Authorities have released bodycam footage from outside the home of actor Gene Hackman where he was found dead alongside his wife, Betsy Arakawa.
The redacted footage shows deputies speaking with two workers who contacted law enforcement last month after they spotted someone lying on the floor inside the house, the Associated Press reported.
With no signs of forced entry, officers questioned whether a carbon monoxide leak could have been responsible for the deaths, but the idea was dismissed by the workers.
A gas leak was later reported at Hackman’s home, but not to the extent that it could have caused harm to anyone exposed.
After the bodies were discovered, authorities established that Hackman and Arakawa had died around a week apart, deepening the mystery behind their deaths.
Medical investigators ultimately determined the 95-year-old actor died of heart disease with Alzheimer’s playing a significant role, while Arakawa, 65, had died of a rare infectious disease—hantavirus pulmonary syndrome —and was unaware of how ill she was.
Elsewhere in the bodycam video, the group discuss contacting Hackman’s family and express concern about the media response to their deaths.
“They’re never supposed to be out and so at that point I knew something was wrong,” one worker says.
“I told the officer, ‘You know whose house this is?’ and he said, ‘I do, it’s Gene Hackman’s’.”
“I’ve got a way to get ahold of his kids,” the worker said. “Also, a friend of his has got hold of a lady who’s in charge of the whole estate, and she says she just talked to Betsy a couple days ago. She wants you to call her.”
“Because of who they are, I want to keep this limited,” replied the deputy. “Once this gets out, you know how it’s gonna go … So we gotta figure out what’s going on first. My concern is that it’s a carbon monoxide issue.”
One of the couple’s dogs was also found close to Arakawa’s body and is believed to have died of dehydration and starvation, according to a veterinary lab report obtained by the AP.
A man who identified himself as a dog walker said the couple were very fond of their pets, and Arakawa was reportedly an “excellent dog owner, excellent caretaker” to the dogs, according to her vet.
Only a portion of the bodycam footage was released by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office after Hackman’s estate was granted a temporary restraining order by a New Mexico court to prevent the release of any video or footage from the scene in order to protect the family’s privacy.
