Gene Hackman Most Likely Died on Feb. 17, Sheriff Says

The actor Gene Hackman most likely died nine days before his and his wife’s bodies were found in their secluded home near Santa Fe, N.M., the authorities said on Friday, as the central question of how they died remained unanswered.

By examining Mr. Hackman’s pacemaker, a pathologist determined that the device’s last recorded “event” was on Feb. 17, indicating that Mr. Hackman died then, Sheriff Adan Mendoza of Santa Fe County said in a news conference.

Mr. Hackman, 95, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found dead on Wednesday, in separate rooms of their home in a gated community. Since then, the mystery of what caused the deaths of the reclusive couple has consumed Hollywood, the cultural hub of Santa Fe and film lovers across the globe.

Sheriff Mendoza said on Friday that it was unlikely that the couple had died from carbon monoxide poisoning, given that both of their bodies tested negative for traces of the gas.

When investigators combed through the home in the mountains outside Santa Fe, they discovered common medication, medical records, two cellphones and a 2025 planner, according to an inventory of what the police collected.

“We’ll be analyzing cellphone data — phone calls, text messages, events, photos in the cellphone — to try to piece a timeline together,” Sheriff Mendoza said.