Gene Hackman’s quiet impact: a legacy beyond the screen
In Santa Fe, Gene Hackman’s lesser known legacy of humility, artistry and an undeniable fingerprint on his community.
The deaths of Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa may still be unsolved, but new details about their pets and health are emerging.
The actor, his pianist wife Arakawa and their dog were found dead by authorities in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home on Wednesday.
According to a search warrant affidavit, authorities found the actor in a mudroom near his cane, appearing to have fallen, while his wife Arakawa was found in an open bathroom near a space heater, with an open prescription bottle and pills scattered on the nearby countertop. A deputy observed Arakawa with “body decomposition, bloating in her face” and mummification of her hands and feet.
One of the couple’s dogs was also found dead less than 15 feet from Arakawa in a closet, while two other dogs were found alive in the bathroom near Arakawa and outside.
Here’s what else is new as the investigation continues.
Gene Hackman cause of death
The exact cause of death still has not been determined. Authorities have called the circumstances “suspicious,” though a Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said foul play is not suspected. Police are in the process of putting together a timeline of the couple’s deaths, with early reports suggesting the couple could have been dead for over a week.
Gene Hackman, Betsy Arakawa died with Australian Kelpie mix named Zinna: Exclusive
USA TODAY has learned that police, in an affidavit for a search warrant, misidentified the dog that the couple died with, which led media to incorrectly report their German shepherd had perished.
The dog who died in the Hackman home was actually Zinna, a 12-year-old reddish Australian Kelpie mixed-breed who had once trained in agility skills to compete at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Her body was found in a closed crate in the home, according to Joey Padilla, who transported the surviving dogs to his facility, Santa Fe Tails. The couple’s surviving dogs are Bear, a German shepherd, and Nikita, a 7-year-old Akita-shepherd mix.
USA TODAY visited the Santa Fe Animal Shelter, the county agency responsible for housing animals when they are found with deceased owners. Officials there referred all questions to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, who said deputies may have just misidentified the breed.
Gene Hackman’s friends reveal late actor’s health was in decline months before death
According to family friends Daniel and Barbara Lenihan, Hackman’s condition was “really slipping” in the “last couple of months” before his shocking death, the couple shared with People magazine in an interview published Friday.
While the Lenihans did not disclose details on Hackman’s failing health, Daniel Lenihan noted that the Oscar-winning actor was “essentially kind of homebound,” with Barbara Lenihan adding that the 95-year-old had stopped riding his bike through their Santa Fe, New Mexico, neighborhood.
Gene Hackman, Betsy Arakawa rebuilt New Mexico property
Hackman lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for four decades, much of that time in the couple’s remodeled property.
The “French Connection” actor turned to the city – and a two-story green stucco estate – after retreating from Hollywood. The home blended pueblo, colonial and Spanish baroque styles and was rebuilt from the studs, according to Architectural Digest, with Hackman involved intimately with the design of the home.
Contributing: Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY
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