Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs A judge leading the investigation into the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa has agreed to release information about their deaths but on one condition08:46, 01 Apr 2025Updated 08:47, 01 Apr 2025Some information about the deatsh of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa can now be released(Image: Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office)A judge has ruled that information surrounding the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa have shared a major update in the ongoing investigation. Despite attempts by his daughters to prevent any information being released to the public, a judge has now approved the publication of key findings, so long as any graphic content is censored.A ruling from a New Mexico bench by Judge Matthew Wilson paves the way for the selective unveiling of cop bodycam footage and additional detective evidence including images of the pair’s deceased pet. Thanks to this latest direction, which follows prior legal intervention, an array of case-related snapshots, videos, and documents that were previously off-limits can now be offered up, with sensitive material suitably obscured.Santa Fe’s own Judge Matthew Wilson stipulated during a court session after conferring with barristers: “There shall be no depiction of either body in any video production” or in any photographs. The Hackman family’s representatives had pleaded with a local law lord for ongoing discretion around the details to safeguard their right to privacy as guaranteed by the constitution.The couple were found partly decomposed and mummified in their Santa Fe home on Feb. 26, Hackman, aged 95, and Arakawa, 65, were discovered following a welfare check sparked by concerned property staff, culminating in the law stepping in. Experts posited Hackman succumbed to heart disease exacerbated by Alzheimer’s approximately a week after to Arakawa’s death caused by hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare condition passed on by rodents; he may have been oblivious to her death.Gene and his wife Betsy were found partly decomposed in their Santa Fe home in February(Image: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)One of the couple’s three dogs, a kelpie mix named Zinna, was also found dead in a crate in a bathroom closet near Arakawa, while two other dogs were found alive. A state veterinary lab attributed the dog’s death to dehydration and starvation. The mysterious circumstances surrounding the couple’s deaths were unravelled by authorities who shared their findings at a press conference on March 7, without releasing most related written and photographic records.New Mexico’s open records law restricts public access to sensitive images, including depictions of dead bodies. Experts also note that some medical information is not considered public record under the state Inspection of Public Records Act. Estate representative Julia Peters sought to block the release of records, highlighting the potentially shocking nature of photographs and video in the investigation and the possibility of their dissemination by media.The Hackman family estate also attempted to prevent 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. During Monday’s hearing, Kurt Sommer, an attorney for the estate, argued that the couple had made significant efforts to avoid public attention during their lifetimes and that the right to control the use of their names and likenesses should extend to their estate after their deaths.One of their dogs died from dehydration and starvation a ruling found(Image: AP)The majority of death probes by the police and post-mortem examinations by medical examiners are generally accessible to the public under state legislation, in line with the principles of promoting government openness and accountability. The Associated Press, CBS News, and CBS Studios stepped into the ongoing discussions.Gregory P. Williams, representing the media companies, assured the court that they had previously committed in legal documents not to publish images of the couple’s remains and would pixelate any such images in other records to maintain privacy. “There is certainly a public interest in knowing how their deaths were investigated and knowing how that was handled,” Williams argued.Susan Madore, a long-time publicist for the Hackmans, gave evidence that the pair cherished their life in Santa Fe for the privacy it provided them. Hackman hung up his acting boots in the early 2000s. Arakawa left behind no offspring, while Hackman’s legacy includes three children from an earlier marriage.During Monday’s court session, a lawyer representing Hackman’s offspring underscored the potential distress that could arise from making public the discussions about the fatalities captured on police bodycam footage. Scot Sauder, a solicitor for the state’s coroner, informed the judge that autopsy reports for Hackman and his spouse have yet to be drafted and will not contain historical health data once finalised. The completion of autopsy reports can be a drawn-out process.Privacy is expected to be a significant factor as the couple’s estate is sorted out. Probate court documents reveal that Hackman penned an updated will in 2005, leaving his estate to his wife, while her will from the same year directed her estate to him.Now, with both of them deceased, Peters has taken over the management of the estate. Without the public disclosure of trust documents, it remains uncertain who the beneficiaries are and how the assets will be distributed.Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.
