The representative for the estate of actor Gene Hackman, who recently passed away along with his wife Betsy Arakawa, is seeking to block the public release of autopsy and investigative reports related to their deaths. The couple’s bodies were discovered at their New Mexico home in February, with Hackman dying of heart disease and complications from Alzheimer’s disease, while his wife succumbed to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. The court petition emphasizes the family’s right to privacy in grief under the 14th Amendment, citing the potentially shocking nature of the investigation materials. The couple had led a discrete lifestyle in Santa Fe since Hackman’s retirement, and the request to seal records aims to protect their privacy.
While New Mexico’s open records law typically allows public access to death investigations and autopsy reports for transparency and accountability, the request to block the release of these records on constitutional grounds is considered unusual. The involvement of hantavirus in the deaths also raises public health concerns. Hackman, a Hollywood legend, won two Oscars and had a successful career spanning several decades, while Arakawa was a concert pianist who met Hackman in the 1980s. The couple’s mysterious deaths have left law enforcement and medical investigators with a puzzle to solve, as the request to seal records remains in place.
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