Gene Hackman’s daughter made a heartwarming request following the discovery of her father and stepmother’s bodies, as well as one of their dogs.
The world turned upside down when news broke last month that the 95-year-old Hollywood icon and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, passed away in February in their New Mexico home.
It took several weeks for investigators to piece together what had happened and create a reasonable timeline. After all, their bodies had already been somewhat mummified by the time they were discovered.
Highlights
- Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy were found deceased in their New Mexico home in February.
- Hackman's daughter, Elizabeth, requested that their dog, Zinna, be buried with her stepmother.
- Hackman's family blocked the release of the autopsy results and investigation findings from being made public.
Gene Hackman's daughter had a specific request after her father and stepmother's bodies were found
Image credits: Ron Galella / Getty
According to various news outlets, Arakawa was believed to have passed on February 11 due to hantavirus — although a local doctor has now confirmed that she called his clinic on February 12, only failing to return his calls in the afternoon.
Hackman is thought to have passed about a week later on February 18, which was the last day his pacemaker recorded any heart activity, citing heart disease as the ultimate cause.
Additionally, because the actor had been suffering from Alzheimer’s, experts say it was likely that he hadn’t known about his wife’s passing, therefore rendering him unable to report her body.
Image credits: Getty Images
New information has been released via the investigation on Friday, March 21, where Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office shared bodycam footage, showcasing a conversation between Hackman’s daughter Elizabeth and a police officer.
First obtained by TMZ, the video was dated back to February 27.
The two passed in mid February
Image credits: Animal Rescue, Inc.
In it, a detective called the 62-year-old and briefed what could be done to Hackman and Arakawa’s dogs — both the two that survived and the one who met its tragic end alongside its parents.
It was possible for Elizabeth, who had not been named in her father’s $80 million will as it had solely gone to his wife, to collect the ashes of the deceased dog, named Zinna, after she had been cremated.
Image credits: The Interview Room
But Elizabeth thought it best to bury Zinna — who had passed from dehydration and starvation after being kept in her crate due to a recent surgery — with Arakawa since the two shared a special, untouchable bond. The collar would be saved for her to keep before the cremation.
The other surviving two dogs, who had been freely roaming the sprawling New Mexico estate when authorities arrived, led them to Arakawa and Hackman’s bodies.
Santa Fe Fire Department Chief Brian Moya recalled that fateful day when the canines kept barking at them to get their attention.
Elizabeth wanted Zinna to be placed with Arakawa
Image credits: Disney+
“They realized [the dog] was trying to say, ‘Hey, come over here! Come over here.’” Moya shared.
Hackman was found in the mudroom while Arakawa lay in the bathroom.
This comes right after the Hollywood icon’s family requested that his and his wife’s autopsy results not be released to the public.
Image credits: Inside Edition
As reported by The Sun, Hackman’s family has filed to block the autopsy and the investigation results, in a move that’s been deemed as “highly unusual.”
“Trying to block the autopsy results is very atypical, that is not something I have ever seen before,” said an insider to the outlet. “New Mexico doesn’t have an exemption for autopsy photos, and normally it’s not a concern, but when it comes to celebrity de–ths, a lot of people will request them.
“So it’s common where family members of celebrities who use the New Mexico courts to block release of photos specifically.”
Image credits: Kevin Winter / Getty
They went on to say, “As with the Hackmans, Michael Jackson’s family blocked Tito Jackson’s autopsy photos, and with the Alec Baldwin shooting of Halyna Hutchins, her family did the same.
“However, blocking the actual autopsy report, again, is highly unusual.”
The actor’s family has also filed a restraining order earlier this week that barred the Santa Fe court from releasing any photos of the two and their bodies, their deceased dog, and the insides of the home they were found in.
They stated that the couple “lived an exemplary private life for over thirty years in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and did not showcase their lifestyle.”
"That's a lovely gesture" wrote one person
