A judge has approved the release of records from the investigation into the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa, as long as images of their bodies are not viewable.
The ruling allows the release of redacted police body camera video and other documents, including images of the dog that was discovered dead alongside the couple.
“There shall be no depiction of either body in any video production” or photos, Santa Fe Judge Matthew Wilson said.
A representative for the Hackman family estate had applied to keep the records sealed, citing the right to privacy.
The partially mummified remains of Hackman and Arakawa were found in their Santa Fe home on February 26.
Authorities have since said that Hackman, 95, died of heart disease with complications from Alzheimer’s disease about a week after his wife died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is a rare, rodent-borne disease.
Hackman may have been unaware that his 65-year-old wife was dead.
One of the couple’s three dogs, a kelpie mix named Zinna, was found dead in a crate in a bathroom closet near Arakawa, while two other dogs were found alive.
A state veterinary lab tied the dog’s death to dehydration and starvation.
New Mexico’s open records law blocks public access to sensitive images, including depictions of dead bodies. Experts also say some medical information is not considered public record under the state Inspection of Public Records Act.
In seeking to block the release of records, estate representative Julia Peters had emphasised the possibly shocking nature of photographs and video and potential for their dissemination by media.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Try for free
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Try for free
The Hackman family estate also sought to block the eventual release of autopsy reports by the Office of the Medical Investigator and death investigation reports by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.
An attorney for the estate, Kurt Sommer, argued during Monday’s hearing that the couple took great pains to stay out of the public light during their lifetimes and that the right to control the use of their names and likenesses should extend to their estate in death.
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 Associated Press, CBS News and CBS Studios intervened in the matter. Gregory P. Williams, an attorney for the news outlets, told the judge that they had previously said in court filings that they would not disseminate images of the couple’s bodies and would blur images to obscure them from other records.
“There is certainly a public interest in knowing how their deaths were investigated and knowing how that was handled,” Williams said.
