Mystery continues to surround the deaths of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa, as authorities have admitted to misidentifying the couple’s deceased dog, adding another layer of complexity to the ongoing investigation.
The bodies of Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were discovered on Feb. 26 in their Santa Fe home, with investigators suggesting they may have died there up to two weeks earlier.
Joey Padilla, owner of Santa Fe Tails pet care facility, clarified that the couple’s German shepherd, Bear, and another dog named Nikita survived, while their kelpie mix, Zinna, was the one that died. “The dog that died was always attached to Betsy at the hip and it was a beautiful relationship,” Padilla stated in an email on Tuesday. “Zinna went from being a returned shelter dog to this incredible companion under Betsy’s hand.”
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office initially reported finding a “deceased brown in color German-Shepherd canine” near Arakawa’s body. Spokesperson Denise Avila acknowledged the error, explaining, “Our deputies, they don’t work with canines on a daily basis.”
Investigators found Arakawa’s body in the bathroom with an open prescription bottle and scattered pills nearby, while Hackman was found in the home’s entryway.
Authorities have ruled out carbon monoxide poisoning as the cause of death. “The initial examination by the medical examiner showed no sign of carbon monoxide,” Mendoza stated in a press conference. No gas leaks were detected in or around the property.
A subsequent, more thorough inspection by the utility company found a minor leak in one burner of the home’s stove but it was deemed too insignificant to be deadly.
The investigation has been complicated because of the couple’s reputation for privacy, authorities have said. Detectives are now looking through their phones and monthly planners, as well as reaching out to family members, neighbors, and community workers to determine when the couple was last seen or contacted.
Court records indicate that investigators have retrieved various medications from the home, including treatments for high blood pressure, chest pain, and thyroid issues, along with over-the-counter pain relievers and medical records.
The bodies were discovered after a maintenance worker was unable to enter the locked house during a routine visit. A security worker then spotted two bodies on the ground through a window and alerted police.
Hackman’s pacemaker stopped working on Feb. 17, potentially revealing the date of his death. However, Dr. Philip Keen, a retired chief medical examiner from Maricopa County, Arizona, said such information alone isn’t sufficient to determine his time of death.
Authorities are awaiting toxicology results, which are expected to take several weeks, to determine if any medications or other substances played a role in the deaths.
Hackman, a celebrated actor with a career spanning decades, retired from the film industry in the early 2000s. He and Arakawa, a classically trained pianist, had been living in their Pueblo revival home in a gated community overlooking the Rocky Mountain foothills since the late 1980s.
The Oscar-winning actor’s career included five Academy Award nominations, with wins for Best Actor in “The French Connection” (1972) and Best Supporting Actor in “Unforgiven” (1992). He was also praised for his performance as a coach seeking redemption in the sports drama “Hoosiers.”
Hackman served on the board of trustees for the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum from 1997 to 2004 before withdrawing from public life.
