Gene Hackman’s home was in ‘shocking’ state before their deaths as tragic update about dog confirmed
Actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa’s home was reportedly “a mess,” according to updates that come weeks after the couple were found dead in their Santa Fe mansion last month.
The bodies of Gene, 95, and Betsy, 65, were discovered at their New Mexico home after neighbourhood security conducted a welfare check.
One of their dogs, Zinna, was also found deceased at the property.
According to reports, the $3.5 million ranch home had been “a mess” prior to the pair’s tragic deaths.
“The inside of the house was shocking,” a source told MailOnline. “They didn’t have a housekeeper or a maid, so it had beautiful things – furniture and paintings – but there was dog poop on the floor.”
The source added: “The inside of the house was bad. Nothing had been dusted. There was nothing in the fridge.”
In another fresh and tragic update, tests show that Zinna, the dog found dead alongside the couple, likely died as a result of dehydration and starvation.
The New Mexico Department of Agriculture’s veterinary lab revealed there had been partial mummification of the animal’s remains.
The lab noted that while severe decomposition could have obscured changes in the organs, there was no evidence of infectious disease, trauma or poisoning that could have resulted in death.
The findings were released earlier today by state officials.
The couple, who had been married for 34 years, lived a quiet life in a secluded gated community.
“They have a gate, and we have a gate, and we just have never even seen each other,” one neighbour told the New York Times.
Another resident added: “He wanted to be quiet, he didn’t want to be bothered, and I don’t blame him.”
In 1990, Gene had opened up his home to Architectural Digest, saying: “We bought a few things in Santa Fe. Other things came from auctions in New York, an antiques shop in Germany that Betsy and I found, and from Los Angeles.”
Authorities later stated that Betsy died first from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a rare infectious disease.
Gene is thought to have died a week later, around February 18, of heart disease.
Medical professionals have suggested that the Unforgiven star, who had advanced Alzheimer’s, possibly didn’t know his wife had passed away.
Following their deaths, Gene’s daughter Leslie paid tribute to Betsy for “keeping him alive” and said they had a “wonderful marriage”.
“She took very, very good care of him and was always looking out for his health,” Leslie told reporters.
It has been revealed that Gene left his $80 million fortune to Betsy, who was a successor trustee to his trust.
It remains unclear if his three children were left anything in his will.
Their possible omission has raised concerns of a potential legal battle over his fortune.
Betsy’s will designates her assets to a trust to be distributed to charitable organisations and the settlement of medical debts.
The couple had no children together, though Gene had three children from a previous relationship.