Netizens are analyzing the most current facts supplied by the gas company in charge of investigating gas leaks and carbon monoxide at Gene Hackman’s home. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Santa Fe Fire Department have provided new details about their ongoing investigation into the deaths of actor Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa, and their family dog. According to the most recent statement from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Santa Fe Fire Department, the New Mexico Gas Company has completed its inspection at the Hackman-Arakawa residence at 1425 Old Sunset Trail.

On March 3, 2025, the corporation formally revealed its results with the investigators. The inspection, which took place in late February, included a thorough check for both gas leaks and carbon monoxide in the residence. While no life-threatening risks were discovered, inspectors did identify five red tags, one of which involved a minor gas leak at a stove burner, resulting in 0.33 percent gas in the air. According to industry standards, this amount is non-lethal.

The remaining violations were due to compliance issues with the property’s water heater and gas log lighters put in the home’s fireplaces. Despite these discoveries, officials have stated that none of the faults highlighted are thought to have directly contributed to the deaths of Hackman, Arakawa, or their dog. Nonetheless, the findings have been properly forwarded to the Office of the Medical Investigator, ensuring that they are considered as part of the overall cause-of-death investigation.

Following the official update from authorities, netizens swamped online forums with comments, expressing doubt and concern about the findings. Many people were eager to point out that even the smallest trace of gas should not be overlooked while researching such an unforeseen catastrophe. Among the swirl of speculation and evolving updates, Hackman’s daughter, Elizabeth Jean, has chimed in on what could have caused the terrible deaths of her father, Arakawa, and their beloved dog.

In February, she told TMZ that, while the family is unsure of the actual cause, they assume hazardous fumes were involved. Hackman’s daughter also stated that law enforcement has uncovered no indication of foul play thus far. However, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza stated that investigators have not formally ruled anything out and are keeping all options on the table as the investigation continues.

Adding to the intrigue, the Hackman-Arakawa house, built in 2000, is deemed relatively recent. This raises the question of whether there were any past gas leaks or service calls to the property before the tragedy. What is known is that when deputies arrived to do a welfare check at the home on February 26 (a Wednesday), they were joined by fire department and gas company workers.

This was a precaution taken to rule out any immediate hazards, such as toxic vapors, which may have endangered first responders throughout the search. TMZ’s report, the gas company’s update, and internet reactions to the news all come after early reports of Gene Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths. On February 26, 2025, the couple and one of their pets were discovered dead under unknown circumstances in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home. Hackman was 95, while Arakawa was 65.

Hackman has lived in Santa Fe since the 1980s. He married Arakawa in 1991, and the two led a peaceful life in their secluded home. Before their deaths were discovered, deputies arrived at their home on Old Sunset Trail in response to an unclear report. It’s unclear if it was a welfare check or a reaction to a call. During this period, police discovered their lifeless bodies. As officials pieced together a timeline, one element struck out: Hackman’s pacemaker stopped working on February 17. They speculated that the actor could have been deceased for nine days before being discovered.

“I think that is a very good assumption that that was his last day of life,” Mendoza said during a press conference on Friday, February 28. But that was only one element of the puzzle. Hackman and Arakawa were discovered in separate portions of the house. Arakawa’s body lay in the bathroom, next to a space heater. An open bottle of medications was near her.

The search warrant affidavit highlighted symptoms of mummification, indicating that she had been dead for some time. Hackman, found elsewhere, exhibited comparable characteristics. However, two additional dogs were found alive inside the house . The biggest question remains: who died first? Sheriff Mendoza admitted that it was “a very hard thing to determine.” Without definitive answers, speculations began to swirl.

Initially, Hackman’s family feared carbon monoxide poisoning. It seemed like a reasonable explanation for their abrupt and simultaneous deaths. However, authorities have ruled this out. Toxicology tests revealed no traces of the chemical in their bodies. Despite the unique circumstances, there was no evidence of forced entrance, violence, or conflict. As inquiries about the couple’s deaths continue, a respected forensic pathologist has proposed one possible answer.

Dr. Michael Baden, former chief medical examiner of New York City, suggested that Hackman died as a result of cardiac arrest, which may have been recorded by his pacemaker. In addition to ruling out carbon monoxide, the autopsy revealed no exterior injuries. Baden identified another common factor: cardiac disease. “The most common cause of death in this country,” he explained, alluding to serious coronary artery disease and high blood pressure. He speculated that Hackman had a fatal cardiac attack and collapsed in the mudroom where he was later discovered.

Dr. Baden also proposed an explanation for Arakawa’s death, implying that she may have been attempting to assist her husband in his final moments. He speculated that when she discovered Hackman unresponsive, she may have raced to get his blood pressure medication from the restroom. According to a search warrant affidavit, officers discovered bottles of thyroid medication, blood pressure pills, and Tylenol in the toilet.

The doctor suggested that Arakawa may have died as a result of her hasty actions. “She may have struck her head on the way down and had some internal injury to the brain that doesn’t show up on the outside,” he said. Baden mentioned another possibility: an undiscovered cardiac issue. At 65, Arakawa may have had serious heart disease, and the shock of the situation could have resulted in a deadly heart attack. However, he underlined that a head injury was more likely. “I think the first, that striking her head would be more common,” he told me.