Gene Hackman's time of death 'impossible' to determine, says medical examiner

The exact time of death for Hollywood legend Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa could be "impossible" to determine, according to a medical examiner. Dr James Gill, Chief Medical Examiner for Connecticut – who isn't directly involved in the case – emphasised the need for more clues to understand how the couple and one of their dogs died at their Santa Fe residence.

The 95 year old actor and his 64 year old wife are believed to have been dead for at least 10 days before they were found. Dr Gill told People magazine: "Once you get to that mummification stage, there's nothing to be able to distinguish the two deaths timewise. " He added that mummification tends to occur faster in dry environments.

Forensic pathologist Judy Melinek also spoke to the publication, saying: "Once the body is decomposed, it's a lot harder to do." While early signs like rigor mortis and body temperature can help establish a time of death initially, it becomes much more challenging once bodies start actively decomposing.

Betsy was discovered on the bathroom floor next to a toppled space heater, while Gene was found in the mudroom. Their dog Zinna, who had been crated, is believed to have died from dehydration or starvation. Carbon monoxide poisoning has been ruled out as a cause of death, reports the Express.

A minor gas leak was found in the couple's home, but investigators concluded it was too small to have been fatal. Now, investigators are left to depend on more indirect evidence to establish the time of death, including testimonies from those who last saw the couple alive and when post started to accumulate at their residence.

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