Elizabeth Hackman, the grieving daughter of Gene Hackman, has reached out to the public for assistance in caring for her late father’s pets. This plea comes shortly after the tragic discovery of Gene Hackman, his wife, and one of their dogs by caretakers.
In a poignant video obtained by DailyMail.com, Elizabeth Hackman can be heard conversing with a deputy from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office regarding the well-being of the two remaining dogs.
The deputy told Elizabeth that Joey Padilla, owner of Santa Fe Tails, could take the animals temporarily.
Padilla was familiar with the three dogs since Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, would bring them to his business to train over the years.
The deputy informed Elizabeth, “I was calling in regards to the dog that was left here at the residence that our animal control officer was able to catch. We got in contact with Joseph to meet up with him to take custody of that dog. You’re good with that, Elizabeth?”
She replied, ‘Oh, yeah. OK.’
When asked what should be done to the remains of a 12-year-old Australian Kelpie mix named Zinna, Elizabeth replied, ‘Should it be cremated?’
Zinna’s remains were found in a kennel inside a closet not too far from where Arakawa’s body was discovered on the bathroom floor.
A necropsy report revealed Zinna likely died from dehydration and starvation, according to documents obtained by DailyMail.com.
Elizabeth told the deputy how the dog’s remains should be handled.
‘I’m thinking cremate the dog and bury it with Betsy,’ she said.
The call was made the morning after Hackman and Arakawa’s bodies were discovered inside their Santa Fe home by caretakers on February 26.
Officials with the Office of the Medical Examiner of New Mexico believe Arakawa died around February 11 from a rodent-borne illness called hantavirus. Hackman, who had severe Alzheimer’s disease, died a week later.
In another video obtained by DailyMail.com, Padilla told investigators Arakawa, 64, was the one who mostly took care of the animals.
He said, ‘Betsy was the one who dealt with the dogs’ and Hackman had to often stay away from the rambunctious dogs because they would sometimes jump on the 95-year-old.
Padilla also added Arakawa, who was his friend for years, ‘was a health freak’ and took very good care of herself.
There were ‘no marital issues,’ Padilla added. ‘They were dog nuts. There are toys all over the property.’
It is unclear if Hackman, who had an $80 million fortune, left behind legally-binding burial or cremation instructions.
On the phone call, the deputy made sure if Elizabeth agreed with leaving the surviving two dogs temporarily with Padilla.
‘I know you have a lot of things going on,’ the deputy said. ‘It’s probably like the last thing you wanna deal with, but you know we wanna make sure it’s fine.’
Elizabeth replied, ‘ I guess I should come out there, but I don’t know. I mean, I can come today if necessary.’
The actor had left his $80 million Hollywood fortune to his wife, but since she was believed to have died about a week before him, there could be other legal complications.
It is still unclear if Hackman’s three children form a previous marriage — Christopher, Elizabeth and Leslie Anne — are named as benefactors in his trusts.
In her will, Arakawa designated her assets to a trust, to be distributed to charitable organizations and the settlement of medical debts.
It is also unknown if the couple included instructions on who should take custody of their beloved pets or their own burial wishes.
Hackman and Arakawa’s remains have yet to be picked up by Hackman’s three children. Their remains are still being held by the Office of the Medical Examiner in New Mexico, according to a weekly list of unclaimed bodies released every Monday by the office.
Chris Ramirez, spokesperson for the New Mexico medical investigator’s office, told DailyMail.com that the medical investigator’s office work closely with families to return relatives’ remains.
‘It would not be a general practice to keep remains for longer than we have to,’ Ramirez said. ‘It would be a normal part of our routine to make arrangements with whoever in the family so they can take possession of the body and practice whatever religious or cultural norms and beliefs that they wish to do.’
Earlier this week, DailyMail.com revealed that red tape and tension between the siblings themselves may be the reason the bodies remain in state custody.
Laura Cowan, an award-winning estate planning attorney and the founder of the 2-Hour Lifestyle Lawyer, told DailyMail.com there is a legal hierarchy for who can control the disposition of remains when no written instructions are left.
‘If his children wanted his remains handled in California, and he left no legally binding burial or cremation instructions, what happens next depends on a combination of state laws, family dynamic and logistics,’ Cowan said.
Leslie, 58, told DailyMail.com on February 27 she the rest of the family was still processing what happened since ‘there was no indication that there was any problem’ with her father prior to his death.
‘Despite his age, he was in very good physical condition,’ she said, adding her father did not have any major surgeries the last few months.
Medical Examiner officials believe the late actor died around February 18 from severe heart disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease as a ‘significant’ contributing factor.
Investigators believe Hackman likely didn’t know his wife had died and could not take care of the dogs.
