Haunting police bodycam footage from inside Gene Hackman’s home has revealed bloodstains in an unmade bed.
Pictures show the disarray in the Sante Fe home, with touching notes from the late actor written to his wife Betsy Arakawa, as well as reassuring memos she had left him.
Newly released footage has shown their German Shepherd watching over Arakawa’s body in the bathroom when deputies entered the building.
Upon entering, one officer is heard asking others to open windows and let fresh air in, before they walk through the house and past the dog.
‘Poor guy, he’s sad,’ another officer says as the pet carefully looks on from his bed, before moving closer to his owner.
The couple were found dead along with one of their dogs, which was in a crate seen in the video, at their New Mexico property on February 26.
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa’s home was a virus ‘breeding ground’ (Picture: Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Small blood stains were found on the sheets of the bed (Picture: Santa Fe Police Department)
A plaster was also found in the bed (Picture: Santa Fe Police Department)
In the video, the officers walk past piles of personal items and clothes, as well as a cluttered dressing table with medication and other toiletries.
In the bedroom, one unmade bed shows small blood stains and a plaster. It is not known whose blood was on the bed or what caused the bleeding.
They also walked towards a pet crate where another dog was found dead.
Pictures from inside the home show the extent of the couple’s disarray, with numerous reminders and notes written by Arawaka and Hackman.
A heartbreaking note from the actor reads: ‘Good morning. Happy several days after your birthday.
‘Sorry still about the dinner and having to ask for your help, although it was appreciated. Love you and the guys.’
Another handwritten, and less coherent, note says he is ‘still alive but sometimes just barely’.
Their dog had been guarding Arakawa’s body (Picture: Santa Fe Police Department)
They discovered a note left by Hackman for his wife (Picture: Santa Fe Police Department)
Pills were scattered across the bathroom (Picture: Santa Fe Police Department)
Another note from Arakawa explains she is taking their dog ‘Zin’ to the vets, but ‘there is a jigsaw puzzle on the table’ waiting for Hackman.
In the bathroom, there are empty bottles of medication, while one picture shows a spillage of pills across the counter.
The bath itself is completely unusable, blocked by piles of boxes, paper and clothes, as well as an open dog crate next to it.
Danger notes warning of possible contaminants can be seen across the kitchen counters and cooker, which still has pots and pans sitting on the hob.
Another note from Hackman said he was ‘still alive'(Picture: Santa Fe Police Department_
They died within weeks of each other in their Santa Fe home (Picture: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
The kitchen appeared cluttered but less so than other rooms (Picture: Santa Fe Police Department)
Blackened bananas and other off fruit and vegetables can be seen dotted around, as well as some smashed plates.
After initial concern over carbon monoxide poisoning, a pathologist concluded the Bonnie and Clyde actor died aged 95 of heart disease, with Alzheimer’s playing a significant role.
His death came a week after Arakawa died, aged 65, from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare infectious disease.
Mouldy fruit and vegetables were found in the kitchen (Picture: Santa Fe Police Department)
The New Mexico health department discovered a ‘breeding ground’ for the virus (Picture: Santa Fe Police Department)
The couple constantly wrote notes to each other (Picture: Santa Fe Police Department)
The New Mexico Department of Public Health conducted a health assessment at their home and, according to TMZ, unearthed a ‘breeding ground’ for the virus in the rodent-infested outbuildings.
The virus is typically spread through rodent urine and droppings, which you can come into contact with when cleaning.
Alive and dead rats were discovered in three of the garages, with droppings discovered in a further three garages, two casitas, and three sheds.
Droppings were also discovered in the two parked cars, as well as traps found throughout the property, suggesting this was a known issue.
One bath was unusable due to the clutter (Picture: Santa Fe Police Department)
One of the dogs was also found dead in the property (Picture: AP)
The couple were found weeks after their deaths (Picture: Santa Fe Police Department)
The Public Health team determined inside the main house that the risk of contracting the virus was ‘low’, with no signs of an infestation.
Hantavirus is incredibly rare in the US, with less than 50 cases per year on average after first being discovered in South Korea in 1978.
It has also been reported that Arakawa had been researching flu-like and Covid-19 symptoms in the days leading up to her death.
Her search history revealed a query for a concierge medical service and she mentioned in an email to her massage therapist that Hackman had woken up on February 11 with cold-like symptoms but a Covid-19 test was negative.
She rescheduled her appointment ‘out of an abundance of caution’.
It was unclear if the rooms were in regular use (Picture: Santa Fe Police Department)
Hackman had rarely been seen in public since he retired in 2004 (Picture: AP Photo, Warner Bros.)
Arakawa is believed to have died a week before her husband (Picture: Santa Fe Police Department)
Unforgiven superstar Hackman was discovered dead in the mudroom at their property while the musician was in a bathroom with one of their dogs.
Officers confirmed that they had been ‘dead for some time’, with their bodies showing signs of decomposition and mummification.
Hackman and his concert pianist wife were rarely seen in public after his retirement in 2004
They wed in 1991, after dating for seven years, with the Superman actor reportedly leaving his entire estate to Arakawa in his 1995 will.
Her will is said to include a clause that if they died within 90 days of each other, all proceeds from the estate would be donated to charity.
Food and other daily items were left out (Picture: Santa Fe Police Department)
Hackman and Arakawa’s property was filled with rodents (Picture: Santa Fe Police Department)
The couple’s main house was thought to be rodent free (Picture: MediaPunch/REX/Shutterstock)
Hackman also has one son and two daughters — Christopher Allen, Elizabeth Jean, and Leslie Anne Hackman — with his ex-wife Faye Maltese.
They tied the knot in 1956 but divorced after 30 years in 1986, with Maltese dying in 2017.
Hackman’s daughters Elizabeth and Leslie joined granddaughter Annie in releasing a statement with the sad news as they paid tribute to the actor.
‘It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman, and his wife, Betsy,’ they said.
‘He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us, he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.’
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