- Movies. Gene Hackman's dogs' heartbreaking gesture that shocked first responders at the late actor's home
- Movies. The last hours of Gene Hackman's wife Betsy Arakawa's life as she lay dying from hantavirus
The dog found dead alongside Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa in February is believed to have ed away from starvation and dehydration.
That's what an autopsy report from the state Department of Agriculture's veterinary lab obtained by The Associated Press states.
It also states that the partial mummification of the dog, Zinna, could have obscured changes in organs, and that there was no evidence of poisoning, disease or trauma. There was also little found inside the dog's stomach outside of small amounts of hair and bile.
Zinna was one of three dogs the couple had. Its body was found in a crate in a bathroom closet near where Arakawa's body was found.
The other two dogs survived and allegedly helped first responders find Hackman's body after they searched the home for 30 minutes.
Hackman and Arakawa's ing still a shock
The bodies of Hackman and Arakawa were found in their Sante Fe home on February 27.
Authorities stated that her body had "bloating in her face and mummification in her hands and feet."
Autopsy reports for both revealed that Arakawa died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a rare rodent-transmitted virus. The manner of death was natural.
As for Hackman, his cause of death was hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and "evidence of advanced Alzheimer's disease" as a significant contributory factor.
Sheriff Adan Mendoza stated that Hackman was likely alone with his dead wife for seven days before he died.