Hackman was found in the home’s entryway, and Arakawa was found in a bathroom. Like the dog, their bodies were decomposing with some mummification, a consequence of body type and climate in Santa Fe’s especially dry air at an elevation of nearly 7,200 feet (2,200 meters).

The actor's wife likely died one week before him. He may have unknowingly lived with her body until his own death due to his advanced Alzheimer's disease.