The heartbreaking internet searches that Betsy Arakawa made just days before she passed away have been revealed.
Arakawa, 65, died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare but deadly rodent-borne illness.
Gene Hackman, her 95-year-old husband, followed about a week later, passing from heart disease complicated by Alzheimer’s.
Authorities on Tuesday published a detailed report chronicling Arakawa’s final emails, phone calls, and internet searches—showing she was desperately trying to understand her unexplained flu-like symptoms and seek medical help just days before her death, as reported by CBS News.
According to the investigation, Arakawa had been actively searching for information about COVID-19 and flu-like symptoms between February 8 and the morning of February 12.
Her search history included questions like whether COVID could cause dizziness or nosebleeds. That same morning, she looked up concierge medical services in Santa Fe and made a call lasting under two minutes. She missed a return call that afternoon.
In an email to her masseuse, she wrote that Hackman had woken up on February 11 with “flu or cold-like symptoms,” but a COVID test had come back negative. She canceled her massage appointment “out of an abundance of caution.”
By February 26, when authorities finally arrived at the couple’s secluded home, the scene was devastating.
Bodycam footage—now released with sensitive content redacted—shows officers entering the property after being alerted by maintenance and security workers.
Inside, they discovered the partially mummified bodies of the couple and one of their dogs, Zinna.
One of the couple’s surviving dogs was spotted lying beside Arakawa’s body in a bathroom, seemingly guarding her.
“Guarding her,” one sheriff’s deputy told another. “Seems pretty friendly.” Another officer could be heard whispering, “Poor guy,” as the pup let out faint barks and whimpers.
Hackman’s body was found in another part of the house. “Two totally separate areas of the house,” an officer noted. “Mhm, it’s strange,” another responded.
Worried about a potential gas leak, deputies opened doors and windows around the house. Later tests confirmed there was no leak.
As they searched the residence, they examined prescription medications in the bathroom and counted cash found in different areas.
Surveillance footage from a store visited by Arakawa on February 11 was also reviewed, along with the couple’s voicemail and home phone call logs.
Though the home’s interior was clean and undisturbed—with art still lining the walls—an environmental assessment found troubling signs outside.
According to the New Mexico Department of Health, rodent feces were discovered in several outbuildings, including three garages, two guest houses, and three sheds.
Two vehicles also showed signs of rodent activity, including droppings and nests. One live rodent and one dead rodent were recovered during the inspection. Traps had already been set in various areas, indicating an ongoing rodent problem.
Despite the widespread infestation outdoors, the main residence showed no signs of rodent activity. Still, the findings confirmed that the estate posed a significant hantavirus risk to responders and family visitors.
The disease, often carried by deer mice, is rare but extremely dangerous, causing flu-like symptoms before progressing rapidly into severe respiratory distress.
From 1993 to 2017, fewer than 730 cases were recorded in the U.S., almost all west of the Mississippi River, per the Independent.
Inside the Hackman home, investigators found one of the couple’s three dogs, Zinna, dead in a crate near Arakawa’s body.
The state veterinary lab determined that Zinna died of dehydration and starvation. The other two dogs were found alive and were later rehomed.