Gene Hackman's surviving dogs' final act of loyalty after Hollywood star and his wife found dead at home

14 March 2025, 15:09

Hollywood legend Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead
Hollywood legend Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead. Picture: Getty

By Emma Soteriou

The final act of loyalty from Gene Hackman's surviving dogs has been revealed.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

The Oscar-winning star, 95, was found dead at his Santa Fe home last month, alongside his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa.

One of the couple's dogs was also found dead inside the property.

It has now been revealed that the two surviving dogs assisted paramedics in finding Hackman's body in the property.

Emergency responders were met with the couple's German Shepherd Bear and Akita-shepherd mix Nikita, with the pair bounding toward them before running away.

They were initially thought to have just been playing but paramedics soon realised they were trying to lead them to Hackman.

"They realised (the dog) was trying to say, 'Hey, come over here! Come over here!'" Santa Fe Fire Chief Brian Moya told USA Today.

Read more: Gene Hackman's estate attempt to block release of police body-cam footage following death of Hollywood star

Read more: Tragic reason it took so long to find Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa after couple died

Hollywood star Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa found dead at their home

Arakawa's body had already been found in the bathroom but it took 30 minutes to find Hackman.

It was the dogs that guided the crew to the mudroom at the far end of the home before sitting down next to his body.

Nikita was "skittish because of all the commotion" and refused to leave the sides of both of her owners, authorities said.

The dogs are understood to have since been moved to a boarding facility until the wills are read.

It comes as a representative for Hackman's estate is seeking to block the public release of autopsy and investigative reports related to his death.

The petition especially sought to block the release of photographs and police body-camera video after the couple's partially mummified bodies were discovered at their New Mexico home last month.

Authorities last week announced that Hackman died at age 95 of heart disease with complications from Alzheimer's disease as much as a week after a rare, rodent-borne disease - hantavirus pulmonary syndrome - took the life of his 65-year-old wife.

Hackman's pacemaker last showed signs of activity on February 18, indicating an abnormal heart rhythm on the day he likely died.

The couple's bodies were not discovered until February 26 when maintenance and security workers showed up at the Santa Fe home and alerted police - leaving a mystery for law enforcement and medical investigators to unravel.

Hackman was one of Hollywood's most famous and bankable stars for more than three decades, from his breakthrough in the early 1970s to his retirement in the early 2000s.

He was nominated for five Academy Awards - for Bonnie and Clyde (1968), I Never Sang For My Father (1970), The French Connection (1971), Mississippi Burning (1988) and Unforgiven (1992).

He won the Best Acting Oscar for the French Connection and Best Supporting Actor for Unforgiven.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Nicholas Prosper killed his family

Teenager who murdered family planned to massacre 30 school children to become UK's most notorious mass killer

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall making a statement on welfare reform in the House of Commons, London. Picture date: Tuesday March 18, 2025.

'£5 billion saving' as Government announces major benefits crackdown

A woman in her 20s died at the scene, police said

LIVE: Woman in her 20s dies after ‘van hit three people’ near The Strand in central London

A woman in her 20s died in the crash

Woman killed after van hits three pedestrians in Strand in central London, as man arrested for drug driving

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have reportedly shared their first phone call since the election.

US ‘could recognise Crimea as Russian in peace deal’ as Trump to hold ceasefire talks with Putin

Paul Young and his wife Lorna had been on holiday in Santorini when the fall happened

Paul Young rushed into intensive care after horror fall on luxury Greek holiday

Owen Cooper

Adolescence star Owen Cooper, 15, reveals iconic role he wants to play and how his friends reacted Netflix drama

Israel launched a wave of strikes on Gaza last night - the largest attack since the January ceasefire

'Greatest fear realised': Families of Israeli hostages slam Netanyahu as Gaza strikes put captives 'at grave risk'

A group picture of all the researchers – from various science projects -- at the South African research station, SANAE IV, Antar

Revealed: Why Antarctic scientist 'snapped' on remote base as team begs for rescue after 'assaults and death threats'

Rescue teams at work after the plane crashed into the sea, on Roatan island, Honduras

Plane crash kills seven including popular music star after jet goes down off Honduras coast

The NHS watchdog has called for overweight patients to be weighed each year.

Overweight patients should be weighed every year so doctors can monitor them, says NHS watchdog

Pat McFadden

Pat McFadden defends changes to welfare system as he insists Cabinet 'united' behind plans - despite backlash

Driving test rules have changed

Warning over new rules for driving tests, as ministers push to slash waiting times

Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa Portrait

Fresh twist in death of Gene Hackman’s wife Betsy as it emerges she called doctors a day after police say she died

Exclusive
Civil servants are having their credit cards frozen

'We need to treat taxpayer money with respect': Ministers freeze civil service credit cards after spending quadruples

Exclusive
Part of the River Trent had 50 times the bacteria of safe swimming water

'There's something wrong with the water': Bacteria in UK river 50 times higher than safe swimming levels