Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 64, were discovered dead at their Santa Fe, New Mexico, residence Wednesday afternoon, prompting a full-scale investigation by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office. A statement in a search warrant described their deaths as “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation,” though authorities said foul play is not suspected at this time.

Deputies responded to a welfare check at the couple’s home on Old Sunset Trail around 1:45 p.m., where a neighbor had expressed concern for the couple’s well-being. According to the warrant, a maintenance worker found the front door ajar and discovered Hackman on the floor of a mudroom near the kitchen and Arakawa in a bathroom with a space heater nearby. A German shepherd was located dead in the same bathroom, about 10 feet from Arakawa’s body.

Two other dogs survived, including one described as healthy and found alongside Arakawa, while another was outside the property. Deputies "did not observe any signs of forced entry into the home,” stated the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s public information officer, Denise Womack Avila. The responding deputy noted in the search warrant that Hackman “may have suddenly fallen,” while Arakawa’s body showed signs of decomposition, including mummification to her hands and feet.

A prescription bottle lay open on the bathroom counter, with pills scattered around it, according to the affidavit. The search warrant indicates that the space heater “could have fallen in the event the female abruptly fell to the ground.” Authorities also tested for carbon monoxide but “did not locate signs of a carbon monoxide leak or poisoning,” and the New Mexico Gas Company reported no evidence of pipe malfunctions.

Investigators have not yet determined a cause or manner of death, and the affidavit mentions the possibility that an open front door may have ventilated any carbon monoxide before first responders arrived. Two maintenance workers told officials they had not communicated with Hackman or Arakawa in roughly two weeks. The bodies were formally identified around 12:30 a.m. Thursday (2:30 a.m. ET), after the sheriff’s office had begun its search.

Hackman, a two-time Academy Award winner, was 95. He initially won an Oscar for his role in the 1971 crime drama “The French Connection,” which propelled him to stardom, and again in 1993 for “Unforgiven.” His career spanned decades, with iconic performances in “Bonnie and Clyde,” “The Conversation,” and numerous other films. He retired from on-screen acting in 2004 after appearing in “Welcome to Mooseport.”

Hackman’s daughter Elizabeth did not offer comments when reached by phone. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that further testing will guide the investigation. Officials noted that an open front door, no visible forced entry, and the presence of scattered medication on the counter led them to label the case as suspicious. Yet they reiterated no clear indication of foul play had emerged as of Thursday.

Questions remain about the final hours of Hackman and Arakawa. The beloved actor had weathered health scares in the past, including a bike accident in Florida in 2012 where he was hit by a car and airlifted to a hospital. That incident resulted in only minor injuries. The new situation in Santa Fe involves far graver circumstances, with investigators working to understand the precise sequence of events.

Arakawa, 64, reportedly had a space heater close to her on the bathroom floor and was found with an opened bottle of prescription medication. Meanwhile, neighbors and maintenance workers have recounted their last interactions with the couple, noting that they had not been seen or heard from for approximately two weeks. Officials from the Santa Fe City Fire Department and the New Mexico Gas Company have all participated in the preliminary investigation, which will continue in the coming days.

The sheriff’s office has asked the public to refrain from speculation until more facts emerge. Statements from those close to the couple may shed additional light on how the star of “The French Connection” and his wife of decades ended their final days. Authorities have not provided a timeline for when toxicology or other forensic tests might be completed, leaving the public and film community mourning the sudden loss of one of Hollywood’s most revered actors.