The two dogs found alive at the home of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa are safe with local animal control, according to a press release from the Santa Fe County sheriff’s office.
Hackman and Arakawa’s bodies were found Wednesday, February 26, along with the body of one of their three German Shepherds. Hackman was 95 and Arakawa was 64, and the investigation into their deaths is ongoing.
The two surviving dogs found on the property both “appeared healthy.”
“The Santa Fe County Animal Control Division worked with family to ensure the safety of the two dogs,” the release read.
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Authorities have not determined the cause of death for Hackman, Arakawa or the deceased dog, but carbon monoxide and toxicology tests have been ordered for both individuals. Further testing on the dog is on the table pending the results of Hackman and Arakawa’s autopsies, which could take four to six weeks, according to TMZ.
A maintenance worker first found the bodies when they arrived at the home and were not able to contact anyone inside. The worker then contacted neighborhood security to perform a welfare check. Security spotted the couple unresponsive through a window and contacted police.
“Foul play is not suspected as a factor in those deaths at this time, however, [the] exact cause of death has not been determined,” the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement to Us Weekly on Thursday, February 27. “This is an active and ongoing investigation by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.”
A sheriff’s department search warrant obtained by TMZ on Thursday called the situation “suspicious.” Police observed that Hackman and Arakawa appeared to have been deceased for some time. Arakawa was found in a bathroom in a “state of decomposition with bloating in her face and mummification in her hands and feet.” The deceased German Shepherd was 10 to 15 feet away from her.
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Hackman was found in a separate room, fully clothed and with sunglasses lying next to him. It appeared he and his wife had fallen suddenly.
As the investigation into their deaths continues, their family is waiting for answers.
“I think I’m very anxious to find out what happened and I just don’t know how long they had been deceased,” Hackman’s daughter Leslie told Us Weekly exclusively on Thursday. “[The authorities] don’t know yet either.”
Leslie, 58, added that there was no indication of “any problem in their house,” including a carbon monoxide leak.
“There’s never been an issue,” she said.
