Gene Hackman Death: Judge Blocks Release of Public Records Showing Decomposing Bodies of Actor and Wife 

A New Mexico court ruled Monday to block the release of any public records that show the bodies of the late Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, but stipulated that investigative materials that do not depict the couple’s bodies may be released.

The ruling came from Santa Fe-based Judge Matthew Wilson, who cleared the way for materials like redacted police body camera footage and images of Hackman’s deceased dog while protecting the images of the lifeless Oscar winner and his wife of three decades, a move that reflected surviving family members’ wishes.

Wilson put a temporary hold on the records pending Monday’s hearing after a representative for the Hackman family estate asked that photos, videos and documents all be sealed in order to protect the family’s privacy.

“There shall be no depiction of either body in any video production” or photographic image of the bodies, Wilson said Monday in response to questions from attorneys on his ruling, according to reporting from AP.

Of requested further injunctions from the family, Wilson wrote in his ruling, “Injunctions are a harsh and drastic remedy, which should issue only in extreme cases of pressing necessity. It is not enough that the party seeking injunctive relief merely claim irreparable harm.”

The mummified bodies of Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were found in their home on Feb. 26. Following an autopsy, the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator later confirmed that Arakawa died from rodent-born hantavirus one week before the actor ultimately died from cardiovascular disease and advanced Alzheimer’s.

In New Mexico, the Public Records Act blocks any law enforcement records that include a “visual depiction of a dead body.” Some also argue that medical information is not considered public records under this act.   

Julia Peters, a representative for the Hackman family estate, stressed that the shocking nature of the photos would likely cause widespread circulation by the media if released. The estate also attempted to block the release of the autopsy records that were conducted by the Office of the Medical Investigator as well as the death investigation reports made by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.

According to AP, estate attorney Kurt Sommer argued during the Monday hearing that Hackman and Arakawa moved to Santa Fe to stay out of the public eye and spent their lifetime seeking privacy, so the same right should extend to the estate following their deaths.  

Typically, death investigations and autopsy reports are a matter of public record under state law, mostly in an effort to maintain government transparency and accountability.

Hackman is survived by his three children from a previous marriage. Awakawa had no children. It is likely that the privacy issue will come up again as the couple’s estate is settled. 

A request was put in and is pending appointment of a trustee to administer assets in two trusts that are associated with the estate. Since the documents have not been made available to the public, it is unclear who the listed beneficiaries are or how the division of assets will play out. If disputes over the estate do arise, it is likely that the involved parties would make a court request to seal the documents.

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