A forensic expert comments on the “unusual” circumstances surrounding the cause of death of Gene Hackman and his wife

New information has been revealed by the inquiry into Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa’s deaths, and there is a good chance that the deaths were caused by a terrible accident. Dr. Michael Baden, a forensic pathologist, stated on Fox Report that Hackman’s pacemaker, whose last activity was recorded by the sheriff on February 17, might offer a vital clue.

Arakawa, 65, was discovered on the bathroom floor next to a space heater and an open bottle of prescription medicine, with pills all over the countertop, according to an affidavit for a search request that NBC News was able to get on February 27.

According to the E!News report, among the drugs taken from the house were the blood pressure medication Diltiazem, the pain reliever Tylenol, and an unidentified thyroid prescription.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff said Friday afternoon that the Oscar-winning actor may have been dead for nine days before he and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were discovered in their New Mexico home since the pacemaker was last operational on February 17. Mr. Hackman’s pacemaker was subjected to an initial inquiry.

This showed that February 17, 2025, was the date of his final documented occurrence. I was told that a more comprehensive inquiry would be carried out,” Mendoza stated. Sheriff Adan Mendoza told Independent, “I think that is a very good assumption that that was his last day of life.”

According to him, “that recorded event probably indicates a cardiac arrest triggered by an irregular pulse rate.” The pacemaker keeps an eye on the pulse and kicks in when it falls too low. The documents that Baden provided to Fox Report contain all of that information. He had no injuries, according to the autopsy, Baden continued.

“No carbon monoxide was present. And according to what has been made public, he had serious heart disease, coronary artery disease, and possibly high blood pressure, which are the leading causes of death in this nation. Thus, he would collapse in the mudroom while experiencing cardiac arrest.

Investigators found Hackman’s body on the floor of a mudroom with a walking cane and sunglasses close by, according to a search warrant document from the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office that Fox News Digital was able to receive. According to the documents, investigators thought the actor might have had a “sudden fall.” Dr. Michael Baden shared his hypothesis that Arakawa may have died after Hackman, perhaps when she was trying to help him after his pacemaker failed.

Baden speculated that Arakawa might have rushed to the loo to get Hackman’s blood pressure medicine while in panic. She might have fallen in the process, dropping the space heater and strewing the tablets everywhere.

“It’s possible that she hit her head while descending and suffered internal brain damage that isn’t visible from the outside or internal bleeding,” Baden said. Or that she might have had significant heart illness at age 65, and in some cases, excitement might induce a cardiac rhythm that can be fatal. The first, hitting her head, seems more likely, in my opinion.

According to the affidavit, the German Shepherd dog that had died was found in a bathroom closet ten to fifteen feet away from Arakawa’s body. Two additional canines were discovered on the site alive in the meanwhile. One of the surviving dogs was first spotted inside the toilet next to Arakawa, while the other was first sighted outside the house, according to detectives.

During the nine days that he was unable to leave the kennel, Baden stated, “the dog was confined in his cage or kennel and would have died from just dehydration and lack of water.”

“What makes it so unusual are the circumstances and who he was — he was loved by so many,” Baden stated. “Because heart disease and pacemaker-related collapse and death are prevalent in the United States.” He went on, “But the situation of the two of them isolated by themselves.” “And that might have been why 911 wasn’t called, for instance, when his wife was falling while attempting to get him some medicine.”