Gene Hackman police admit crucial crime scene error as mystery over star's death deepens
5 March 2025, 04:22
Police investigating the death of Gene Hackman have admitted a crucial crime scene error as the mystery over his and his wife's death deepens.
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The two-time Oscar winner, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found dead, along with one of their dogs, at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, last Wednesday.
Police said there were no apparent signs of foul play.
They have since revealed that there was a crucial identification error at the start of their investigation.
Officials initially said the couple's German Shepherd named Bear had been found with them in their home.
However, the dog is alive and well at Santa Fe Tails - a pet daycare centre - along with another of Hackman's dogs, Nikita, a seven-year-old Akita-shepherd mix.
Read more: 'Last event' logged on Gene Hackman's pacemaker may hold key to actor's death
Hollywood star Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa found dead at their home
The dog that was actually found with the couple was Zinna, a 12-year-old reddish Australian Kelpie mixed breed, a friend told USA Today.
Both Nikita and Bear have been kept at Santa Fe Tails, according to Joey Padilla, the owner of the facility.
It is unclear how the dogs were misidentified, but a spokeswoman for the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office said she had not been aware of the mix-up.
"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," Denise Womack-Avila said.
Tests on Hackman's pacemaker show that he was alive on February 17 when a "last event" was recorded, nine days before his body was discovered.
Police say it is a "reasonable assumption" that he died when his pacemaker had its "last event".
The star's body was found in a mud room, and his wife was found next to a space heater in a bathroom, detectives said in the warrant.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza, who spoke to a pathologist in the case earlier on Friday, told a press conference: "Both individuals tested negative for carbon monoxide.
"An initial interrogation was conducted of Mr Hackman's pacemaker.
"This revealed that his last event was recorded February 17 2025, I was advised that a more thorough investigation will be completed."
He also said: "Initial findings noted no external trauma to either individual.
"The manner and cause of death has not been determined.
"The official results of the autopsy and toxicology reports are pending."
Hackman's body was found in a mud room, and his wife was found next to a space heater in a bathroom, detectives said in the warrant.
Mr Mendoza had previously said there were several conflicting stories about which doors were locked at the house - he said several were unlocked and a rear door was open, which allowed two dogs that survived to go in and out.
He also said he thought the front door was closed but unlocked.
Two other dogs were found alive at the property, one inside and one outside.
The alarm had been raised by a maintenance person doing pest control at the property, who was concerned because he had not seen the couple, police said.
New Mexico Gas Company tested gas lines in and around the home after the bodies were discovered, according to a search warrant, and no signs of problems were found.
Officers are still trying to piece together the couple's last known contact with other people but "that's one of our challenges because of their privacy," Mr Mendoza said.
A search was carried out after the bodies were discovered and several items were "secured from the residence for evidentiary purposes".
These included two green mobile phones, two bottles of medication, medical records and a 2025 monthly planner.
Work is now being done to "sift through cell phones" and to look through a calendar found near the couple's bodies.
Contact will also be made with workers, security staff and family members.
