Gene Hackman death: Gas leak, dog identification details revealed – National

While the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa remain unsolved, new details have been revealed about the case.

Hackman, 95, was found dead on Feb. 26 in the entryway of his Santa Fe home and Arakawa, 63, was found dead in a bathroom next to a space heater, according to a search warrant affidavit from Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office detectives.

In the most recent update to the investigation, the New Mexico Gas Company confirmed “no significant findings” following an “extensive investigation for gas leaks and carbon monoxide at Gene Hackman’s home.”

According to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, natural gas is “not believed to be a factor” in the deaths of Hackman and Arakawa, but the gas company report would be forwarded to the Office of the Medical Investigator.

Workers did find a “minuscule” gas leak at one of the stove burners, registering 0.33 per cent gas in the air, according to the sheriff’s office, which noted that the leak was not enough to be fatal.

The gas company also found four other “red tag” code violations involving three gas log lighters in fireplaces and one involving a water heater. The sheriff’s office said none of those issues involved a gas leak or carbon monoxide.

Another new detail that came to light is authorities misidentified a deceased dog while investigating the deaths, according to a pet care specialist.

The couple’s German shepherd, named Bear, survived along with a second dog named Nikita, but their kelpie mix, Zinna, died, according to Joey Padilla, owner of the Santa Fe Tails pet care facility involved in the surviving dogs’ care.

The dog that died “was always attached to Betsy at the hip and it was a beautiful relationship,” Padilla said in an email statement to The Associated Press on Tuesday. “Zinna went from being a returned shelter dog to this incredible companion under Betsy’s hand.”

Authorities did not perform a necropsy on Zinna, who was found in a kennel in a bathroom closet near Arakawa, a sheriff’s office spokesperson said. Investigators initially noted the discovery of a “deceased brown in color German-Shepard canine,” misidentifying the breed of the dog.

According to ABC News, Hackman’s two surviving dogs “are safe and adjusting” following the deaths of their owners and the third dog.

“I will be holding onto them until I get word on what Betsy’s wishes for these dogs are,” Padilla told ABC News.

In a Feb. 27 news release, officials stated that an autopsy had been performed and the Office of the Medical Investigator found no signs of external trauma on Hackman or Arakawa.

“Carbon monoxide and toxicology tests were requested for both individuals,” the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said. “The manner and cause of death has not been determined. The official results of the autopsy and toxicology reports are pending.

“It should be noted there were no apparent signs of foul play.”

Hackman’s nephew, Tim Hackman, spoke with Us Weekly following the deaths and said the family does not want to speculate before all the facts are available.

“We’re waiting on toxicology. That will tell us everything,” he said. “It’s hard to theorize. There are lots of theories out there and I don’t want to speculate. It’s easy to speculate negative theories.

“The family wants to keep it positive for now and when we know the truth we will deal with it.”

In a previous statement, Hackman’s daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie, and granddaughter Annie, said, “He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”

— With files from The Associated Press

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