The estate of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, is seeking to keep sensitive images from the investigation into their deaths out of the public eye.
Multiple outlets reported that a legal petition was filed at the First Judicial Court in Santa Fe County on Tuesday, March 11, to prevent the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office and the local medical examiner from releasing documents related to the case, specifically photos and video, including body-cam footage.
“A preliminary injunction is necessary to protect the estates of Mr. Hackman and Ms. Arakawa-Hackman’s right to privacy,” read the document filed by Julia Peters, who represents the estate.
The petition noted that Hackman and Arakawa “placed significant value on their privacy and took affirmative, vigilant steps to safeguard their privacy” before their deaths. “Accordingly, the Hackmans led an exemplary private life for more than 30 years in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and did not showcase their lifestyle,” the request continued.
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Us Weekly confirmed on February 27 that Hackman and Arakawa were found dead at their New Mexico home. They were 95 and 65, respectively.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy. He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us, he was always just Dad and Grandpa,” Hackman’s family told Us in a statement. “We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”
It was later confirmed that Arakawa died first as a result of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Hackman, meanwhile, died due to hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributing factor.
Chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell subsequently revealed in a press conference that Arakawa died one week before Hackman, though it was unlikely the actor was aware of her death due to his Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
“Mr. Hackman probably died around February 18,” she explained earlier this month. “Based on the circumstances, it is reasonable to conclude that Mrs. Hackman died first, likely around February 11.”
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While Hackman’s estate is trying to block the release of certain records, the legal director at the nonprofit New Mexico Foundation for Open Government Amanda Lavin argued that the move could impact public accountability.
“I do think it does infringe on transparency if the court were to prohibit release of all the investigation records, including the autopsies,” she told The Associated Press. “The whole idea of those records being available is to ensure accountability in the way those investigations are done.”
Lavin said that the involvement of hantavirus could suggest a problem with rodents, which could indicate a public health concern.
