Legendary Hollywood actor Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa’s bodies were discovered on 26 February.
Police tasked with investigating the mysterious deaths of legendary Hollywood actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa have admitted a major crime scene mistake was made.
On 27 February, The Royal Tenenbaums star Hackman, 95, and his classically trained pianist wife Arakawa, 63, were found deceased at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, by authorities.
The couple’s deaths – as well as the death of one of their dogs – was not initially believed to be suspicious; however, authorities are still stumped over the cause of their deaths, with the pair believed to have been deceased for some time before being discovered.
Authorities have since deemed the case ‘suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation’.
In a new update on the investigation, it’s been revealed that officers made a mix-up during identification of the couple’s dogs. According to a report shared by USA Today, police initially stated the deceased dog was a German Shepherd, leading many close to the couple to believe it was their dog Bear.
However, an animal chiropractor who worked with the couple has revealed the pup is alive. The outlet also revealed that it was Zinna, a 12-year-old reddish Australian Kelpie mixed breed, who was found dead at the property.
Bear and Nikita, the couple’s third dog, have since been taken to a local animal shelter. The owner of Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society has since confirmed that they are both in their care.
Responding to the reports of a mix-up in the initial police report, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Denise Womack-Avila told the outlet that she wasn’t aware of the mistaken identity, but suggested investigators may have accidentally misidentified the breed.
“Our deputies do not deal with canines on a daily basis and I cannot currently speak to the condition or state of the dog’s body upon discovery,” she said in a statement.
This suggestion matches up to the initial a search warrant from officers, which stated authorities ‘continued to search the residence where they then observed/found a deceased brown in colour German-Shepard (sic) canine’.
Meanwhile, authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths.
According to Sheriff Fe sheriff Adan Mendoza, the couple were discovered by maintenance workers at the property and appeared to have been dead for some time, with their bodies found partially mummified in separate rooms.
Arakawa’s body was discovered in the bathroom alongside various pills, which police have since deemed ‘suspicious enough’ to warrant a thorough investigation, while Hackman was found in the home’s mudroom alongside his sunglasses and walking cane.
LADbible has contacted the Santa Fe Sheriff Department’s spokesperson for further comment.
Hollywood legend Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa found dead at home.
Hollywood legend Gene Hackman, 95, his wife Betsy Arakawa, 63, and their dog have been found dead at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The news was confirmed by Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza, who added that no signs of foul play have been found.
“We can confirm that both Gene Hackman and his wife were found deceased Wednesday afternoon at their residence on Sunset Trail,” he said. “This is an active investigation – however, at this time we do not believe that foul play was a factor.”
Authorities are yet to confirm a cause of death.
Hackman had enjoyed a glittering career in Hollywood which spanned over six decades and saw him win numerous awards, including Oscars, BAFTAs and Golden Globe awards.
Born in 1930, Hackman started his acting career during the late 1950s and 60s before getting his breakout role in 1967’s Bonnie and Clyde, which earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards. He would go on to win awards for his roles in The French Connection (1972), Unforgiven (1992) and The Royal Tenenbaums (2002).
He is also known for playing the role of Lex Luthor in various Superman films, Hackman retired from acting in 2004, citing stress on his heart as the reason.
“The straw that broke the camel’s back was actually a stress test that I took in New York,” he told Empire in 2009.
“The doctor advised me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress.”
Arakawa was a retired pianist and Hackman’s second wife, he was previously married Faye Maltese, with the former couple sharing three children Christopher Allen, Elizabeth Jean, and Leslie Anne Hackman.