Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead on February 26. (Image: Getty)
estate is seeking to block the public release of autopsy and investigative reports, especially photographs and police body-camera video, related to the recent deaths of the actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa. Last week, authorities announced Hackman died at age 95 of heart disease with complications from disease. His death is believed to have occurred a week after a rare, rodent-borne disease — hantavirus pulmonary syndrome — took the life of his 65-year-old wife.
Hackman’s pacemaker last showed signs of activity on February 18, indicating an abnormal heart rhythm on the day he likely died. The couple’s bodies weren’t discovered until February 26 when maintenance and security workers showed up at the Santa Fe home and alerted police.
:
Gene Hackman is believed to have died a week after his wife Betsy Arakawa. (Image: Getty)
Julia Peters, a representative for the estate of Hackman and Arakawa, urged a state district court in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to seal records in the cases to protect the family’s right to privacy in grief, emphasising the possible shocking nature of photographs and video in the investigation.
The request, filed Tuesday, also described the couple’s private lifestyle in Santa Fe since Hackman’s retirement.
New Mexico’s open records law blocks public access to sensitive images, including depictions of people who are deceased. Some medical information also is not considered public record under the state Inspection of Public Records Act.
At the same time, 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, she said.
Gene Hackman was 95 when he died. (Image: Getty)
Amanda Lavin, legal director at the nonprofit New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, said: “I do think it does infringe on transparency if the court were to prohibit release of all the investigation records, including the autopsies.
“The whole idea of those records being available is to ensure accountability in the way those investigations are done. There is also a public health concern given that hantavirus was involved.”
She said the preemptive request to prevent the release of government records on constitutional grounds is unusual.
On Friday, Gene Hackman’s will reportedly revealed that his £40 million fortune is not bequeathed to his children, paving the way for a potential inheritance battle. Instead, all assets were set to go to his wife Betsy, with no inheritance for his son Christopher, and daughters Leslie and Elizabeth.
In the event of Gene and Betsy dying within 90 days of each other, all of Betsy’s money was set to go to charity. US reports indicate that Hackman’s son has engaged a top lawyer specialising in will disputes, suggesting the possibility of a legal battle.