A New Mexico Gas Company confirmed on Tuesday that there were "no significant findings" in its probe of the home of actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa, who were found dead last week in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office acknowledged that it received the finding from the gas company and that natural gas is "not believed to be a factor" in the deaths, although the report would be forwarded to the Office of the Medical Investigator for consideration.
The report did say that a "minuscule" gas leak at one of the stove burners was discovered, registering 0.33% gas in the air, but that is not enough to be fatal.
The gas company also reported that it found four other "red tag" code violations involving a water heater and gas log lighters installed in three fireplaces, but that but none of those issues involved a gas leak or carbon monoxide.
Sheriff Adan Mendoza said on Friday that the bodies of both Hackman and Arakawa had tested negative for carbon monoxide, which had apparently ruled that out as a cause of death, Variety reported.
Investigators believe that both Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, fell to the ground. A pill bottle was found on the bathroom counter, as well as pills scattered on the countertop.
The Sheriff's Office has said from the beginning of the probe that it does not suspect foul play, but that the case was ruled "suspicious" enough to warrant further investigation.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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