Distressing footage from inside the home of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa reveals their heartbroken dog standing guard over her lifeless body. The bodycam video, released on Wednesday (April 16) by New Mexico police, shows officers searching through the secluded couple's cluttered residence.

The German shepherd belonging to Gene and Betsy is seen anxiously watching over Betsy's lifeless body in the bathroom of their Santa Fe property. In the 11-minute clip, an investigator can be heard saying: "Poor guy, he's sad," referring to the distressed dog. While the musician's body has been blurred out, the house appears to be in a state of disarray.

A pet crate containing another deceased dog was discovered in a large walk-in closet on February 26. The residence was filled with piles of clothes, documents, and other items scattered across various rooms.

Gene, aged 95, passed away from a heart condition complicated by Alzheimer's disease approximately one week after Betsy, 65, succumbed to hantavirus. Gene's body was found in the mudroom area of the house, reports the Mirror.

An investigator noted in a report: "I observed the male's extremities to be red and purple in colour, the male appeared to be stiff, and his mouth was open. I also observed a pair of black sunglasses to the left on the ground near the male.

"To the right of the male, I observed a black walking cane. It appeared as if the male had suddenly collapsed." Deputies entered the property, where they opened the doors and windows to ventilate it. One deputy was heard commenting that "It smells like gas."

However, despite initial speculation, it was later ruled out that carbon monoxide poisoning was the cause of death. The medical examiner's subsequent report concluded that Betsy's cause of death was the rare hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. She is believed to have died around February 12.

Betsy was a skilled classical pianist and the evidence from her online searches and emails prior to her death suggest she was researching cures for flu-like symptoms and trying to find new breathing techniques.

Just a few days later on February 18, Gene Hackman passed away. His official cause of death was put down to a combination of severe heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and kidney disease.

The information regarding the couple's final moments was released following a court ruling, however, it was stipulated that any images or footage of the pair must have their faces and bodies blurred.

Gene had a long and illustrious career in Hollywood, appearing in an extremely wide variety of roles from 1961 in Mad Dog Coll right up until he retired early in the 2000s.

His wife, a renowned pianist from Honolulu, Hawaii, was a child prodigy. She began her piano studies at a young age and by the time she was just 11 years old, she was already performing in youth concerts for thousands of students at the prestigious Honolulu International Centre Concert Hall, as reported by the Honolulu Star-Bulletin back in 1971.