Judge blocks release of autopsy reports for Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa
A judge has blocked the release of autopsy reports and police images pertaining to the death of beloved actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa. The pair were found dead in their Santa Fe home in February.
On February 26th, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office were called to the Hackman residence after a maintenance worker found a door left open. There, the bodies of Hackman and Arakawa were discovered in separate areas of their home. It is believed that Arakawa died a week prior to the actor as a result of hantavirus infection.
The exact timeline of death is disputed. Authorities and medical professionals claim Arakawa passed away on February 11th, but Dr Josiah Child claims she called his practice on February 12th, casting the timeline in doubt.
Either way, authorities revealed that Arakawa’s body showed “obvious signs of death, body decomposition, bloating in her face and mummification in both hands and feet” when found. Hackman is thought to have died a week later, resulting from cardiovascular disease and an ongoing battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Due to the sensitive and high-profile nature of this investigation, a judge on March 17th granted a temporary restraining order to block the release of autopsy reports, images, and police bodycam footage which shows the two bodies. This block was requested by the estate of the deceased on Friday.
“Because of the (descendants’) prominence and their great desire for privacy while living, the Personal Representative seeks to protect the Hackmans’ privacy after death, just as the Hackmans did during their life,” a representative of the estate said. “The family should have a right to grieve in peace and the court should ensure that right remains.”
Judge Matthew J. Wilson, who granted the temporary block, also scheduled a hearing for March 31st, which will decide whether an injunction should be issued to permanently block the release of images and reports surrounding the death of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa.
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