The mystery surrounding the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa continues to deepen after the pair were tragically found dead in their Santa Fe home last month.

The puzzling case of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa's untimely deaths has grown more complex since they were found deceased in their home in Santa Fe last month.

Gene, 95, and Betsy's bodies were discovered in their extravagant residence following a welfare check conducted by local security.

Recently confirmed reports indicate that the double Oscar laureate died from heart disease one week subsequent to his spouse's passing from an uncommon infectious disease at their domicile.

The Santa Fe sheriff in New Mexico, US, surmised that Hackman was likely in the company of his late wife's body for a week before he himself succumbed.

The disclosure of these sorrowful details has given rise to fresh, shocking allegations while numerous queries remain unanswered....

Phone call bombshell

In a startling development, it's been claimed by Betsy's doctor that she made a call to his clinic a whole day after police assert she had expired. A medical examiner from Santa Fe suggested that Betsy passed away on February 11.

However, Dr Josiah Child of Cloudberry Health in Santa Fe, New Mexico, stated to The Mail on Sunday: "Mrs Hackman didn't die on February 11 because she called my clinic on February 12."

He elaborated: "She'd called me a couple of weeks before her death to ask about getting an echocardiogram [heart scan] for her husband. She was not a patient of mine, but one of my patients recommended Cloudberry to her. She made an appointment for herself for February 12. It was for something unrelated to anything respiratory."

Dr Child detailed how Betsy had contacted him two days prior to the scheduled appointment to cancel it, saying, "She called back on the morning of February 12 and spoke to one of our doctors who told her to come in that afternoon. We made her an appointment but she never showed up."

'Shocking' state of home.

Gene and Betsy led a serene existence in Santa Fe before their untimely deaths. Their $3.5 million ranch, nestled in a private gated community, was a testament to their desire for seclusion, neighbours say.

In a statement to the New York Times, one local shared: "They have a gate, and we have a gate, and we just have never even seen each other."

Reflecting a similar sentiment, another community member remarked: "He wanted to be quiet, he didn't want to be bothered, and I don't blame him."

Reports suggest that Gene and Besty did not employ a housekeeper and subsequently, the property reportedly fell into disarray. It is alleged that the condition inside the home was "a mess " with one informant revealing to sources that the interior state "was shocking" as they disclosed details about the couple's living conditions.

A source revealed to MailOnline a rather distressing scene at the home of the late couple: "They didn't have a housekeeper or a maid, so it had beautiful things - furniture and paintings - but there was dog poop on the floor," and added, "The inside of the house was bad. Nothing had been dusted. There was nothing in the fridge."

Huge will twist

In a startling disclosure following the couple's tragic demise, it has emerged that Gene bequeathed a whopping £40 million fortune to his wife Betsy, conspicuously excluding his children from his will, potentially setting the stage for an immense inheritance dispute.

Despite Gene and Betsy not sharing any children, Gene had three offspring from an earlier union—his son Christopher, alongside daughters Leslie and Elizabeth. Betsy was designated the successor trustee of his trust.

In the event that Gene and Betsy had both passed away within a span of 90 days, all assets would devolve to charity organisations, as stipulated by their arrangement.

Stateside reports indicate that Gene’s son has engaged the services of a prolific attorney specialising in testamentary disputes, signalling possible challenges to the current arrangements. With no pre-nuptial agreement between Hackman and his spouse, the possibility remains that Gene's children could stake a claim as direct living descendants.

Dog's heartbreaking cause of death

Tragically, one of the couple's cherished dogs, a kelpie mix named Zinna, was also found dead. Zinna's body was located in a crate close to where Betsy's remains were discovered.

A report from the Santa Fe County animal control agency described "partial mummification" of the dog. The official findings confirmed that Zinna had succumbed to dehydration and starvation, with the examination revealing only traces of hair and bile in the stomach.

Joey Padilla, who runs the Santa Fe Tails pet care facility, remembered Zinna as "an incredible companion" to Betsy. The couple's other two dogs, Bear and Nikita, are now being looked after at the facility.

They played a crucial role in helping authorities locate their owners' bodies following an alert from maintenance workers.