Gene Hackman’s hero dog helped first responders find actor’s body inside New Mexico home

Gene Hackman’s dog courageously guided first responders to the actor’s body within his New Mexico residence. The Behind Enemy Lines actor and his spouse, Betsy Arakawa, were discovered deceased in their approximately $4 million mansion in Santa Fe in February. The couple’s third dog, Zinna, was found deceased inside a locked crate.

Bear and Nikita, the two dogs that survived the couple, roamed their property for several days prior to the arrival of authorities. A USA Today report indicates that the devoted dogs caught the first responders’ notice after they had been searching for Hackman and Arakawa for almost thirty minutes without success.

Although it is uncertain if it was Bear or Nikita, one of the dogs kept barking at the emergency personnel before fleeing toward the back of the house. “They understood (the dog) was attempting to convey, ‘Hey, come here! “Get over here!” The outlet was informed by Santa Fe Fire Chief Bryan Moya.

The dog then guided them to a mudroom, where Hackman’s corpse lay on the floor with his cane and sunglasses close by. Signs of decomposition were evident in the bodies of both the Heist actor and Arakawa. The 95-year-old passed away due to heart disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s playing a role, while the pianist succumbed to hantavirus.

Santa Fe County Medical Examiner Heather Jarrell remarked, “It is entirely possible he [Hackman] did not know that she [Arakawa] had passed away,” referencing his Alzheimer’s condition.