[kellyhound]

Originally Posted by rohmell ↗

And then what, the dog had a heart attack too?

The dog that perished was actually Zinna, a 12-year-old reddish Australian Kelpie mixed-breed who had once trained in agility skills to compete at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Her body was found in a closed crate in the home, according to Joey Padilla, who took the surviving dogs to his facility, Santa Fe Tails.

The bodies and therefore also the dog was partly decomposed so i can understand the misidentification by the cops thinking it was a german shepard.


They were found dead after at least 9 days and a dog in a closed crate will die after 3 days or so without access to water.

[rohmell]

Originally Posted by kellyhound ↗

They were found dead after at least 9 days and a dog in a closed crate will die after 3 days or so without access to water.

Thank you for the clarification, I was under the impression that all died at the same time.

[kellyhound]

the kelpie and her.

[Major_Tom]

Must have had a defective Gene.

[akham]

Originally Posted by Major_Tom ↗

Must have had a defective Gene.

You're a hack, man!

[kellyhound]

On Tuesday, March 4, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that the New Mexico Gas Company checked for gas leaks and carbon monoxide and found "no significant findings" but did find a “minuscule” gas leak at one of the stove burners.

Authorities are set to reveal more information about an investigation into the deaths of actor Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa, whose partially mummified bodies were discovered last month at their home in New Mexico.

Sheriff Adan Mendoza and state fire, health and forensics officials scheduled an afternoon news conference Friday to provide updates on the case.


hmm

According to the search warrant affidavit, a maintenance worker reported that the home’s front door was open when he arrived to do routine work Wednesday, and he called police after finding the bodies.

But in a 911 call, the maintenance worker said he was unable to get inside when the operator asked whether the people in the house were breathing.

“I have no idea,” the subdivision’s caretaker said. “I am not inside the house. It’s closed. It’s locked. I can’t go in. But I can see she’s laying down on the floor from the window.”

[x68000]

Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman died of natural causes about a week after his wife Betsy Arakawa, who died after contracting a rare virus, a New Mexico medical investigator has said.

Hackman, 95, died at his Santa Fe home from coronary artery disease, with advanced Alzheimer's disease a contributing factor.

Ms Arakawa, 65, died in the same house from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a respiratory illness caused by exposure to infected rodents. Her cause of death was listed as natural.

Authorities believe she passed away about seven days before her husband, to whom she had been married for more than 30 years.

It is likely that Ms Arakawa died first on 11 February, Dr Heather Jarrell of the New Mexico Medical Investigator's Office told a news conference on Friday.

She said it was "reasonable to conclude" that Hackman had died on 18 February.

Ms Arakawa's last known movements and correspondence were on 11 February, when she was seen going to a grocery store, a CVS pharmacy and a pet store, before returning home in the early evening.

Given that Hackman was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease it is "quite possible that he was not aware that she [his wife] was deceased", said Dr Jarrell.

She told reporters she was "not aware of his normal daily functioning capability".

Gene Hackman may not have known Betsy Arakawa was dead.
Hackman had "significant heart disease, and ultimately that's what resulted in his death", Dr Jarrell said, adding that he had had chronic high blood pressure.

He had not eaten anything recently, but had shown no indications of dehydration, she added.

At the news conference, New Mexico Public Health Veterinarian Erin Phipps emphasised that hantavirus infections were extremely rare.

HPS is transmitted through contact with rodent droppings, urine or saliva, often when contaminated dust is inhaled.

She noted that 136 cases had been reported in the state over the past 50 years, with 42% resulting in fatalities.

Dr Phipps said evidence of rodent activity had been found in some buildings on the property, though the risk inside the main house was considered "low".

Investigators are trying to determine how Ms Arakawa contracted the illness. Hackman tested negative for hantavirus.

The couple were found in their home after neighbourhood security conducted a welfare check and saw their bodies on the ground through the window.

The remains were discovered in advanced stages of decomposition.

Hackman's body was in a sideroom next to the kitchen, with a walking cane and a pair of sunglasses nearby, according to a search warrant affidavit.

Ms Arakawa's body was in the bathroom, with scattered pills close to her.

Sheriff's deputies found medication for thyroid and blood pressure treatment, along with pain reliever Tylenol, according to a court-filed inventory.

Citing privacy laws, authorities did not disclose who had been prescribed the drugs.

One of the couple's three dogs was also found dead inside a crate near Ms Arakawa, while the other two dogs were alive.

The cause of death for the dog is yet to be determined, officials say.

Dr Phipps told reporters that dogs did not get sick from hantavirus.

Initial investigations found no signs of forced entry or foul play at the couple's $3.8m (£3m) home.

Tests for carbon monoxide poisoning were negative, and no significant gas leaks were detected.

[Pyramid_Head]

That is so sad that he lived a week after her completely unaware because of his Alzheimer's. I'm interested in hearing about the poor dog in the crate but it was likely lack of water sadly.

[kellyhound]

Primary Host: Deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus)

Prevalence: This is the most common hantavirus causing HPS in the United States. It was first identified during an outbreak in the Four Corners region (New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah) in 1993 and remains the primary cause of HPS cases nationwide.

The odds catching it are very low so very tragic all this. She probably took care of him. You should think the dog would be barking for 3 days, being locked up, catching his attention but he probably was too demented understanding what was going on.

Onset: Symptoms usually appear 1–8 weeks after exposure to infected rodent droppings, urine, or saliva (average incubation is 2–4 weeks).

Common Symptoms:
Fever: Often high (above 101°F or 38.3°C).

Muscle Aches (Myalgia): Especially in large muscles like the thighs, hips, back, and sometimes shoulders.

Fatigue: Extreme tiredness or weakness.

Headache: Often severe.

Gastrointestinal Issues: Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, or diarrhea (seen in about half of cases).

Duration: This phase lasts 3–5 days and can resemble a flu-like illness, making early diagnosis challenging.

Cardiopulmonary Phase (Severe Symptoms)
Onset: Abrupt transition, typically 4–10 days after initial symptoms.

Hallmark Symptoms:
Shortness of Breath: Caused by fluid buildup in the lungs (pulmonary edema) as the virus damages blood vessels, leading to leakage.

Cough: May start dry but can become productive as lung involvement worsens.

Rapid Heart Rate (Tachycardia): Due to low oxygen levels and strain on the heart.

Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension): Can progress to shock in severe cases.

Other Signs:
Chest tightness or a feeling of suffocation.

Rapid, shallow breathing.

Duration: This phase can escalate within hours, requiring urgent medical attention.

[x68000]

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A representative for the estate of actor Gene Hackman is seeking to block the public release of autopsy and investigative reports, especially photographs and police body-camera video, related to the recent deaths of Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa after their partially mummified bodies were discovered at their New Mexico home in February.

Authorities last week announced Hackman died at age 95 of heart disease with complications from Alzheimer’s disease as much as a week after a rare, rodent-borne disease — hantavirus pulmonary syndrome — took the life of his 65-year-old wife.

Hackman’s pacemaker last showed signs of activity on Feb. 18, indicating an abnormal heart rhythm on the day he likely died. The couple’s bodies weren’t discovered until Feb. 26 when maintenance and security workers showed up at the Santa Fe home and alerted police, leaving a mystery for law enforcement and medical investigators to unravel.


Julia Peters, a representative for the estate of Hackman and Arakawa, urged a state district court in Santa Fe to seal records in the cases to protect the family’s right to privacy in grief under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, emphasising the possibly shocking nature of photographs and video in the investigation and potential for their dissemination by media.