The deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife were described as being "suspicious" enough to warrant further investigation as new details emerge.
Two maintenance workers who had not seen the couple in a few weeks found the bodies. The New York Post reported that police officers noted that Hackman's wife, 65-year-old Betsy Arakawa, had "obvious signs of death, body decomposition, bloating in her face and mummification in both hands and feet."
Police in New Mexico sought a search warrant, deeming the circumstances "suspicious" enough to justify further investigation, TMZ reported.
The outlet posted details from the search warrant request. TMZ reported that authorities found two dogs alive. One was outside, and the other was near Arakawa. A dead dog was found 10 to 15 feet away from Arakawa in a closet near the bathroom.
Other details included in the search warrant request were the "heater being moved, the pill bottle being opened and pills scattered next to the female, the male decedent being located in a separate room of the residence, and no obvious signs of a gas leak."
The New Mexico Gas Company was called to the house, and tests were conducted, TMZ reported. "As of now, there are no signs or evidence indicating there were any problems associated to the pipes in and around the residence," the outlet reported.
The space heater referenced in the warrant request was found near Arakawa's head, TMZ reported. The responding officer wrote that "he suspected the heater could have fallen in the event the female abruptly fell to the ground."
The door to the home was open, but there was no sign of forced entry into the couple's $3.3 million Santa Fe mansion, the New York Post reported.
The newspaper reported that the couple was discovered in different parts of the house. Arakawa was found on the floor of a bathroom near the home's front door, while Hackman was found in what police described as a mudroom. A pair of sunglasses were found near Hackman, and he appeared to have fallen suddenly.
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