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No signs of forced entry or a carbon monoxide leak in Gene Hackman's death

A white man and an Asian woman in formal clothes pose on a red carpet.
Actor Gene Hackman arrives with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, for the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 19, 2003.
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Mark J. Terrill
/
AP
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Officials have not announced the causes of death for actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa — but a search warrant affidavit states the deaths are "suspicious enough" to justify further investigation.

A maintenance worker had arrived at the couple's home in Santa Fe, N.M., on Wednesday afternoon and discovered that the front door was open, according to the affidavit written by a detective from the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office. The worker then discovered the couple's bodies, the affidavit said.

Hackman, 95, was found in a mudroom with a pair of sunglasses near his body, according to the affidavit, which cited a Santa Fe County patrol deputy who came to the scene and believes the actor fell suddenly.

Arakawa was found in a bathroom near the front door, where a space heater was found near her head, the affidavit said. A prescription bottle was also found open on the countertop, with pills scattered on its surface. The heater could have fallen after she fell, the same deputy said.

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A German shepherd was also found dead about 10 to 15 feet from Arakawa's body, in a closet in the bathroom, while two other healthy dogs were on the property when the maintenance worker arrived. One was near Arakawa, while the other was outside, according to the affidavit.

There are no signs of a carbon monoxide leak, trouble with the pipes, forced entry or blunt-force trauma, the affidavit said, nor are there signs that any belongings were rifled through.

Two maintenance workers said they last had contact with the couple about two weeks ago, according to the affidavit. They said they rarely saw Hackman and Arakawa when doing their jobs, but would communicate with them via texts and calls.

Hackman's acting career spanned over four decades. He had notable roles in movies such as 1971's The French Connection and 1992's Unforgiven, which earned him two Oscars.
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