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Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa tested negative for carbon monoxide after they were found dead at their New Mexico home on Feb. 26, per police.
Gene Hackman Death: 911 Call & Autopsy Findings Released
Authorities investigating Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa's deaths do not believe the couple died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65—as well as one of their dogs—were found dead at their New Mexico home on Feb. 26, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office.
In a Feb. 28 press conference, Sheriff Adan Mendoza said investigators have ruled out carbon monoxide poisoning as the cause of death for now, because a local pathologist determined both individuals tested negative for the poisonous gas.
"At the time of death, they were negative for carbon monoxide, which means to me that is possibly ruled out," he shared. "Right now, there's no indication that that has any anything to do with it."
However, Mendoza noted the police will continue to discuss with the pathologist to "make sure."
"But it sounds like that's ruled out," he added. "Unless there's something else that comes back in the toxicology report that that we have to look."
Mendoza said officers have also ruled out the theory that the Hackman and Arakawa could have sustained fatal injuries in a fall.
"There was no trauma indicated on the body," he explained. "If they would have fell or injured themselves—head injury or brain injury—that would have been discovered by the pathologist."
Photo by Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
An autopsy was performed on the Oscar-winning actor and the classical pianist, according to authorities. Final results are pending, though the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office said there were no signs of external trauma—meaning physical injury caused by an outside source—in their initial findings.
noreferrer">Hackman died on Feb. 17, the day his pacemaker recorded his last "event."
Ron Davis/Getty Images
A Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office affidavit obtained by E! News also stated that both Hackman and Arakawa's bodies showed "obvious signs of death" when deputies arrived at their residence Feb. 26—including "body decomposition," bloating and "mumification in both hands and feet."
During his press conference, Mendoza said it "could be months" before investigators can determine an official cause of death for Hackman and Arakawa, who married in 1991.
"It just depends how busy the laboratory is," he added. "We're hoping it comes sooner than later so we can answer some of these questions."
To see Hackman's life in photos, keep reading...
Image/Getty Images
1965
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
1969
Getty Images
1971
Tony Korody/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images
1974
Fairchild Archive/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images
1976
Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
1986
Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
1988
Mario Ruiz/Getty Images
1988
Purschke/ullstein bild via Getty Images
1989
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
1991
Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
1992
Margaret Norton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images
1993
Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage
1993
Avalon/Getty Images
1993
TriStar Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images
1995
Ron Davis/Getty Images
1996
Jan Jarecki/Penske Media via Getty Images
1996
Tim Boyle/Newsmakers
2000
Takashi Seida/Heightened Productions Inc. via Getty Images
2001
LUCY NICHOLSON/AFP via Getty Images
2001
Vera Anderson/WireImage
2003
Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images
2003
Evan Agostini/Getty Images
2005
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