide leak is unlikely, but now an expert who is not involved in the investigation is weighing in on another theory recently bandied about: that Hackman and Arakawa died by ‘companion suicide.’
James Gill, Chief Medical Examiner for the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, shared Tuesday with People that the theory is an unlikely explanation for the puzzling deaths.
Gill, who said he had dealt in the past with ‘cases like that,’ explained that couples who die in a dual suicide are ‘usually … together in bed.’
The shocking discovery of the bodies of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa have puzzled fans and investigators, with the possibility of a ‘companion suicide’ being considered; seen in 2003
But an expert not involved in the investigation deems it unlikely that Hackman and his wife both killed themselves, according to People; police are seen outside Hackman’s home on February 27 in Santa Fe, New Mexico
