A New Mexico judge ruled on Monday that images of Gene Hackman and his wife’s dead bodies will not be released to the public.
Judge Matthew Wilson allowed the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator to release records related to Hackman and Betsy Arakawa’s deaths while omitting photos of the deceased couple. The ruling means that Hackman and Arakawa’s partial autopsy reports will be available to the public, in addition to images of their Santa Fe home and their deceased dog — who was also discovered at the residence on February 27, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.
Arakawa, 65, was found on the bathroom floor, in the same room where pills were scattered on the countertop. Hackman, 95, was in the mud room with sunglasses at his side. Zenna, the couple’s kelpie mix, was found dead in a kennel in a bathroom closet near Arakawa’s body. Their two other dogs were found alive on the property.
Early on, police debunked rumors of carbon monoxide poisoning, noting there was no evidence of a gas leak. They also noted that there were no signs of forced entry despite the front door being open.
Heather Jarrell, Office of the Medical Examiner’s Chief Medical Examiner, said Hackman died of heart disease, while Arakawa had hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and tested positive for hantavirus. Alzheimer’s disease was listed as a contributing factor in Hackman’s death.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said surveillance footage and other data indicated Arakawa died around February 11 and Hackman died on February 18.
According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, the couple’s deceased dog underwent a medical procedure days before its death. The state Department of Agriculture’s veterinary lab concluded it likely died from dehydration and hunger.
Attorneys representing Hackman’s children and the couple’s estate sought to have various records withheld from the public, including images of the home, arguing that it made the home vulnerable to break-ins. The children’s attorney asked the court to keep all records from the public out of respect for the late couple.
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[Feature Photo: AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File]
