Betsy Arakawa, wife of the late actor Gene Hackman, died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, but that is not what killed the couple’s dog, who was found feet away from her body.
In fact, dogs cannot get sick from hantavirus, according to Dr. Erin Phipps, the New Mexico state department veterinarian. While the dog Zinna’s cause of death is still unknown, Phipps fielded a question during the press conference about whether the dog starved.
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“I don’t think we know the answer to that, but given the timelines presented, it is a possibility,” she said.
The Australian Kelpie was found in her crate, possibly put there by the couple as she recovered from a recent procedure, according to Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza. Zinna will undergo an autopsy to try and determine a cause of death.
It is believed that Arakawa died on February 11, 15 days before her body was found. Hackman is believed to have died on February 18 of hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributing factor, Chief Medical Examiner for New Mexico Dr. Heather Jarrell said at a press conference.
Us Weekly confirmed on February 27 that Hackman and Arakawa were found dead in their Santa Fe home the day before.
“On February 26, 2025, at approximately 1:45 p.m., Santa Fe County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to an address on Old Sunset Trail in Hyde Park where Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64, and a dog were found deceased,” the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement shared with Us. “Foul play is not suspected as a factor in those deaths at this time, however, [the] exact cause of death has not been determined.”
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The couple is survived by Hackman’s three adult children, Christopher, 65, Elizabeth, 63, and Leslie, 58, whom he shared with ex-wife Faye Maltese.
Elizabeth initially told TMZ that she suspected her father and stepmother died of carbon monoxide poisoning, but firefighters found no evidence of a leak. After a preliminary search of the property found no apparent cause of death for the couple or their dog, authorities deemed the circumstances “suspicious,” according to an affidavit obtained by TMZ.
“The death of the two deceased individuals to be suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation because the reporting party found the front door of the residence unsecured and opened, deputies observed a healthy dog running loose on the property, another healthy dog near the deceased female, a deceased dog laying 10-15 feet from the deceased female in a closet of the bathroom, the heater being moved, the pill bottle being opened and pills scattered next to the female, the male decedent being located in a separate room of the residence, and no obvious signs of a gas leak,” the report read.
In addition to Zinna, the Hackmans had two other dogs who were found safe. “The Santa Fe County Animal Control Division worked with family to ensure the safety of the two dogs,” a press release from late last month read.
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