A New Mexico court is weighing whether to block the disclosure of records from an investigation into the deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa, at the request of the couple’s estate. Santa Fe-based Judge Matthew Wilson scheduled a hearing on Monday to consider a request from estate representative Julia Peters to seal photos, video and documents to protect the family’s constitutional right to privacy. The court put a temporary hold on the release of records pending the hearing.
The partially mummified remains of Hackman and Arakawa were found in their Santa Fe home on February 26, when maintenance and security workers showed up at the home and alerted police. Authorities have confirmed Hackman, 95, died of heart disease with complications from Alzheimer’s disease about a week after his wife’s death. He may have been unaware Arakawa, 65, was dead.
Betsy Arakawa with her dogs Zinna, left, and Bear, in Santa Fe, New Mexico (Sherry Gaber via AP) Her cause of death was listed as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is a rare, rodent-borne disease. New Mexico’s open records law blocks public access to sensitive images, including depictions of dead bodies. Experts also say some medical information is not considered public record under the state Inspection of Public Records Act.
Peters has emphasised the possibly shocking nature of photographs and video in the investigation and potential for their dissemination by media in the bid to block them from being r.
