Gene Hackman's wife Betsy Arakawa's body had signs of "mummification", couple's dog was found dead in a bathroom closet

Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found deceased with their remains mummified, at their home in New Mexico. They were 95 and 64 years old, respectively.

According to People Magazine, one of the couple's pet dogs was also found dead in the bathroom. Arakawa's body had already begun decomposing when it was found, having “showed obvious signs of death, body decomposition, bloating in her face and mummification in both hands and feet,” the official report states. The two-time Oscar winner’s body also showed similar signs of death and decay.

Mummification occurs when dead tissue calcifies into a hard, shrunken mass. It typically stems from dehydration, and it naturally takes place in hot and dry environments. According to People Magazine, Arakawa's hands and feet were calcified.

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Everything we know about Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's demise:

According to E! News, Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa were found dead after police were called to their homes to conduct a routine welfare check on Feb. 26. Upon arrival, they discovered that they had been dead for "at least a day." The two tied the knot in 1991.

An affidavit obtained by NBC News on February 27 states that the classical pianist's body had been found in the bathroom by a space heater. A bottle of pills was found next to her, and was "open with pills scattered on the countertop," per the document.

Gene Hackman was discovered in the kitchen, and is suspected to have "suddenly fallen," as his sunglasses were found next to his body. The front door to their home was also ajar, prompting the call to the authorities in the first place. However, E! News has reported that there were no obvious signs of forced entry.

The Sante Fe Sheriff's Office is officially looking into the incident, seeing as that it is "suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.” According to TMZ, detectives have already applied for a search warrant to rummage around the residence.

In the warrant, one of the detectives penned the following:

"The the reporting party found the front door of the residence unsecured and opened, deputies observed a healthy dog running loose on the property, another healthy dog near the deceased female, a deceased dog laying 10-15 feet from the deceased female in a closet of the bathroom, the heater being moved, the pill bottle being opened and pills scattered next to the female, the male decedent being located in a separate room of the residence, and no obvious signs of a gas leak."

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E! News has further reported that preliminary findings indicate no external signs of trauma, though the Santa Fe City Fire Department “did not locate signs of a carbon monoxide leak or poisoning" either. At the time of writing, the cause of death of Gene Hackman and his wife has yet to be determined.