Gene Hackman’s daughter, Elizabeth, is heartbroken over the deaths of her father, stepmother, Betsy Arakawa, and dog. Recently released police body cam footage reveals a heartfelt request of Elizabeth following the discovery of the remains of her loved ones in their Santa Fe home on Wednesday, February 26.
Gene Hackman, 95 at the time of his passing, was ruled to have died from hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The report also cited advanced Alzheimer’s disease as a contributing factor. Meanwhile, the cause of death for Betsy Arakawa, 65, was identified as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a rare illness transmitted by rodents.
New bodycam footage shows distressed daughter of Gene Hackman
The video showing a phone call between Elizabeth and law enforcement was recorded on February 27, just a day after the tragic discovery. During the conversation, the 63-year-old asked officers to ensure that Zinna, the couple’s deceased dog, would be cremated and buried alongside Arakawa. She also requested that, if possible, the dog’s collar be saved for her.
Additional footage from the previous day, February 26, showed another deeply emotional moment between officers and a longtime groundskeeper for Hackman and Arakawa. Overcome with grief, the man struggled to hold back tears as he spoke about his bond with the late couple. After talking for some time, he stepped away as he could no longer compose himself.
The couple, who lived a largely private life, had three dogs. However, when authorities entered the home, they found only two of them alive. Zinna was discovered in a crate inside a bathroom closet near Arakawa’s body, having tragically passed away sometime before authorities arrived. A subsequent autopsy on Zinna revealed that the dog likely died of starvation and dehydration.
Also, Zinna’s body showed signs of partial mummification, which may have obscured some internal changes. However, medical examiners found no evidence of poisoning, disease, or trauma contributing to the dog’s death. Gene Hackman is survived by his three children from his previous marriage to Faye Maltese: Elizabeth, 63, Leslie, 58, and Christopher, 65.