Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa’s loyal dog stood guard over the partially mummified remains of the famous actor’s wife the day the couple was found dead, heartbreaking new footage shows.
The German shepherd was watching over Arakawa’s lifeless body after the 65-year-old classical pianist likely died two weeks earlier inside the New Mexico house she shared with her 95-year-old husband.
As a group of Santa Fe County Sheriff deputies entered part of the home on Feb. 26, the pup was lying still just a few feet from the body, according to bodycam video released this week.
One of the deputies tried to comfort the distraught dog, who let out some faint barks and whimpers.
“Poor guy,” the deputy said.
The poignant image is among a series of revealing photos and videos made public by the sheriff’s office Tuesday — providing an incredible glimpse of how the reclusive actor lived and what his final days were like.
The Golden Globes winner died from heart complications and his advanced Alzheimer’s disease about a week after his wife likely succumbed to a rodent-borne illness.
Investigators said due to his mental decline, he may not have known his wife had died.
When a deputy asked where Hackman’s body was, the other deputies told her the celebrity was in another part of the estate, according to the clip.
“Way separate,” one law enforcement officer said of the distance between the bodies.
Parts of the sprawling property were in disarray, with piles of clothes tossed around while other sections were immaculate and were nearly untouched, according to photos released from the sheriff’s office.
Along with Hackman and Arakawa, one of the couple’s three dogs, Zinna, was also found dead in a crate, likely dying from starvation and dehydration.
The two surviving dogs, Bear, a German shepherd, and Nikita, an Akita-shepherd mix, have been sent to new homes since the awful deaths of their owners. One stayed in the state while the other is living outside of New Mexico.
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