The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office reportedly incorrectly identified the dog that was found dead along with Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa's in their home. Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 63, were found dead in separate rooms of their $3.8 million residence by a caretaker around 1:45 p.m. on Wednesday in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Initially, authorities said that the couple's German Shepherd, Bear, was found dead in its kennel inside the house. However, according to USA Today, the dog was actually safe and perfectly healthy at a pet daycare facility in Santa Fe, along with their other dog, Nikita, a seven-year-old Akita-Shepherd mix. The dead dog was different.
Mistaken Identity
The dog that was actually found dead in the home was Zinna, a 12-year-old Australian Kelpie mix. She had been trained in agility skills with hopes of one day competing in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Her body was found inside a closed crate within the couple's expansive multi-million-dollar estate.
Gaber, an animal chiropractor, was already shocked by the news of Hackman and Arakawa's passing. However, when she heard reports about Bear, she struggled to make sense of it.
Just five months earlier, Gaber had treated Bear, noting that he was in good spirits and excellent health at the time. "I can't handle that image," Gaber said, recalling news of Bear's apparent death. "That's why this whole thing is so distressing. It just doesn't add up."
According to Joey Padilla, the owner of Santa Fe Tails, both Nikita and Bear are currently staying at the local pet daycare.
The reason behind the misidentification of the deceased dog remains unknown. However, a spokesperson for the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office told the outlet that she was unaware of the error.
"Our deputies do not deal with canines on a daily basis and I cannot currently speak to the condition or state of the dog's body upon discovery," she said.
Unanswered Questions
Hackman was found dead in his mudroom, while his wife's unresponsive body was found in the bathroom near the front entrance of their residence. Two days after the couple's bodies were found, police revealed that they believe the Oscar-winning actor died on February 17, based on evidence showing that his pacemaker stopped recording his heartbeat that day.
Authorities have not found any indications of foul play but are still treating the case as potentially suspicious.
The mystery surrounding their deaths mirrors the suspense of Hackman's own detective thriller novels, drawing global attention as many question how their deaths remained unnoticed for such a long time.
Residents of their exclusive, gated community, located along a winding canyon road about five miles from Santa Fe, told The New York Times that despite living near the famous couple for years, most had never even seen them.
