More details are being uncovered in the investigation into Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa‘s deaths.
The acting legend, 95, and his wife, 64, along with one of their three dogs, were found dead in their home after police were called to their residence for a routine welfare check on Feb. 26. And now, the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office has provided further insight into why authorities believe the pair—who married in 1991—had been deceased for “at least a day.”
According to an affidavit obtained by NBC News Feb. 27, Arakawa’s body—which was found in the home’s bathroom next to a space heater and a bottle of pills that was “open with pills scattered on the countertop,” per the document—was already showing visual indications of decomposition.
“The female decedant showed obvious signs of death, body decomposition, bloating in her face,” read the affidavit, “and mumification in both hands and feet.”
For reference, the process of bloating and mummification usually begin about 24-48 hours after a body has been deceased, according to Live Science.
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