New heartbreaking details are coming to light about the tragic deaths of Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa Hackman and their dog Zinna, and the role the couple’s other two dogs played in locating their bodies.
Authorities previously shared that Betsy, 65, died from hantavirus, a flu-like virus linked to rodent droppings, around one week before Gene, 95, died from severe heart disease, high blood pressure and advanced Alzheimer’s disease. Gene was likely alone in the home with his dead wife for days before both their bodies were discovered on Feb. 26.
Betsy was found collapsed in a bathroom near a space heater and scattered pills, according to a search warrant affidavit reviewed by PEOPLE.
Paramedics with the Santa Fe Fire Department entered the couple’s property through the front door and saw Betsy lying on the nearby bathroom floor, Fire Chief Brian Moya told USA Today, though they initially didn’t see anyone else despite 30 minutes of searching.
Moya told the outlet that amidst their search, the couple’s two living dogs — Bear and Nikita — continuously ran up to them barking and running off in a different direction.
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“They realized (the dog) was trying to say, ‘Hey, come over here! Come over here!’ ” Moya explained. The first responders followed one of the dogs to a mudroom at the back of the home where they discovered Gene’s body on the floor.
The backdoor had been left open allowing Bear and Nikita to roam freely in and out of the house. However, Gene and Betsy’s third dog, Zinna, a kelpie mix, was found dead in her crate. Zinna had been recovering from a “major surgery” in January and was on crate rest, Robert Gruda, owner of the Gruda Veterinary Hospital told USA Today.
According to the outlet, hospital staff grew concerned after Betsy didn’t come in to pick up some specialized dog food and medication for Zinna on Feb. 11. That was also the last day Betsy was seen alive.
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“She was devoted to those dogs,” Gruda told USA Today. “She was consistent, predictable. We knew something was wrong when she didn’t pick up the food on time.”
He praised the late classical pianist adding, “She was an excellent dog owner, excellent caretaker to those dogs. She really doted on them.”
The couple’s surviving dogs have been transported to a local pet daycare facility in the wake of their owners’ deaths.
Animal Rescue, Inc., a local shelter where Gene got at least one of his dogs, posted a tribute to the late actor on Feb. 27, writing, “We are mourning the passing of our most famous adopter Gene Hackman. He was an amazing actor and dog lover.”
AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
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Heather Jarrell, New Mexico’s chief medical examiner, previously shared in a press conference that the last activity on Gene’s pacemaker was registered on Feb. 17. Jarrell said it is “reasonable to conclude” Hackman, who had no food in his stomach at the time of his death, died the following day. Hackman showed no signs of dehydration, however.
“It is reasonable to conclude that Ms. Hackman passed first,” said Jarrell.
Erin Phipps, a veterinarian with the New Mexico Health Department, said investigators found signs of “rodent entry” in outlying structures on the property, though the assessed risk in the main house was deemed “low.”
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