The New Mexico Gas Company has confirmed “no significant findings” in its investigation of the home of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa, who were found dead last week.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that natural gas is “not believed to be a factor” in the deaths, but that the gas company report would be forwarded to the Office of the Medical Investigator. Autopsy reports are still pending.
Workers did find a “minuscule” gas leak at one of the stove burners, registering 0.33% gas in the air, which is not enough to be fatal, the Sheriff’s Office said. The gas company also found four other “red tag” code violations involving a water heater and three gas log lighters in fireplaces, but none of those issues involved a gas leak or carbon monoxide.
Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirmed last Friday that Hackman and Arakawa’s bodies had tested negative for carbon monoxide, apparently ruling that out as a cause of death.
The bodies were found Wednesday afternoon by maintenance workers at the sprawling home outside Santa Fe. Arakawa was found on the bathroom floor, while Hackman was found in the mud room, adjacent to the kitchen. A dog was also found dead, though two other dogs appeared to be healthy.
Investigators believe that both Arakawa, 65, and Hackman, 95, both fell to the ground. A pill bottle was found on the bathroom counter, along with pills scattered on the countertop.
At a press conference on Friday, Mendoza said the “last event” recorded on Hackman’s pacemaker was on Feb. 17, nine days before they were found.
Detectives recovered two cell phones, medications and a monthly planner in a search of the home. There was no security video. The Sheriff’s Office has said from the outset that it does not suspect foul play, though the case was ruled “suspicious” enough to warrant further investigation.
