Authorities reveal how Gene Hackman and wife's dog likely died
The likely cause of death of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's dog, who was discovered lifeless with them in their home, has been revealed by authorities.
According to ABC News, a necropsy report from the Santa Fe Animal Control showed a "severe postmortem decomposition with partial mummification."
No evidence of infection, trauma, or poisoning was found, per the report.
The stomach of the couple's pet, however, was discovered to be "mostly empty except for very small amounts of hair and bile."
"If the dog was in a confined space without access to food or water, the dog most likely died of dehydration/starvation," it added.
Hackman and Arakawa were found dead in their home on Feb. 26.
First responders found the house's door unlocked and open. Pills were scattered next to Arakawa's body, which was in the bathroom.
Hackman's body, fully clothed, was found in another room. A pair of sunglasses was next to his body, indicating a sudden fall.
The Associated Press reported that according to pet care specialist Joey Padilla, the couple's dog Bear, a German shepherd, survived with another dog, Nikita. It's their kelpie mix, Zinna, who died. Their pet was discovered dead in a kennel in a bathroom closet near Arakawa.
Hackman, a two-time Academy Award winner, was credited for intense performances of everyman characters inspired by his troubled upbringing, notching up dozens of movie credits extending into his 70s.
He is perhaps best known as vulgar New York cop Jimmy Popeye Doyle in the 1971 crime thriller The French Connection, for which he won an Oscar for best actor.
He won another golden statuette two decades later for best supporting actor for his portrayal of the brutal small-town sheriff "Little Bill" Daggett in the 1992 western Unforgiven.
He earned three more Oscar nominations during a five-decade career in which he appeared in 80-odd films.
