Doctor Confirms: Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa’s Dog Did Not Die from Hantavirus
Betsy Arakawa, the spouse of the late actor Gene Hackman, passed away due to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome; however, this was not responsible for the couple’s dog, who was discovered just a few feet from her body.
According to Dr. Erin Phipps, the state veterinarian of New Mexico, dogs are not susceptible to hantavirus. While the reason behind the dog Zinna’s demise remains uncertain, Phipps addressed a question during a press conference regarding the possibility of the dog having starved.
“I don’t think we know the answer to that, but given the timelines presented, it is a possibility,” she stated.
Found in her crate, the Australian Kelpie Zinna may have been placed there by the couple as she was recovering from a recent procedure, noted Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza. An autopsy is planned for Zinna to investigate the cause of her death.
Arakawa is believed to have passed away on February 11, approximately 15 days before her body was discovered. Hackman is thought to have died on February 18 from hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease significantly contributing, as stated by the Chief Medical Examiner for New Mexico, Dr. Heather Jarrell, during a press conference.
Us Weekly confirmed on February 27 that Hackman and Arakawa were found dead in their Santa Fe residence the previous day.
“On February 26, 2025, at around 1:45 p.m., Santa Fe County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to an address on Old Sunset Trail in Hyde Park, where they found Gene Hackman, 95, his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64, and a dog deceased,” stated the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office in a communication shared with Us. “At this time, foul play is not suspected in these deaths; however, the precise cause of death is still undetermined.”
The couple is survived by Hackman’s three adult children: Christopher, 65, Elizabeth, 63, and Leslie, 58, from his previous marriage to Faye Maltese.
Initially, Elizabeth told TMZ that she suspected her father and stepmother might have succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning; however, firefighters found no traces of a leak. Following a preliminary assessment of the property, which revealed no obvious cause of death for either the couple or their dog, authorities classified the situation as “suspicious,” according to an affidavit obtained by TMZ.
“The nature of the deaths of the two deceased individuals raised sufficient suspicion to warrant an extensive search and investigation. This was prompted by the reporting party discovering the front door of the residence unsecured and open, deputies observing a healthy dog roaming the property, another healthy dog near the deceased female, a deceased dog located 10-15 feet from the female in a bathroom closet, the heater being moved, a pill bottle opened with pills scattered next to the female, the male decedent found in a separate room, and no apparent signs of a gas leak,” the report detailed.
Aside from Zinna, the Hackmans owned two other dogs that were found safe. “The Santa Fe County Animal Control Division collaborated with the family to ensure the safety of the two dogs,” a press release from late last month stated.
