Gene Hackman & Betsy Arakawa’s Friend Gives an Update on Their Two Surviving Dogs

The two surviving dogs that belonged to legendary actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, are now safe and adjusting to their new reality, according to the couple’s longtime friend. This update comes after Gene and Betsy were found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home on February 26, 2025.

Alongside the couple, a third dog, an Australian kelpie mix named Zinfandel, also known as Zinna, was found dead. According to officials, Zinna was inside a crate about 10 to 15 feet away from Betsy’s body when authorities discovered the scene.

The couple’s two other dogs — Bear, a German shepherd, and Nikki, a German shepherd mix — were found alive. Investigators said the dogs appeared to have had access to a doggy door.

One dog was discovered near Betsy’s body, while the other was found outside the home, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirmed.

Currently, both surviving dogs are being cared for by Joey Padilla, the owner of Santa Fe Tails, a local boarding facility that the couple frequently used for their pets.

Joey told ABC News, “They are safe and adjusting.” He also shared that he will continue caring for the dogs until he receives further instructions regarding Betsy’s wishes for them.

Joey spoke fondly of the late couple, describing them as “amazing friends and dog lovers.” He added, “Those dogs were Betsy’s babies.”

Joey, who had known Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa for more than ten years, explained that he used to dine out with them often before the pandemic began. In recent years, however, he saw Gene less frequently because Betsy wanted to protect her husband’s health by limiting his contact with others.

Joey recalled the last time he saw Betsy, which was in January when she brought Bear to Santa Fe Tails. He described their final conversation, “She was the same old, just, you know, ‘Hey, how’s it going, good to see you.'”

He expressed deep sadness over the couple’s deaths, “I’m terribly saddened. They were really good people.”

As authorities investigate the deaths of the legendary actor and his wife, several unusual details at the scene have led to a deeper inquiry, though the exact circumstances remain unclear.

While the couple had grown more reclusive in recent years, Betsy had still been in touch with a close friend through email just weeks before her death. Now, as authorities try to piece together their final days, those who knew them are revealing new details about their last known moments.

The Couple’s Increasing Isolation in Recent Years

Gene and Betsy had always valued their privacy, but in their later years, they became even more withdrawn. Friends who once visited them regularly noticed that the couple stopped inviting people over, preferring to spend time alone in their Santa Fe home.

Barbara Lenihan, a longtime friend who co-owned a home décor store with Betsy, recalled how their social circle grew smaller over time. “People loved to be around them,” she shared. “We used to spend a lot of time at their house, but it’d been a while since they were comfortable having others over.”

Her husband, Daniel Lenihan, a writer and close friend of Gene’s for over 30 years, admitted it had been “years” since he had last seen him in person. Despite their growing isolation, no one suspected anything was wrong.

Friends believed Gene and Betsy were simply enjoying a quiet life together — until their sudden deaths raised questions about what had really been happening behind closed doors.

The Last Known Communication

Although the couple had distanced themselves from most social interactions, Betsy still kept in touch with a few people. One of them was her longtime friend Barbara, who had exchanged emails with her in the weeks leading up to her death.

Nothing in their conversations suggested anything was wrong, and Betsy gave no indication that she was in distress. Gene’s youngest daughter, Leslie Anne Allen, also shared that she had not spoken to her father or Betsy for a few months.

“We were close,” she said, adding that despite their lack of recent communication, “everything was normal, and everything was good.” She credited Betsy with taking care of Gene and making sure he remained in good health. However, there was one person in Betsy’s life who had noticed an unusual silence.

For years, Betsy had always made it a point to check in with her 91-year-old mother, Yoshie Feaster, who lives in Hawaii every one or two months. But according to Yoshie’s longtime housekeeper, Keiko, the calls had stopped abruptly in October 2024.

“We were thinking, what happened?” Keiko shared, explaining that they had started to worry when months passed without a word from Betsy. When New Mexico authorities informed Yoshie of her daughter’s passing, the tragic news didn’t fully register.

Due to her dementia, Yoshie soon forgot what had happened. “She was very upset,” Keiko said. “But right now, she’s kind of normal.” With Betsy’s silence going unnoticed for months and no immediate alarms raised by friends or family, the first signs of trouble only became clear when a worker arrived at the couple’s home.

The Shocking Discovery at Their Home

On February 26, 2025, a maintenance worker arrived at Gene and Betsy’s home outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. As he approached, he noticed something alarming. Betsy’s body was visible through a window, completely still. Immediately, he called 911.

The emotional 911 call captured the worker’s distress as he urged authorities to respond quickly. “Damn,” he muttered repeatedly, clearly shaken by what he had seen. He also noted that the house was locked, so he couldn’t get in.

Deputies arrived at the scene around 1:45 p.m. and found the front door unsecured and slightly open. As they stepped inside, they discovered an unusual and puzzling scene that would leave investigators with more questions than answers.

Unusual Details at the Scene

Inside the home, deputies found Gene and Betsy in separate rooms under puzzling circumstances. Gene was discovered in the mudroom, dressed in sweatpants, a long-sleeve T-shirt, and slippers. His position suggested he had collapsed suddenly, but there were no visible signs of injury or trauma.

Betsy was found in a bathroom near the front door, lying on the ground. An open orange prescription bottle and scattered pills were on the countertop nearby. Investigators also noted a space heater placed close to her body.

One of the couple’s dogs was found dead inside a closet near Betsy, while two dogs were found alive, roaming the property. Despite the strange details, deputies found no signs of forced entry, no obvious injuries, and no immediate explanation for their deaths.

Gene’s Pacemaker Data Reveals a Critical Timeline

With no clear cause of death at the scene, investigators turned to medical data to establish when Gene and Betsy may have died. A key piece of evidence came from Gene’s pacemaker, which recorded its last cardiac event on February 17, 2025—nine days before their bodies were found.

Dr. Barry Ramo, a cardiologist, explained that pacemakers can continue functioning briefly after death, but the recorded event likely marked Gene’s final moments. “The pacemaker stimulates the heart,” Dr. Barry said. “Until it builds up all this toxic material, it can make the heart contract, but once that happens, the heart can no longer beat.”

He estimated that Gene likely died within 45 minutes to an hour before the pacemaker shut down. This discovery provided a crucial timeline for investigators, suggesting that he had been deceased for over a week before he was found.

However, it did not explain what caused their deaths, leaving authorities to consider other possibilities, including environmental factors inside the home.

Could the Space Heater Have Affected Betsy’s Decomposition?

As investigators examined Betsy’s body, they noted an unusual detail — her hands and feet showed signs of mummification. Experts explained that this type of decomposition occurs in dry, warm conditions, which led authorities to question whether the space heater found near her body had played a role.

Forensic analyst Joseph Scott Morgan noted that heat exposure can significantly alter the rate of decomposition. “Mummification occurs when you have heat and low humidity, and that’s exactly what happens when a body is near a heat source,” he explained.

The presence of the heater could have caused Betsy’s body to dry out faster, making it harder to determine her exact time of death. Investigators also looked into the scattered pills found near Betsy.

While an overdose was one possible theory, forensic experts noted that people who intentionally take a fatal dose of medication usually lie down in a controlled manner — not collapse unexpectedly.

Authorities worked to determine whether Betsy had suffered a medical emergency, taken medication unintentionally, or if other factors were involved. With environmental conditions complicating the investigation, authorities turned to digital evidence for further clues.

Investigators Unlocking Phones and Reviewing Medical Records

With few physical clues at the scene, investigators focused on Gene and Betsy’s personal devices and records to piece together their final days. Deputies recovered two green cell phones, a 2025 planner, and medical records from the home, all of which were taken for further examination.

Authorities worked to unlock the phones, hoping to find call logs, text messages, or emails that might reveal when the couple last communicated with others. Investigators were also analyzing medical records to determine if either Gene or Betsy had underlying health conditions that could have contributed to their deaths.

Former FBI investigator Bill Daly explained how digital evidence could provide crucial insights. “After receiving the cell phones, investigators can determine when they stopped moving, when they lost communication, which can tell the time of disablement or death,” he said.

Additionally, they are looking into Gene’s pacemaker data and Betsy’s prescription history to rule out possible medical events or overdoses.

As authorities comb through these records, those who knew the couple are left in shock, struggling to come to terms with their sudden and tragic loss. Until more details emerge, Gene and Betsy’s deaths remain an unsettling mystery.