Gene hackman and wife's cause and time of death update

THE MEDICAL EXAMINER SAID PUTTING A TIME ON DEATH BECOMES DIFFICULT ONCE A BODY HAS UNDERGONE SIGNIFICANT DECOMPOSITION 09:58, 07 Mar 2025 The time of death for Hollywood legend Gene Hackman

and his wife may be near-impossible to determine. An expert has revealed putting a time on death becomes increasingly difficult once a body has undergone significant decomposition,

especially when mummification occurs. The bodies of Gene, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found on February 26. Both bodies showed signs of advanced decomposition, including

bloating and mummification of the hands and feet. The bodies and the deceased body of a dog were found at their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home after the couple had been out of contact with

friends and family for several days. Gene was discovered in a side room near the kitchen while Betsy was found in a bathroom, at the property. The couple appeared to have been "dead for

quite a while", said Sheriff Adan Mendoza. Dr James Gill, Chief Medical Examiner for Connecticut, explained mummification can make it impossible to establish the exact timing of death.

He told People: “Once you get to that mummification stage, there’s nothing to be able to distinguish the two deaths timewise.” The expert added environmental factors such as dryness and

heat can accelerate decomposition, making it harder to pinpoint the cause and time of death. He said: “Generally, dry environments will cause mummification to occur more quickly than in a

non-dry environment.” Officials said on Friday that evidence points to Hackman having been dead since 17 February - 10 days before the couples' bodies were found. Article continues

below Forensic pathologist Judy Melinek, who also spoke to People, added it’s very difficult to determine time of death once decomposition has set in. No cause was given in police statements

immediately after the announcement of the deaths. The authorities reported no signs of injury but deemed the deaths "suspicious enough" to investigate and did not rule out foul

play. She said: “Once the body is decomposed, it’s a lot harder to do.” The expert added early indicators including rigor mortis and body temperature help in the initial stages of putting a

time on death, but are unreliable once decomposition progresses. The circumstances of their death were deemed "suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and

investigation", the search warrant says, because the worker who called emergency services had found the front door of the property open. Article continues below The actor's nephew,

Tim Hackman, said the mysterious circumstances of their deaths has left the family with many unanswered questions. He told US Weekly: "My uncle was 95 years old at an age where you

think about, 'Okay, it's time'. But from the circumstances now things have changed a bit. It's a major change." A number of theories have emerged on how he died as

The Conversation actor's daughter, Elizabeth Jean, speculated her dad may have died from carbon monoxide poisoning. However, police have since confirmed blood tests revealed no presence

of carbon monoxide in their bodies, which has prompted investigators to reassess initial theories.