Gene Hackman's neighbour makes admission days after he was found dead next to wife

Gene Hackman's neighbour has made a sweeping statement about the late actor and his wife, after they were found dead in different rooms of their own home.

Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found in their Santa Fe mansion last Wednesday (26 February), with evidence pointing towards the pair being dead for over a week before being found.

The 95-year-old two-time Oscar winner was found in a mudroom, partially mummified, with his sunglasses and cane on the floor, while Arakawa was found in the bathroom with bloating on her face and mummification in her hands and feet.

Sheriff Fe sheriff Adan Mendoza previously confirmed the deaths, saying: "We can confirm that both Gene Hackman and his wife were found deceased Wednesday afternoon at their residence on Sunset Trail."

Morgan Freeman presented a tribute to the late Hackman at this year's Oscars, as members of the film industry mourned his loss.

Hackman starred in over 70 movies, and resided in New Mexico, USA, following the end of his acting career.

While Sheriff Mendoza said they 'did not believe that foul play was a factor', he later revealed that the pills found next to Arakawa's body was a 'significant' piece of evidence as investigators also found one of their three dogs dead in a closet.

On Friday last week (28 February), he also said that Hackman's pacemaker recorded its final heartbeat on 17 February, meaning it was 'a very good assumption' that it was the last day of his life.

There was also no carbon monoxide found in their bodies, dismissing any theories of a gas leak being the cause of death.

Now, almost a week on from their discovery, their neighbours have spoken up about the Hollywood legend, and how much they saw him.

The couple's neighbours have spoken out about how often they were seen (Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

While the exact causes of death are being investigated, the case has presented a lot of questions, such as how the couple's deaths weren't discovered for over a week.

Speaking to the New York Times, members of their gated private community five miles from Sante Fe revealed that they barely saw the celebrity couple.

James Everett, who lived part-time in a house next door for around five years, said: "They have a gate, and we have a gate, and we just have never even seen each other."

Bud Hamilton, who lived in the other house next door for around 20 years, revealed that they only had dinner together once in that time.

Harvey Chalker, who has lived in the area for a considerable amount of time, said of the one time he met Hackman: "He wanted to be quiet, he didn't want to be bothered, and I don't blame him."

He said that was their only encounter, when he bought hiking shoes from his shop.

Hackman had a storied career in Hollywood before opting for the quiet life in Santa Fe (Screen Archives/Getty Images)

Another nearby neighbour, Fernando Miranda, lived near the couple since 2018 and recalled being in the neighbourhood on 17 February, the reported day of their deaths, saying it was 'saddening' that the couple may have passed away then.

Beau Theriot is another homeowner that visits his house in the neighbourhood a few times away, recalling the time he saw Hackman and Arakawa walking down the road a number of years ago: "I know there's some nice people up there, I just don't know them.

Authorities have since stated that the case was 'suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation', though no foul play is suspected.

Mendoza added that he was 'pretty confident' of this, but explained: "But of course, we’re not ruling anything out."

The high-profile pair were found by two maintenance workers, who said they had not seen the couple for two weeks prior.