Court twist in death of Gene Hackman and his wife

Tuesday, 18 March 2025 06:42

A New Mexico court granted a temporary restraining order against the release of certain records.

A New Mexico court granted a temporary restraining order Monday against the release of certain records related to the investigation into the recent deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa.

The order is in response to a request by Julia Peters, a representative for the couple's estate. She urged in a motion filed last week that the court seal records in the case to protect the family’s right to privacy in grief under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Peters emphasised the possibly shocking nature of photographs and video in the investigation and potential for their dissemination by media.

Gene Hackman's cause of death remains a mystery.

A hearing has been scheduled for later this month to argue the merits of the request.

Hackman and Arakawa were found dead in their Santa Fe home in late February.

Authorities have confirmed that Hackman died of heart disease with complications from Alzheimer’s disease about a week after hantavirus pulmonary syndrome — a rare, rodent-borne disease — took the life of his wife.

The request to seal the records described the couple’s discrete lifestyle in Santa Fe since Hackman’s retirement.

The state capital is known as a refuge for celebrities, artists and authors.

New Mexico’s open records law blocks public access to sensitive images, including depictions of people who are deceased.

Experts also say that some medical information is not considered public record under the state Inspection of Public Records Act.

Still, the bulk of death investigations by law enforcement and autopsy reports by medical investigators are typically considered public records under state law in the spirit of ensuring government transparency and accountability.

The order granted Monday lists any and all photographs and videos showing the couple's bodies and the interior of their home.

Certain footage from the body cameras of the sheriff's deputies who responded to the home is included along with records from the state Office of the Medical Investigator.

Arakawa, born in Hawaii, studied as a concert pianist, attended the University of Southern California and met Hackman in the mid-1980s while working at a California gym.

Hackman, a Hollywood icon, won two Oscars during a storied career in films including The French Connection, Hoosiers and Superman from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s.

The pair led a private life after moving to Santa Fe decades ago.