Gene Hackman wife Betsy Arakawa’s made one final alarming Amazon order in the days before her and the actor’s tragic deaths.
Arakawa, 65, died in February of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome — a rare, rodent-borne disease that can led to a range of symptoms that include flu-like illness, headaches, dizziness and severe respiratory distress, investigators have said.
Meanwhile Hackman, 95, is believed to have died about a week later of heart disease with complications from Alzheimer’s disease. It’s possible the Oscar-winner did not realise his wife and sole caretaker had died, given his severe health conditions at the time of her death.
As well as making a slew of internet searches in a bid to understand her symptoms, The Mirror reports Arakawa ordered oxygen canisters from Amazon.
On February 11 she purchased the equipment which is believed to be for ‘respiratory support’ which could suggest someone in the home may have been struggling to breathe, benefits of long term use is also said to help reduce fatigue.
The partially mummified remains of the couple were found in their Santa Fe home on February 26, when maintenance and security workers showed up at the home and alerted police.
Gene Hackman wife Betsy Arakawa’s made one final alarming Amazon order in the days before her and the actor’s tragic deaths (pictured together 2024)
As well as making a slew of internet searches in a bid to understand her symptoms, Arakawa reportedly ordered oxygen canisters from Amazon (pictured together in 1989)
On February 11 she purchased the equipment which is believed to be for ‘respiratory support’ which could suggest someone in the home may have been struggling to breathe
A review of the open bookmarks on Arakawa’s computer on February 8 and the morning of February 12 indicated she was actively researching medical conditions related to COVID-19 and flu-like symptoms.
The searches included questions about whether COVID could cause dizziness or nosebleeds, suggesting Arakawa was concerned about her deadly symptoms.
She also had mentioned in an email to her masseuse that Hackman had woken up Feb. 11 with flu or cold-like symptoms but that a COVID test was negative and she would have to reschedule her appointment for the next day ‘out of an abundance of caution.’
Arakawa’s last search was the morning of February 12 for a health care provider in Santa Fe.
In surveillance video released Tuesday by New Mexico authorities, Arakawa is seen around 4 p.m. on February 11 calmly using the self-checkout at a Sprouts Farmers Market in Santa Fe.
Just minutes later, she appears on footage at a nearby Shine Pet Food store.
Wearing blue jeans, a dark coat, a scarf, and a black face mask, the accomplished classical pianist appeared alone and showed no signs of distress or unusual behavior.
Arakawa had been the primary caregiver for the ailing Oscar winner, whose health had sharply declined in his final years.
The partially mummified remains of the couple were found in their Santa Fe home on February 26, when maintenance workers showed up at the home and alerted police (pictured 2003)
It comes after Surveillance footage has emerged capturing the final public moments of Betsy Arakawa calmly using the self-checkout at a Sprouts Farmers Market in Santa Fe
Minutes later, she appears on footage at a nearby Shine Pet Food store
The video release comes after bodycam footage and images released by the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department revealed the crate where Hackman’s pet dog died emerged.
The kelpie mix named Zinna starved and dehydrated to death after she was left trapped inside the cage when the actor and his wife died at their Santa Fe home in February.
The couple lay undiscovered at their $4 million mansion for two weeks while tragically Zinna remained trapped in her crate.
The dog had been placed inside the cage following a visit to the vet and is believed to have been left stuck once Arakawa died.
The crate was located in a bathroom feet from where Arakawa’s body was found in amongst piles of garbage and clutter.
One online viewer wrote: ‘I feel so bad for the dog :(.’
Another said: ‘I hate to also think of the poor dog who died a slow death stuck in the crate. It had to be so distressing on the other dogs seeing him/her trying to get out.’
And a third said simply: ‘Poor dogs.’
A red blanket had been placed on top of the cage which was also topped with stacks of papers and surrounded by bedding.
The chaotic scene was just one of many in the couple’s squalid home which raised questions about whether Arakawa was fit to to be Hackman’s sole caretaker.
On Wednesday, police released a series of photos and footage inside their $4million Santa Fe mansion , where their bodies were tragically found on February 26
Authorities in northern New Mexico also released a trove of documents from within the home, including handwritten notes the pair would write each other
Cops who combed their home following the gruesome discovery shared bodycam footage which captured how the couple’s other heartbroken dog watched over Betsy’s lifeless body as it lay surrounded by clutter.
Clothes which mounted up over decades fill some of the rooms of the sprawling Santa Fe home, while other items including dog beds, pill packets and bedding are seen strewn across the floor.
A dressing room is filled with piles of shirts, jeans, dresses and boxes of shoes, while other treasured items are stacked high, close to toppling over.
A series of heartbreaking notes were also found dotted around the house, each exchanged between Betsy and Gene and showing the couple’s affection for one another until the end.
Photos of their adored German Shepherds also adorn tables and sideboards, with smiling pictures of the couple with their old pets dating back years.
The pair had three dogs at the time of their deaths, including 12-year-old Zinna.
The two surviving dogs, Bear, a German shepherd, and Nikita, an Akita-shepherd mix, have since been rehomed.
Police released the body camera video and other public records related to the investigation into the reclusive couple’s deaths on Tuesday.
The documents, which initially had been sealed by a temporary court order to protect the Hackman family’s privacy, were released after a court ruled that most of them are public record.
The New Mexico Department of Public Health has since revealed an inspection found that the couple’s home was a breeding ground for rats which spread the hantavirus which killed Arakawa.