The mystery behind the twin deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa has barely abated in recent days while law enforcement waits for autopsy and toxicology report results.
Hackman, who was 95, and Arakawa, 65, were discovered in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, by a neighborhood security officer after pest-control workers reported not being able to get in touch with the residents.
Authorities investigating the deaths have already said a deadly carbon monoxide leak is unlikely, but now an expert who is not involved in the investigation is weighing in on another theory — that Hackman’s wife Betsy might have died of a ‘broken heart.’
James Gill, Chief Medical Examiner for the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, explained to People the possibility that Arakawa might have discovered her husband dead and suffered her own medical emergency as a result.
Gill previously considered another possibility for the publication, that Hackman and Arakawa may have died by ‘companion suicide,’ which he found to be unlikely.
The medical examiner said he believes, based on the available information, that the actor and his wife may have died from natural causes, which would increase the likelihood of a the ‘broken heart’ theory.