Gene Hackman And His Wife's Bodies Took 12 Hours To Be Identified As Two Pets Survive Triple Tragedy

An investigation into the mysterious death of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, is underway, as fresh reports suggest it took about 12 hours for their bodies to be identified.

The legendary actor was found dead at his Santa Fe mansion, alongside Arakawa and their pet dog.

New revelations from the tragic incident have now shown that two of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's dogs survived the mysterious incident as cops continue to investigate the cause of death.

There have been some new developments in the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of Hackman and his wife, Arakawa.

The couple, alongside their pet, were found dead at about 1:45 pm on Wednesday after a neighbor called police to perform a welfare check on them.

Although they were found dead on Wednesday, law enforcement was not able to identify them as the "Superman" actor and Arakawa until Thursday morning, per KOB 4.

Police also told TMZ that two dogs survived the triple tragedy, with investigations into the mysterious circumstances continuing.

It's not surprising that the actor was surrounded by his furry pets in his last moments, as he was particularly fond of dogs.

He rescued two stray German Shepherds that wandered into a stadium in Baltimore where they were filming scenes for "The Replacements" in 1999.

Hackman named one of the dogs Gene and the other Keanu, after his co-star Keanu Reeves. He later visited them at a shelter and adopted Gene after flying his own German Shepherds over to see if they would get along.

Authorities have shared that an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the deaths of Hackman and Arakawa.

However, they "do not believe foul play was a factor in their deaths," but the "exact cause of death has not been determined."

County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said that officials are "in the middle of a preliminary death investigation" and "waiting on approval of a search warrant."

Reports suggest that authorities are likely to include Hackman's dead dog in their investigation as they aim to piece together their final moments.

Having acknowledged that the bodies had been there for at least a day, Mendoza told TMZ that he did not rule anything out on the cause of death, although no visible trauma was discovered.

He also told the news outlet that the couple and their furry pet "could have been victims of a double homicide, suicide, accidental death, or natural causes."

Tributes from Hollywood have pour in following the death of Hackman and his loved ones.

Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis shared a sweet post about the "Enemy Of The State" actor, writing, "Loved you in everything! The Conversation, The French Connection, The Poseidon Adventure, Unforgiven—tough yet vulnerable. You were one of the greats. God bless those who loved you. Rest well, sir."

"Avengers" and "Dune: Part 2" star Josh Brolin shared a snap of the couple as he wrote: "I am crushed by the sudden deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa (and their dog). Crushed. He was always one of my favorites. Not many beat to their own drums like he did. Rest in Peace."

"Shaun of the Dead" star Edgar Wright reposted an announcement about the actor's death and wrote: "The greatest...."

Several fans also took to social media to pay their last respects to the beloved actor.

A fan wrote, "Hackman truly was in a league of his own! In the reel of cinematic history, his performances remain timeless. A solid titan of the film industry now shines amongst the stars. His legacy is truly remarkable."

Another commented, "RIP Gene Hackman. I watched two of his films last month, Uncommon Valor and Crimson Tide. I even searched on Google to find out about him. Very sad."

"It is still very cold in NM at night, it may be weather or carbon monoxide related," a third person noted on X, adding, "RIP to Hackman family."

"Great, great artist. One of the GOATs. May he rest in peace," another individual penned.

Hackman became quite the reclusive figure after retiring from acting in 2004 at age 74 for health reasons. He and Arakawa have been married since 1991 but rarely made public appearances since he called it quits on his illustrious Hollywood career.

Following his retirement, he relocated from Los Angeles to New Mexico and told Empire Magazine in a 2009 interview that his health was the major cause for him calling it quits on his acting career.

"The straw that broke the camel's back was actually a stress test that I took in New York," Hackman said. "The doctor advised me that my heart wasn't in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress."