Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found ‘mummified’, but what does that actually mean?

The 95-year-old film star Gene Hackman, his 63-year-old wife Betsy Arakawa and one of their dogs were sadly found dead on Wednesday 27th February. Two maintenance workers discovered the bodies in the couple’s home in Santa Fe. A report said Gene Hackman and his wife’s bodies showed signs of being mummified. Here’s an explanation of what that actually means.

Where were Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa found?

So, Variety saw an application for a search warrant. This document includes details of how the bodies were found. Betsy Arakawa was found on the bathroom floor. A prescription pill bottle was open on the counter, and pills were scattered about. A space heater was near her head. The maintenance workers found Hackman in the mudroom – an area next to the kitchen for leaving dirty shoes and coats.

A German Shepherd dog was sadly found dead in a bathroom cupboard, about three to five metres away from Betsy Arawkawa. Two healthy dogs were also found – one inside near Arakawa, and another running around outside.

The front door was open, but there weren’t signs of forced entry. The fire department didn’t find any “obvious signs of a gas leak”.

Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor in Superman
(Credit: Warner Bros.)

Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa’s bodies showed signs of ‘mummification’

The application for the search warrant said Betsy Arakawa’s body “showed obvious signs of death, body decomposition, bloating in her face and mummification in both hands and feet.” Gene Hackman’s body was “similar and consistent with the female decedent”. There weren’t any signs of external trauma.

What does ‘mummification’ mean?

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So, “mummification” means a body has been preserved after death, either intentionally or accidentally. The body doesn’t decay at a normal rate. The term doesn’t only refer to bodies that have been wrapped in bandages by ancient Egyptians (that’s just the context we usually hear this word in). Bodies can be mummified if they’re exposed to very low temperatures, or very low humidity, or little air, or some chemicals.

In the case of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa, the term “mummified” seems to mean their hands and feet hadn’t decayed in the same way as other parts of their bodies. We don’t know why this is.

The Sheriff Adan Mendoza said the couple seemed to have been “dead for quite a while” The two maintenance workers hadn’t seen them for two weeks, but didn’t usually communicate with them in person. We don’t know any more information yet about when the pair died.

Featured image credit: Michael Ferguson/Globe Photos via ZUMA Wire/Shutterstock