Overview

• Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found deceased in their New Mexico home in late February 2025, having died of natural causes days apart.
• An autopsy determined their dog, Zinna, died from dehydration and starvation after being confined in a bathroom without food or water.
• Hackman, aged 95, likely passed from a heart condition and advanced Alzheimer’s, while Arakawa, 65, died earlier from a hantavirus infection.
• Two other family dogs survived the incident as they had access to the outdoors and are now under the care of a foster home.
• Zinna, a 12-year-old Australian Kelpie mix, was a decorated agility competitor and outlived her owners by several days before succumbing to her conditions.