The deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife remain a mystery as authorities confirm there were "no significant findings" of carbon monoxide or gas leaks at their New Mexico home.
The New Mexico Gas Co. conducted an investigation after the Oscar-winning actor; his wife, Betsy Arakawa; and their dog were found dead last week.
Authorities found Hackman, 95, in a mudroom near the kitchen of his Santa Fe home, according to a search warrant. Arakawa, 65, was on the floor of a bathroom, and a German shepherd was discovered about 10 feet from her in a closet in the bathroom.
Two other dogs were found alive on the property.
On Tuesday, the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office released a brief update on the investigation, saying it had received the gas company's findings.
"Those results are not believed to be a factor in the deaths of Gene Hackman, Betsy Arakawa or their dog though the information was relayed to the Office of the Medical Investigator for consideration," the sheriff's office said.
The sheriff's office added that the gas company issued five red tags: one for a minuscule, nonlethal leak at one of the stove burners and four for code enforcement violations not involving leaks or carbon monoxide. The violations involved a water heater and gas log lighters installed in three fireplaces, the sheriff's office said.
The gas company did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
Authorities have said the deaths are "suspicious," but Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza has said he's "confident there’s no foul play" involved. The sheriff's office previously said that the medical examiner's preliminary findings found no signs of external trauma.
Hackman and his wife may have been dead for several days or possibly weeks before they were found, Mendoza said. The search warrant stated that both bodies showed "obvious signs of death." When Arakawa was found, there was a space heater near her head and a prescription bottle with pills scattered across the counter, the warrant said.
The sheriff said the information about the pills had been passed onto the medical investigator to help determine a cause of death.
