Major Error Identified in Initial Gene Hackman Death Details
A misidentification in the original reports surrounding the death of Gene Hackman, his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and one of their three pet dogs has been uncovered.
Because the affidavit for the search warrant obtained by sheriff's deputies noted that first responders "observed/found a deceased brown in color German-Shepard [sic] canine,' according to USA Today, it was originally believed that the couple's German shepherd—identified by friends as Bear—was found deceased in a closed crate several feet from Arakawa.
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However, the surviving dogs, including 7-year-old Akita-shepherd mix Nikita, were correctly identified by Joey Padilla, a longtime trainer for the couple and the owner of Santa Fe Tails—the pet care facility currently caring for them.
Padilla revealed that the deceased dog was actually Zinna, a 12-year-old Australian Kelpie mix. Zinna, short for Zinfandel, went through agility training when she was younger with the intention of competing at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, though it's unclear if she was ever entered.
Denise Womack-Avila, a spokeswoman for the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, told the publication she was unaware of the mistake and suggested that the investigators on scene just misidentified the breed.
'Our deputies do not deal with canines on a daily basis and I cannot currently speak to the condition or state of the dog's body upon discovery,' she added.
The department also originally reported that Bear and Nikita, who "appeared healthy" upon discovery, were taken into the custody of the Santa Fe County Animal Control Division.
According to a press release, animal control "worked with the family to ensure the safety of the two dogs."
Per USA Today, Sheriff Adan Mendoza called one of Hackmans' daughters while Padilla was present to discuss the fate of the beloved pets. Overwhelmed with grief, she had no answer.
Padilla took the dogs to his facility, where he said they will remain until lawyers determine if the couple's wills state what to do with them. No matter what, he said they won't be taken to a shelter. (A local company donated food for the pair while a local vet hospital offered to cremate Zinna's remains, though her body has not been released by authorities yet.)
'If only people knew how meticulous and amazing (Hackman and Arakawa) were with the dogs,' he told the publication. 'It breaks my heart.'
'I think this is a tragic accident,' he added. 'There's no way that Betsy would have left that dog in a crate for any other reason.'
Parade has reached out to the Sheriff's Department for comment.
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Natalie Wood, who starred in a number of films including West Side Story, Rebel Without a Cause, and Gypsy, also died under extremely mysterious circumstances. The 43-year-old was with her husband Robert Wagner on his boat on a weekend vacation from filming Brainstorm when she drowned. According to Wagner himself (though he initially denied this), he and Wood argued, and then he went to bed without her. The next morning, her body was found a mile away. Wood had been drinking, and it's possible her death was an accident, but she was found with bruises that could mean she was attacked. Nearby witnesses had heard a woman scream. The captain of the boat, Dennis Davern, allegedly drunkenly confessed to Wood's sister years later that he'd seen Wagner push Wood, who then fell overboard, and that Wagner refused to rescue this is unconfirmed. Wagner has denied he had anything to do with Wood's death. But I mention this one specifically for a wild Hollywood fact that not many people seem to know — Christopher Walken, Wood's Brainstorm costar, had also been on the boat that night. He had reportedly also argued with Wagner, and Wagner was (according to Davern) angry Natalie had invited him. Walken has not said much about the night beyond affirming it was an accident and that he had nothing to do with it. "I don't know what happened. She slipped and fell in the water. I was in bed then. It was a terrible thing." He also said, "The people who are convinced that there was something more to it than what came out in the investigation will never be satisfied with the truth. Because the truth is, there is nothing more to it." One of the wildest Hollywood secrets involves Loretta Young and Clark Gable. For years, there were rumors Young's adopted daughter Judy was actually her biological daughter, conceived with Clake Gable. The rumors wouldn't be proven true until Young admitted to them in her posthumous memoirs. It turned out Young had conducted an elaborate cover-up to make it seem like she had adopted the child. Loretta even reportedly had Judy's ears pinned back in an operation because they so resembled Gable's. Gable never had any role in her daughter Judy's life. Young refused to tell Judy the truth, and according to Judy's memoir, when Judy confronted her about the rumors, Young ran into the house and Young never spoke publicly about the circumstances of Judy's conception, according to her daughter-in-law, Linda Lewis, in the '90s, Young had asked her what date rape meant after hearing the term on Larry King Live. After Lewis explained, Young replied, "That's what happened between me and Clark.' On the train ride back from shooting Call of the Wild on location, Gable had allegedly snuck into Young's compartment. According to Lewis, Young didn't want Judy to know, so Lewis kept quiet until both Young and Judy were dead. Finally, we'll end with a few last examples featuring Errol Flynn, because the man had a wild life and allegedly did some wild things. First of all, he wrote in his autobiography that he once had a job castrating young sheep with his teeth. Second, Flynn once apparently showed up on the doorstep of Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, angry about something she had written about him, and began masturbating. "I began laughing, and continued laughing until he finished with a dramatic flourish all over my doorstep," Hopper reportedly told Paul Newman. "I'll say one thing for Errol. He's the only man I know who can ejaculate in front of a fully dressed woman who's laughing derisively during the entire process." 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