Bodycam footage shows Gene Hackman’s 'hungry' dog in panic on day couple’s bodies were found

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO: Newly released bodycam footage has shed light on the distressing scene at Gene Hackman’s Santa Fe home on the day the legendary actor and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were discovered dead.

The footage captures the couple’s panicked dog, Nikita, running around the garden as authorities and staff tried to make sense of the tragic events, per Daily Mail. 

A desperate attempt to save Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's dog Nikita

In the footage, one of the couple’s staffers is seen attempting to coax the distressed Akita-shepherd mix towards them.

Treats are thrown to lure Nikita, but the skittish animal only appears briefly on the hillside before bolting away once more.

“She take off again?” a police officer is heard asking as he moves closer to assess the situation.

“She must be hungry,” one of the workers responds, highlighting the neglect and confusion that followed the couple’s untimely death.

Reportedly, the body of their kelpie mix, Zinna, was found locked in a crate near where Arakawa had collapsed.

Autopsy results indicated that Zinna had died of starvation and dehydration, her stomach completely empty.

The heartbreaking details suggest she was crated after a vet visit and was left unattended.

Meanwhile, the couple’s two remaining dogs, Nikita and a German Shepherd named Bear, were eventually captured but had to be rehomed separately.

A man identifying himself as the couple’s dog trainer described the couple as being “nuts” about their pets, making the tragic fate of Zinna even more devastating.

The tragic discovery of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's death

Gene Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found dead at their $3.3 million residence on February 26.

Authorities initially deemed the circumstances suspicious, as the couple’s bodies were found in separate rooms.

Hackman was discovered in the home’s entryway, while Arakawa’s body was in a bathroom, surrounded by prescription pills.

A fallen fan near her suggested to investigators that she may have suffered a fatal fall. Despite early concerns, there were no signs of forced entry or disorder.

The couple’s bodies were in a state of partial mummification, indicating they had been deceased for some time before being found.

Medical findings and official causes of death

Subsequent autopsy reports revealed the heartbreaking details of their death. Hackman succumbed to severe heart disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease listed as a significant contributing factor.

Police believe Hackman died around February 18.

Arakawa, who had been her husband’s caregiver, died a week earlier from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare and fatal respiratory illness caused by exposure to infected rodents.

Her death likely left Hackman alone and unable to care for himself in his final days.

In the aftermath of their deaths, Hackman’s estate moved swiftly to protect the family’s privacy.

A New Mexico court granted a temporary restraining order against the release of any photographs or video showing the deceased couple inside their home, citing the family’s constitutional right to privacy under the 14th Amendment.

Beyond legal efforts to shield their final moments from public scrutiny, another battle looms.

Hackman’s three children, Christopher, Elizabeth, and Leslie, are waiting to learn the details of their father’s final wishes.