Gene Hackman's daughter Leslie has broken her silence following her father's mysterious death.
via: Variety
Gene Hackman‘s daughter Leslie Anne Hackman spoke to The Daily Mail after her father’s death and said he was “in very good physical condition” despite his old age. The two-time Oscar winner was found dead on Wednesday at 95 years old in his Santa Fe, N.M. home. His wife, Betsy Arakawa, was also dead. She was 63 years old. While law enforcement said they did not expect foul play, a search warrant called Hackman and Arakwa’s deaths “suspicious” enough to warrant further investigation.
Leslie told The Daily Mail “there was no indication that there was any problem” with Hackman’s health prior to his death, which is why she can only speculate that a gas leak or carbon monoxide poisoning played a role.
“Despite his age, he was in very good physical condition,” Leslie said about her father, adding that he did not have any major surgeries in the last few months before his death. “He liked to do Pilates and yoga, and he was continuing to do that several times a week. So he was in good health.”
Given that Hackman was 95 years old, Leslie is aware that it’s “not terribly shocking.” But Arakawa’s death at 63 poses more questions. She said the two had “a wonderful marriage,” adding: “And I give credit to his wife, Betsy, for keeping him alive.”
“[Betsy] took very, very good care of him and was always looking out for his health,” Leslie added. “So I am appreciative to her for that, and I’m very saddened by her passing.”
Hackman and Arakawa’s bodies were found by two maintenance workers. Arakawa was lying on the bathroom floor. A prescription pill bottle was open on the countertop, with pills scattered nearby. Hackman was discovered in the mud room, adjacent to the kitchen, with his sunglasses at his side. It appeared to law enforcement that both had fallen to the ground. A dead dog was also found in the bathroom closet near Arakawa’s body.
The fire department and the gas company were called out to check the home for a natural gas leak, which could cause carbon monoxide poisoning. They did not detect anything, and there were “no obvious signs of a gas leak,” according to the search warrant.
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