Authorities mistakenly identify dog in the Hackman death case

The investigation into actor Gene Hackman’s death took a bit of a weird turn this week.

After it was initially reported that Hackman’s shepherd, Bear, had died near the couple, it would appear that authorities misidentified the dog.

It is a fact that the dog that died was not even a shepherd, which has people’s ears up as to how well this investigation is being handled.

Wrong Doggie

The initial report from officers who entered the home was that they had found “a deceased brown in color German-Shepard [sic] canine.”

That report has many writers, this one included, thinking that perhaps they had put down the dog on their own, then committed suicide.

That speculation was proven to be way off base, as it was made clear that Hackman and his wife were in two different rooms, as well as pills being on the floor that were apparently medicine for Hackman.

The working theory at that point moved to Hackman possibly having a cardiac event, with his wife possibly falling while trying to get him his medicine, but the issue of the dog was still confusing.

It has now been revealed that the dog that passed was actually a 12-year-old Australian Kelpie mixed-breed named Zinna.

The dog was locked in its kennel, which makes considerably more sense in terms of an accidental death.

If Hackman and his wife died as expected, they were dead in the home for at least a week, possibly significantly longer.

The dog likely died from starvation in the kennel.

SFCSO spokeswoman Denise Womack-Avila responded to the mistaken identity of the dog, stating, “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.”

Hackman and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in separate rooms in their home on February 26.

Hackman’s pacemaker’s last recorded event was on February 17, which is when authorities believe the couple died.

If that was the case, the dog would have been locked in its kennel for at least nine days before they were found, explaining how the dog possibly died.

When authorities showed up, the bodies were showing signs of mummification, allowing authorities to lean into that February 17 date from Hackman’s pacemaker.

Hackman retired from acting roughly two decades ago, citing health problems at the time. The last time the couple had been seen in public was roughly a year ago, with Hackman appearing very frail and leaning on his wife for support.