Further mysteries surround the deaths of actor Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa

Following the news that the deaths of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa are being ruled as “suspicious”, authorities have stated that they misidentified a deceased dog while investigating the deaths.  

The couple's German shepherd, named Bear, survived along with a second dog named Nikita, but their kelpie mix, Zinna, died, according to pet care specialist Joey Padilla, owner of the Santa Fe Tails pet care facility that is involved in the surviving dogs' care.

The dog that died “was always attached to Betsy at the hip and it was a beautiful relationship,” Padilla said in an email statement Tuesday. “Zinna went from being a returned shelter dog to this incredible companion under Betsy’s hand.”

Authorities have been searching for answers after the deaths of Hackman and Arakawa, whose partially mummified bodies were discovered on 26 February at their Santa Fe home.

Hackman and Arakawa may have died up to two weeks earlier, according to Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza.

Authorities did not perform a necropsy on Zinna, who was found in a kennel in a bathroom closet near Arakawa, a sheriff's office spokesperson said. Investigators initially noted the discovery of a “deceased brown in color German-Shepard canine.”

Avila acknowledged that sheriff’s deputies initially misidentified the breed of the deceased dog.

“Our deputies, they don’t work with canines on a daily basis,” she said.

USA Today first reported on the mistaken identification of the dead dog.

Arakawa’s body was found with an open prescription bottle and pills scattered on the bathroom countertop, while Hackman’s remains were found in the home’s entryway.

The two bodies both have tested negative for carbon monoxide and no gas leaks were discovered in or around the home.

The sheriff's office also said that a more extensive utility company inspection found that one burner on a stove in the house had a miniscule leak that could not be lethal.

Authorities retrieved personal items from the home, including a monthly planner and two cellphones that will be analyzed. Medical investigators are still working to clarify the cause of deaths but the results of toxicology reports aren't expected for weeks.

Recently at the 97th Oscars ceremony, Morgan Freeman paid tribute to Hackman.  

“This week our community lost a giant,” Freeman said. “And I lost a dear friend – Gene Hackman. I had the pleasure of working alongside Gene on two films: Unforgiven and Under Suspicion. (...) Gene told me, ‘I don’t think about legacy, I just hope people who remember me as someone who did good work.’ Gene, you’ll be remembered for that and so much more. Rest in peace my friend.”