"She called me"

Doctor contradicts death theory surrounding Hackman’s wife

Investigators gave February 11 as the date of death of Gene Hackman's wife. Now the pianist's doctor says: "Betsy called me a day later!(Bild: APA/AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

The deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa are becoming increasingly mysterious. Because now her doctor is refuting the investigators' theory. He claims that Betsy called his clinic 24 hours after the police suspected her death.

As the police announced around a week ago, Gene Hackman's wife Betsy is said to have died around a week before the Hollywood star. The date of death was given by investigators as February 11.

"She did not die on February 11"
The 65-year-old is said to have died of a disease caused by hantaviruses. It is assumed that Hackman, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, had lived next to his dead wife for around a week before succumbing to cardiovascular disease.

Betsy Arakawa with the dogs "Zinna" (left) and "Bear" (right): "Zinna" was found dead with his owners in Gene Hackman's mansion.(Bild: APA/Sherry Gaber via AP)

But now Dr. Josiah Child, head of the Cloudberry Health Clinic in Santa Fe in the US state of New Mexico, contradicts the investigators' theory. He told the Mail on Sunday: "Mrs. Hackman did not die on February 11 because she called me at the clinic on February 12."

Appointments made for Hackman and himself
He had already been in contact with Arakawa beforehand. "She called me a few weeks before she died to make an appointment for an echocardiogram for her husband. She was not one of my patients, but one of my patients recommended Cloudberry to her. She also made an appointment for herself on February 12. It was for something unrelated to breathing."

He added that Hackman's wife called the clinic two days before the checkup to cancel her appointment. Her husband was not feeling well, Arakawa said. 

Arakawa still called the clinic
According to Dr. Child, Betsy finally called the clinic again "on February 12 in the morning" and spoke to one of the doctors "who told her to come in the afternoon".

"We made an appointment, but she never came," Dr. Child says now.(Bild: Lutz Schmidt / AP / picturedesk.com)

"We made an appointment, but she never came," the medical professional continued. "She showed no symptoms of respiratory distress. The appointment had nothing to do with the hantavirus. We tried to call her several times, but no one answered."

The doctor's statement suggests that Betsy Arakawa was alive for at least a day longer than the coroner had stated. 

Betsy was dead in the bathroom
Hackman's wife was found on the floor of the bathroom in the couple's Santa Fe mansion. Her 95-year-old husband's pills were also scattered on the floor.

Investigators assume that Gene Hackman lived next to his dead wife in their villa for a week after Betsy's death.(Bild: AP/ Associated Press)

Meanwhile, an analysis of Hackman's pacemaker revealed that Hackman's last heart activity was recorded on February 18. The 65-year-old pianist could still be seen on surveillance camera footage from a drugstore on February 11.

Dog "Zinna" died of thirst 
As it only became known on Saturday, the autopsy of Hackman's dog, which was also found dead in the couple's house, revealed that "Zinna" had probably died of thirst.

There were no signs of infection, injury or poison in the dog, according to the report quoted by ABC. His stomach was practically empty except for a small amount of hair and bile.

If the dog was in a confined space without access to food or water, it "most likely died of thirst/starvation," the report said. Two dogs were also discovered alive at the property in Santa Fe, New Mexico.