Newly released surveillance footage has captured Betsy Arakawa's final moments before her tragic passing.
The 65-year-old classical pianist and her 95-year-old Oscar-winning husband, Gene Hackman, were found dead in their Santa Fe home on February 26, alongside one of their three dogs.
On February 11, Arakawa was captured on surveillance cameras during what would be some of her last known public outings, per the Mirror.
Dressed in a black coat, blue jeans, and a face mask, she was seen shopping at Sprouts Farmers Market in Santa Fe around 4:00PM, and later at Shine Pet Food Co., buying food for the couple’s three dogs—including Zinna, who had just been picked up from the vet two days earlier.
The same day, she had been Googling terms like “can COVID cause dizziness” and searching for concierge medical services in Santa Fe, according to a report from CBS News.
Arakawa had also emailed her masseuse, explaining that Gene had woken up that morning with “flu or cold-like symptoms,” though a COVID test had come back negative. She canceled her appointment “out of an abundance of caution.”
Then, on the morning of February 12, she called Cloudberry Health, a local clinic, and spoke to a staff member about arranging an appointment—not for herself, but for her husband.
According to Dr. Josiah Child, who runs the clinic, she also made a personal appointment unrelated to any respiratory symptoms.
“Mrs. Hackman didn’t die on February 11 because she called my clinic on February 12,” Dr. Child told Daily Mail. “She made an appointment for herself for February 12. It was for something unrelated to anything respiratory.”
But she never showed up. And when the clinic tried to return her call that afternoon, she didn’t pick up. According to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, three outgoing calls were made from her phone to Cloudberry Health that morning. One incoming call from the clinic appeared as a missed call.
By February 18, the last recorded activity was logged from Hackman’s pacemaker.
Police were finally alerted on February 26 after maintenance and security workers arrived at the Hackman home and found it eerily quiet. Officers entered the house—bodycam footage shows their grim discovery.
Inside, they found the partially mummified body of Arakawa in a bathroom, with Zinna, one of their dogs, deceased in a crate nearby. One of the surviving dogs was found lying beside Arakawa’s body, quietly guarding her.
“Guarding her,” one deputy whispered on the footage. “Seems pretty friendly.”
Another officer added, “Poor guy,” as the dog whimpered and let out soft barks.
Gene Hackman’s body was discovered in a completely different area of the house.
“Two totally separate areas of the house,” one officer noted.
“Mhm, it’s strange,” another replied.
The interior of the home was largely undisturbed—art lined the walls, and personal belongings remained untouched.
Authorities worried initially about a gas leak, but testing later ruled that out. Investigators reviewed voicemails, home phone logs, and even counted cash scattered around the property.
Dr. Heather Jarrell, New Mexico’s chief medical examiner, confirmed that Arakawa died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS)—a rare but deadly rodent-borne illness.
Gene Hackman’s cause of death was listed as hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease contributing.
An environmental inspection of the property uncovered extensive rodent activity—not inside the main house, but in several outbuildings including three garages, two guesthouses, and three sheds.
Rodent feces, nests, and even one live and one dead rodent were found. Two vehicles showed signs of infestation. Live traps had already been set—indicating the couple had been trying to deal with the issue.
Despite the infestation, no signs of rodent activity were found inside the main home, where Arakawa and Hackman died. However, the surrounding infestation posed a significant hantavirus risk to first responders and visiting family.