COPS investigating the death of Hollywood star Gene Hackman have released bodycam footage of the moment they arrived at his home.
Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 63, were found dead alongside one of their beloved dogs on February 26 by a contractor.
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Footage caught by officers’ lapel cameras have captured a conversation between them and contractors at the home as they try to solve why the pair passed.
One officer asks a handyman about the possibility of a gas leak, with the worker explaining that “something is not right”.
The handyman 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…”
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The cop asks whether gas could have leaked through kitchen appliances.
The handyman responds saying: “It shouldn’t. I don’t see how this is both of them are down like this. Something’s not right.”
A gas leak was found at the mansion, but it was too small to have caused any of the deaths.
Footage was also released of cops dealing with the aftermath of the death.
One clip shows detectives talking to a clearly emotional groundskeeper who found the bodies.
The man said that Hackman said had not seen anything suspicious and had no idea the sad end which had befallen the pair.
“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.”
Another bodycam clip feature a phone call between a detective from the Sante Fe County Sheriff’s Office and Hackman’s daughter Elizabeth.
Detective Leonard asks Elizabeth whether she would like the German Shepherd which died, Zinna, cremated.
Elizabeth 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.”
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He also asks whether Elizabeth would like to take one of the dogs which survived.
Hackman’s family have sought to block the release of the autopsy and death investigation reports and block photos and video of the couple’s bodies.
The actor’s estate has barred the Sheriff’s Office and the Office of the Medical Investigator from releasing the details in a court order.
Cops have also admitted that Betsy still alive a full 24 hours after authorities initially believed she had died.
Cell phone records show that Betsy made multiple calls to a Santa Fe medical center on February 12, 24 hours after she was believed to have passed away on February 11.
Dr. Child, who had spoken to Betsy a few weeks prior to her death, previously said that Betsy had made an appointment for February 12, a day after her supposed death.
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They said: “She made an appointment for herself for February 12. It was for something unrelated to anything respiratory.”
He also noted that Betsy had cancelled the appointment just days earlier, citing her husband’s declining health.
Hackman’s cause of death was ruled as hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s playing a significant role.
Neither of the Hackmans’ bodies was found until February 26, when a neighbor’s caretaker called 911 after finding them unresponsive.
But Betsy was found dead alongside Hackman in their New Mexico home, with authorities saying she passed away a week before him.
Gene Hackman’s family’s full statement
Gene Hackman’s family has spoken out on the actor’s death after he was found dead with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, in their Santa Fe home.
Hackman’s daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie, and his granddaughter, Annie, released the statement.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy,” Elizabeth, Leslie, and Annie Hackman said.
“He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa.
“We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”
