Gene Hackman's deceased dog misidentified in initial report
The investigators in the deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arawaka, misidentified a deceased dog at their home.
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.
Padilla, the owner of Santa Fe Tails that is involved in the surviving dogs’ care, in an email statement to AP on March 4, Tuesday, said Zinna "was always attached to Betsy at the hip and it was a beautiful relationship."
“Zinna went from being a returned shelter dog to this incredible companion under Betsy’s hand," he said.
Authorities haven't performed a necropsy on Zinna, who was found in a kennel in a bathroom closet near Arakawa.
Investigators initially noted the discovery of a “deceased brown in color German-Shepherd canine.”
Spokesperson Denise Avila acknowledged that sheriff’s deputies initially misidentified the deceased dog's breed.
“Our deputies, they don’t work with canines on a daily basis,” Avila said.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza, in a press conference on Feb. 28, confirmed that Hackman and Arakawa tested negative for carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas that's a byproduct of fuel burned in some home appliances and can be fatal in poorly ventilated homes.
The New Mexico Gas Company conducted an extensive investigation for gas leaks and carbon monoxide at the couple's home early evening shortly after the bodies were discovered. It said there were "no significant findings."
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.
Investigators were trying to piece together a timeline through the couple's planners and phones, searching for any video that might hint at the couple's movements over the last few weeks.
But it was a complicated task, compounded by their low profile.
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.
