Emotional 911 Call Revealed in Deaths of Gene Hackman, Wife

Outlets including TMZ and Fox News have obtained audio of the emotional 911 call made by the unnamed maintenance worker who discovered the bodies of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, Wednesday at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The man tells the dispatcher that he can see one or two bodies in the house that are not moving, and can be heard sniffling and repeating the word "damn" as he asks authorities to respond quickly, the Los Angeles Times reports. The bodies of the actor, 95, and his wife, 64, were partially decomposed and had experienced mummification in the extremities.

Hackman's daughter believes a carbon monoxide leak could be to blame—both Hackman and Arakawa appeared to have fallen down abruptly, and one of their dogs was also found dead in the home—but authorities have said that so far there's no evidence of such a leak, though the possibility has not been ruled out. A search warrant for the premises has been issued and the investigation is ongoing. "He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa," reads a statement from Hackman's family issued to the New York Post. "We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss." (More Gene Hackman stories.)