John Mulaney apparently saw comedic potential in the investigation surrounding the tragic deaths of Hollywood icon Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa.
On Wednesday’s edition of “Everybody’s Live With John Mulaney,” the comedian poked fun at the weeks-long investigation led by Santa Fe police into the pair’s deaths.
The two-time Oscar winner, 95, former classical pianist, 65, and one of their three dogs were found dead at their Santa Fe, New Mexico home on February 26.
During the investigation, which prompted officials to alter the timeline of events after several bombshell findings, authorities determined that Arakawa died first, followed by the “French Connection” actor about a week later.
“Scientists are now like, ‘We believe dinosaurs were killed 66 million years ago by an asteroid,’” Mulaney, 42, quipped during his Netflix gig, per Us Weekly.
“Stop. You don’t know that,” he went on. “We don’t even know how Gene Hackman and his wife died, and we found their whole bodies with full clothes on, one week after the event.”
“How about that Santa Fe police? ‘Uh, hello. Press conference No. 470. We now believe that a rat bit Mrs. Hackman, turning her hands into mummy hands.’ Just slow down. You don’t know what happened,” the comedian added.
According to the Santa Fe medical examiner, Arakawa died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome — a rare rat-borne respiratory disease. Her body was found mummified and bloated.
Hackman died from hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributing factor.
One of their three dogs, which was in a crate recovering from surgery, died of starvation and dehydration, a state necropsy report revealed.
Earlier this month, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office released disturbing images of the couple’s New Mexico home as well as startling police bodycam footage.
Deputies on scene surveyed the vast property, entering the separate rooms where the couple’s bodies were located.
One of their three dogs stayed right near Arakawa’s body when authorities first walked into part of the home.
Hackman’s body was located in another wing of the sprawling estate that required the deputies to go outside and walk through numerous other rooms, including a bedroom, before reaching the dead actor.
Extensive evidence of rodent feces at the couple’s home was discovered by health officials who carried out a hantavirus risk assessment test at the property last month.
Findings included a dead rodent and an entire rat nest in the three detached garages, the New Mexico medical investigator’s full report revealed earlier this month.
The report also revealed that Arakawa had researched COVID symptoms and considered seeking medical care for her husband in her final days based on her internet browsing history, call logs, voicemails and security footage from stores she visited.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
