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EXCLUSIVE: Watch The Exact Moment Actor Gene Hackman and Wife Betsy's Lifeless Bodies Are Found — As Heartbreak Of Couple's Dogs' Final Act of Kindness Revealed

April 16 2025, Published 4:00 p.m. ET

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New bodycam video obtained by RadarOnline.com revealed the moment first responders located the lifeless body of Gene Hackman.

Santa Fe Sheriff's deputies can be seen sharing their shock and their sorrow at their discovery.

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gene hackman body found
Source: Santa Fe Sheriff's Office

Sheriff deputies searched the home after receiving a call.

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The new videos show emergency responders entering the disheveled home to search the property. As they stepped into one of the mansion's many rooms, one deputy turned to the other and said: "I've got feet."

Moments later, the second deputy reluctantly agreed: "Oh, I see feet too."

Upon investigating further, the deputies find 95-year-old Hackman's partially mummified remains.

"Oh yeah, he's down," one officer remarks. "He's been down for awhile."

As more responders enter, he continued: "Alrighty. Well, we found the second one. S---, that sucks.

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The videos also revealed the moment they found his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 65, whose body was being closely guarded by one of the couple's dogs.

One showed the officers arriving at the house, only to discover one of the dogs staring right back at them.

The deputies paused to discuss if the dogs were friendly before walking in gingerly. They were met by Hackman's scattered home, with clothing and other items littered around the property.

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gene hackman body
Source: Santa Fe Sheriff's Office

Deputies expressed their shock at discovering the bodies.

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Lying faithfully next to Arakawa's body was their German Shepherd named Bear, who did not appear to threaten the deputies. An Akita-shepherd mix named Nikita was soon located as well, bounding up to crews, frantically barking before running off.

Initially, the team thought the pooch was just being playful, but it was soon revealed that it was actually trying to lead the paramedics to Hackman's body.

Santa Fe Fire Chief Brian Moya said: "They realized (the dog) was trying to say, 'Hey, come over here! Come over here!'"

Nikita was "skittish because of all the commotion" and refused to leave the sides of both of her owners, authorities said.

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gene hackman betsy arakawa dog
Source: Santa Fe Sheriff's Office

One of the dogs was seen protecting Arakawa's body.

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Hackman and Arakawa's third dog, Zinna, was found dead in a closed crate in the bathroom near the pianist's body in a "mummified state," according to cops.

The 12-year-old Australian Kelpie mix had undergone a veterinary procedure in the days before Arakawa's death and was being crated to recover.

Experts believe Zinna likely died from a lack of food and water.

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gene hackman dog
Source: Santa Fe Sheriff's Office

The dog was not aggressive to responders.

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Nikki and Bear were given to Hackman's dog boarder, Joe Padilla, the owner of pet daycare Santa Fe Tails.

In a statement to RadarOnline.com, Padilla, who often looked after the couple's dogs before their tragic deaths, said the dogs are "healthy and receiving the best care in a familiar environment."

He added: "They are surrounded by people they know who love them and are committed to their safety."

The owner went on to say how Hackman and Arakawa were "amazing friends and dog lovers" and that the pets were Arakawa's "babies."

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gene hackman doctor claims wife called  hours after died inheritance
Source: MEGA

Hackman reportedly died at least a week after Arakawa from heart disease and Alzheimer's.

Arakawa was found to have died on February 11 from a rare rodent disease called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome — a week before the Hollywood legend passed away.

The bodycam footage further revealed deputies walking to the side of the home where Hackman's body was tragically found.

One deputy is heard saying: "It looks like he was trying to go outside."

Video also shows deputies opening doors and windows to air out the one, with one saying that it "smells like gas" while the house looked like a mess.

The sides of a sink are also seen in the footage littered with toiletries and bottles of medication. And what appears to be a bathtub is filled to the brim with boxes, books and documents.

Cops walked through the kitchen as well as private bedrooms and miscellaneous rooms, which were shockingly shown to have been completely cluttered with dog crates, beds, books, documents and boxes.

One deputy could be heard in the footage insinuating that law enforcement had been told the couple was "very private people, like very."

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