Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa Hackman were found dead in their home on Feb. 26
New details have emerged in the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa Hackman that are shifting the timeline of events.
According to ABC News, officials are now saying that Betsy called a medical service the morning after she was previously thought to have died. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that during the early hours of Feb. 12, Betsy called Cloudberry, a medical concierge service that provides credentialed doctors to patients seeking help. Daily Mail reported spoke to a doctor from Cloudberry who confirmed Betsy contacted their office on Feb. 12.
Betsy was previously believed to have died Feb. 11, with her cause of death determined to be Hantavirus, a rare flu-like virus transmitted through rodent droppings, according to Heather Jarrell, New Mexico’s chief medical examiner. She was last seen publicly that same day, Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirmed.
“That would indicate to me that she was seeking medical advice or medical help and may not have been feeling well,” Mendoza told Good Morning America of the revelation March 17.
Good Morning America also reached out to Cloudberry, who confirmed that Betsy contacted them to inquire about “esoteric treatment” that morning. They further noted that there were no signs of breathing issues or distress, and the office returned her call twice, but never heard back.
The Hackmans were both found dead in their home on Feb. 26, with their bodies in advanced states of decomposition. A pest control worker, who stopped by the couple’s home and became suspicious after they didn’t answer the door, called a neighborhood security officer who coordinated with authorities to make the discovery.
Gene’s body was located in a mudroom of the house, and Betsy was found collapsed in a bathroom near a space heater and scattered pills, according to a search warrant affidavit reviewed by PEOPLE.
The legendary actor, 95, died from a combination of severe heart disease, high blood pressure and advanced Alzheimer’s disease likely around Feb. 18, about one week after Betsy’s death, according to authorities, who believe he was alone in the home with Betsy’s body for days.
Zinna, the couple’s dog, was also found dead, crated in a closet, near Betsy’s body. ABC News reviewed a newly released necropsy report which revealed that the pup likely died of dehydration and starvation, specifically citing “severe postmortem decomposition with partial mummification.”
The report also stated that Zinna’s body showed no evidence of an infection, trauma or poisoning. Furthermore, the dog’s stomach was “mostly empty except for very small amounts of hair and bile,” the necropsy report added, per ABC News.
Authorities do not believe foul play was involved in Gene and Betsy’s deaths, and carbon monoxide and gas were ruled out as a potential cause of death despite a small gas leak being discovered on one of the couple’s stovetops. However, Erin Phipps, a veterinarian with the New Mexico Health Department, noted that signs of “rodent entry” were found on the property, despite the assessed risk in the main house being considered “low.”