Gene Hackman police admit major crime scene blunder after actor and wife found dead
5 March 2025, 11:36
Following the shocking news Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa had passed away, it has now been revealed police have made an error in their investigation.
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Police investigating the death of Hollywood legend Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa have revealed they made an error in the case.
Upon announcing the couple's passing back in February, authorities went on to state that Gene and Betsy's dog, a German Shepherd named Bear, was also found deceased in their home. They went on to confirm the pair's two other dogs were alive and well.
However, according to USA Today, it was actually the couple's 12-year-old reddish Australian Kelpie mixed breed Zinna, who had been found dead, not Bear. It has now been revealed that the German Shepherd is alive and well at a pet daycare centre in Santa Fe along with their other dog Nikita, a seven-year-old Akita-shepherd mix.
It isn't clear how their mix-up occurred with Denise Womack-Avila, a spokeswoman from the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, telling the outlet she wasn't aware of the mix-up.
She stated: "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."
With the couple's cause of death yet to be revealed, Gene's long-time friend Doug Lanham has spoken out regarding conspiracy theories surrounding the their mysterious passings.
Doug told DailyMail.com,: "I just can’t process what took place.
"We’d all kind of expected it, he’s 95, and in some of the pictures towards the end there he was looking frail.
"But to read and hear what took place, I still have a hard time understanding. Because they were so dignified and so in love with each other.
"My buddy sent me the picture of Gene with the news of his passing. It was 3am on Thursday. I started reading about the whole thing and I lost it. I’m kind of a mess sometimes."
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Gene and Betsy were found dead in separate rooms by a caretaker in their New Mexico home on February 26th 2025.
Two days after their bodies were discovered, police revealed they believe Gene passed away on February 17th as this was the last day his pacemaker recorded his heartbeat.
Following the news of his shock passing, many acting legends paid tribute to Gene, with his Unforgiven co-star Morgan Freeman calling him a "dear friend" at the 2025 Oscar's ceremony.
The star began: "This week, our community lost a giant. And I lost a dear friend, Gene Hackman.
"I had the pleasure of working alongside Gene on two films, Unforgiven and Under Suspicion. Like everyone who ever shared a scene with him, I learned he was a generous performer and a man whose gifts elevated everyone’s work."
He continued: "Gene always said, ‘I don’t think about legacy. I just hope people remember me as someone who tried to do good work.'
"I think I speak for us all when I say, ‘Gene, you will be remembered for that, and so much more.’ Rest in peace, my friend."
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