New footage filmed by police when they discovered the ‘mummified’ bodies of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa at their remote home features some surprising comments

Gene Hackman and wife Betsy’s cause of death revealed by police

Eerie footage of the moment cops from the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office discovered Hollywood star Gene Hackman dead at home has been released.

The Oscar-winning actor, 95, was discovered at his Santa Fe home on 26 February, alongside his wife Betsy, 65. In one video, which was made public yesterday, a shaken handyman can be heard telling police that “something’s not right.” Discussing the possibility that the couple died from a gas leak, an unnamed groundskeeper says: “That big vent you see on the roof by the front door, that thing’s like that big around, so it’s meant to vent.

“So I just don’t… and that mechanical room is pretty damn tight. I don’t see carbon monoxide getting…”

When asked if gas could have leaked through kitchen appliances, the aide replies: “It shouldn’t. I don’t see how this is both of them are down like this. Something’s not right.”

Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa were found dead at their New Mexico home on February 26(Image: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

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In another segment of the footage, shared by TMZ, the handyman shares his grief at losing his employers. He says: “He’s just a normal person and to see that, both of them… sorry, I get attached to all these people, they treat me really well.”

Medical examiners suggested that Betsy, whose cause of death was rare rodent-borne illness hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, had sadly died a week before her husband, who had late-stage Alzheimer’s. An exchange between a Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office deputy and Hackman’s daughter Elizabeth also features in the released tape. In it, she tells the lawman to cremate the remains of her dad’s dead dog, Zinna, and put the ashes in with her stepmum’s.

She says: “I’m thinking cremate the dog and bury it with Betsy…if the dog was wearing a collar, could you save that for me.”

The couple left Hollywood in 2000(Image: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

Zinna was found dead in a crate near Betsy’s body, and the Santa Fe County animal control agency’s report said there was “partial mummification” of the dog. The dog’s stomach only contained small amounts of hair and bile, leading animal control officials to confirm Zinna died of starvation and dehydration.

Their beloved pet was a returned shelter dog, and was “an incredible companion” to Betsy, said Joey Padilla, the owner of the Santa Fe Tails pet care facility. Santa Fe Fire Department Chief Brian Moya told USA Today that the two surviving dogs, Bear and Nikita helped authorities find the bodies of their owners, after maintenance workers raised the alarm.

He recalled the dogs were running up to first responders and barking, before running in a different direction. “They realised (the dog) was trying to say, ‘Hey, come over here! Come over here!’,” he said.

Betsy with two of the couple’s three dogs(Image: AP)

Gene, who won two Oscars, retired from Hollywood in the early 2000s, and preferred a more private life in Santa Fe with Betsy and their three dogs. Following news of the couple’s death, a representative for Gene and Betsy’s estate has tried to block the public release of autopsy and investigative reports related to their deaths, citing privacy concerns.

It has also been reported that his children are not included in his will, paving the way for a huge battle over his £40million fortune.

Gene’s money was set to go to wife Betsy in the event of his death and not to his three children: son Christopher and daughters Leslie and Elizabeth. In the event of the pair of them dying within 90 days of each other, all of Betsy’s money was set to go to charity.