Investigators retrieved an email from Betsy to her therapist on Feb. 11. He had taken a COVID-19 test and had flu-like symptoms. She took him to the Cloudberry Health Center in Santa Fe.
Betsy began searching the Internet for flu and COVID symptoms on February 8. On February 11, she wrote to therapist Katie Van Horn, postponing her appointment because of Gene’s symptoms.
Van Horn told investigators that she had not seen Gene “for over a year,” but mentioned that he had previously “undergone surgery performed by a doctor in New York.”
The final searches came on Feb. 12, and they included inquiries on how long hyperbaric oxygen therapy would last and a search of the local medical center.
“This data suggests that Betsy was actively researching medical conditions related to COVID-19 and flu-like symptoms in the days leading up to her death,” the report said.
The couple was found in their home on Feb. 26.
Released footage inside the Hackman home showed one of the couple’s dogs protecting Betsy’s body when they arrived. The couple had three dogs, Bear and Nikita reportedly helped locate Gene’s body, while the third, Zinna, was found in a crate not far from Betsy’s body. An autopsy on Zinna shows she died from dehydration and starvation.
According to New Mexico officials, medical investigators believe Ms Arakawa contracted hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a life-threatening lung condition with symptoms including fatigue, fever, muscle aches, dizziness, and abdominal issues, which led to a sudden death.
Gene died from hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributing factor.
Investigators further said Gene likely survived for at least a week until he died around Feb. 18, according to the last reading on his pacemaker, but was not discovered for another nine days.
No rodents were found in the house, but there were nests on the property.
Their estranged family wanted the bodycam footage kept secret, but were overruled.
Heartbreaking police bodycam footage shows Gene Hackman’s dog was protecting the body of his wife as police entered their home. US authorities released the video of officers responding to the call more than a week after the couple died in their home in February. @MyleeHogan pic.twitter.com/iKCEWs70Y4
— 7NEWS Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) April 16, 2025
Subscribe to the Daily Newsletter
