Sheriff's Office Made an Error in Gene Hackman's Initial Death Report

Authorities are still working to uncover what led to Gene Hackman's death after his body was found in his Santa Fe home. As investigators examine key evidence, inconsistencies in official reports have raised concerns. Meanwhile, those who knew the Hollywood icon are struggling to make sense of the details surrounding his final days.

Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their Santa Fe home, prompting an investigation into their final days. With no immediate signs of foul play, authorities worked to establish a timeline of events leading up to their deaths. However, key details surrounding the case have only added to the uncertainty.

Among the concerns is a critical error in the sheriff's initial report that misidentified the couple's deceased dog. The mistake has raised questions about the accuracy of the investigation and whether other details may have been overlooked. As authorities continue their work, the circumstances of the couple's final moments remain unclear.

The Discovery: What Authorities Found at the Scene

On February 26, 2025, a maintenance worker arrived at Hackman and Arakawa's residence in the gated Santa Fe Summit community for a scheduled visit. After receiving no response at the door, the worker grew concerned and alerted a neighborhood security officer.

Peering through a window, the security officer saw two unresponsive bodies inside the home and immediately called 911 at approximately 1:45 p.m. When Santa Fe County sheriff's deputies arrived, they discovered the bodies of a 95-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman in separate rooms.

The man, later confirmed to be Gene Hackman, was found collapsed in a mudroom near his cane and sunglasses. Arakawa was located in a bathroom, positioned near a space heater, with an open prescription bottle and scattered pills nearby.

Authorities also found one deceased dog inside the house. Later that night, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza publicly confirmed that the deceased individuals were Hackman and Arakawa.

He assured the community that there was no immediate danger to the public, stating that no evidence of foul play had been found at the scene. However, with no clear cause of death and an uncertain timeline, investigators faced an uphill battle in determining what had happened inside the couple's secluded home.

Early Investigation and First Theories

Following the discovery, investigators faced an immediate challenge — determining exactly when and how they died. With no surveillance footage and limited outside communication from the couple, piecing together their final days would require a methodical approach.

Mendoza confirmed on February 27 that there were no external injuries visible on their bodies, but he noted that the couple had likely been deceased for several days or even weeks.

Authorities began reconstructing a reverse timeline, working backward from the estimated time of death. They searched the home for clues, collecting:

• A planner that detailed Hackman and Arakawa's last known activities.
• Two cell phones, which could contain call logs, messages, or other digital records.
• Prescription medications, including blood pressure pills and thyroid medication, found near Arakawa's body.

The evidence from Hackman's pacemaker seemed to suggest that Hackman had likely died first, with Arakawa possibly succumbing sometime later. However, authorities could not immediately confirm how long she had survived after Hackman's passing.

Although the sheriff's office remained cautious about drawing conclusions, one forensic expert pointed out that the lack of an emergency call from Arakawa suggested that she, too, had likely died suddenly — before she had the chance to seek help.

Without any outward signs of forced entry, investigators were left with more questions than answers. To help narrow down the possibilities, they turned to Hackman and Arakawa's friends and family, hoping to better understand their final weeks.

The Hackmans' Private Final Years

Those who knew him and Arakawa shed light on how the couple had become increasingly reclusive in their later years. While Hackman was once a larger-than-life figure in Hollywood, he and Arakawa had spent decades living quietly in Santa Fe, avoiding the spotlight.

Close friends Barbara and Daniel Lenihan, who had known Hackman for over 30 years, admitted that it had been years since they last saw him in person. Barbara, who once co-owned a home décor store with Arakawa, revealed that even her in-person interactions with her had become infrequent.

They shared that while they used to spend time at the Hackman home, the couple had gradually withdrawn from social interactions. "They were a little insular, and that was fine. It just got tougher for them to have people over," Barbara said.

"People loved to be around them. We used to spend a lot of time at their house, but it had been a while since they were comfortable having others over,” she added. Hackman's daughter, Leslie Anne Allen, also confirmed that she hadn't spoken to her father in a few months.

Despite this, she insisted that nothing seemed unusual the last time they spoke. "We were close," she stated. "I hadn't talked to them for a couple of months, but everything was normal and everything was good." Even in his 90s, Hackman had maintained a routine focused on fitness and creativity.

He was said to be in good physical condition, regularly practicing yoga and Pilates. He also spent much time painting and writing, having retired from acting in 2004. "They had a wonderful marriage," Allen said. "I give credit to his wife, Betsy, for keeping him alive."

While friends and family had no immediate concerns about the couple's well-being, their private lifestyle made it easier for time to pass without anyone noticing their absence — a factor that ultimately complicated the investigation.

Autopsy Results and Expert Analysis

As investigators worked to determine the cause of Hackman and Arakawa's deaths, preliminary autopsy reports provided some answers — but also raised new questions. Mendoza confirmed that both had tested negative for carbon monoxide poisoning, eliminating one of the initial theories.

There were also no signs of external trauma on either of them, ruling out any visible injuries. However, without an obvious cause of death, medical examiners had to rely on other forensic evidence.

One of the biggest clues came from Hackman's pacemaker, which had stopped recording activity on February 17. This indicated that he had likely died of cardiac arrest on that day, nine days before their bodies were discovered.

Forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden analyzed the case and proposed a likely sequence of events:

• Hackman, who had severe heart disease and high blood pressure, may have suffered a sudden cardiac arrest, causing him to collapse in the mudroom.
• Arakawa, upon discovering her husband, may have rushed to retrieve his medication or seek help.
• In the process, she may have fallen and sustained a fatal injury, or she could have suffered her own medical emergency, possibly triggered by stress or an underlying condition.

Baden also noted that certain internal injuries, such as a brain bleed or cardiac arrhythmia, might not be immediately visible in an external examination. "She may have struck her head on the way down and had some internal injury to the brain that doesn't show up on the outside," he explained.

Another mystery was the deceased dog found inside the home. Authorities theorized that the dog had died from dehydration and lack of food, having been trapped inside the house for over a week.

At the time, reports identified the dog as Bear, the couple's beloved German shepherd. However, this detail would soon prove to be a critical mistake — one that would cast doubt on other aspects of the investigation.

The Sheriff's Office's Major Error: Misidentifying the Deceased Dog

Initial statements from the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office claimed that a German shepherd belonging to Hackman had been found dead inside the home. Reports specifically identified the dog as Bear, an aging but well-cared-for pet that had undergone surgery months earlier.

The news devastated Sherry Gaber, an animal chiropractor and close friend of the couple. She had worked with Bear in the months before Hackman's death. Gaber recalled adjusting Bear's spine and laughing with Arakawa during one of their last sessions.

When she read that Bear had been found dead in the home, she was overcome with grief. "I can't handle that image," she said. "That's why this whole thing is so distressing. It just doesn't add up."

As more details emerged, it became clear that Bear was not the dog found in the house. Instead, Bear was alive and well, staying at a Santa Fe pet daycare facility with another surviving dog, Nikita, a 7-year-old Akita-shepherd mix.

The actual deceased dog was Zinna, a 12-year-old Australian Kelpie mix, found inside a closed crate near Arakawa's body. Zinna had once trained in agility skills and competed at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show before retiring to a quiet life with the Hackmans.

When USA Today magazine revealed the mix-up, Gaber was stunned. "My body's just shaking right now," she said upon learning that Bear was alive. "I'm grateful it's not Bear. It's still a tragic story." The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office later acknowledged the mistake.

They released a statement saying that deputies were not trained to identify specific dog breeds and may have assumed the dead dog was Bear based on its size and color.

However, the error left some questioning the reliability of the overall investigation. If something as basic as a dog's identity could be misreported, what other details might have been overlooked?

Backlash and Public Skepticism Over the Investigation

As news spread about the misidentified dog, public confidence in the investigation began to waver. Online, many began speculating about the circumstances of the couple's deaths — and whether authorities were overlooking crucial evidence.

Many people voiced their distrust over the official reports. One person wrote, "Don't believe a single word they tell you about Gene Hackman's death. The police and media lie ALL THE TIME." Another commented, "I still think they was murdered."

Others speculated about a possible cover-up, with one user stating, "Who knows what we didn't see but they sure will do anything to keep it from we the people."

Despite the speculation, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza stated that investigators were still working to determine the circumstances surrounding Hackman and Arakawa's deaths.

As investigators moved forward with their work, Hackman's family, close friends, and fans are awaiting answers. They're hoping science and forensic evidence will finally bring clarity to what happened behind the closed doors of the couple's secluded Santa Fe home.