Legal Decision on Release of Photos of Gene Hackman and His Wife’s Bodies

A Santa Fe judge has issued a temporary restraining order against the release of pictures of the bodies of actor Gene Hackman and his wife.

A representative for the estates of the Oscar-winner, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, filed the request, which the court approved Monday. 

A hearing on the matter has been scheduled for March 31.

The bodies of the Oscar winner and his wife were found earlier this month in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home. 

The issued restraining order also includes images of the interior of the couple’s home. 

Hackman passed away due to heart disease, with complications arising from Alzheimer’s disease, just a week after his wife succumbed to a rare, rodent-borne illness. At the time of his death, the renowned actor was in the late stages of Alzheimer’s and was reportedly not aware of his wife’s passing.

Hackman was found in the home’s entryway, and Arakawa was found in a bathroom.

Their beloved dog Zinna starved to death inside a kennel sometime after Arakawa died. 

Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa are seen in 1989

Police are seen outside the couple’s Santa Fe home. The cause of their deaths remains unknown

All three bodies exhibited signs of decomposition and partial mummification, likely influenced by their body compositions and the arid climate of Santa Fe, which sits at an elevation of almost 7,200 feet.

Arakawa, who was originally from Hawaii, pursued a career as a concert pianist, studied at the University of Southern California, and crossed paths with Hackman in the 1980s while they were both employed at a gym in California.

Hackman, a Hollywood icon, won two Oscars during a storied career in films including The French Connection, Hoosiers and Superman from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s.

The pair led a private life after moving to Santa Fe decades ago. A representative for the couple’s estate has cited that privacy in seeking to block the public release of autopsy and investigative reports related to their deaths, especially photographs and video. It will be up to a state district judge to consider that request.

The couple’s German shepherd, named Bear, survived along with a second dog named Nikita, according to Joey Padilla, owner of the Santa Fe Tails pet care, where Hackman and Arakawa often boarded their dogs. Both are being cared for. 

Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa are seen with two unidentified dogs. Two of their three dogs survived and are in the care of one of their friends 

Hackman arrives with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, for the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills in January 2003

Following days of intense media attention and public speculation surrounding the couple’s mysterious passing, investigators last week finally determined the cause of death and revealed Hackman and Arakawa had likely been lying dead in their home for up to two weeks before being discovered.

Autopsy results confirmed Hackman died of cardiovascular disease with advanced Alzheimer’s as a contributing factor around February 18. His wife is believed to have died several days earlier on February 11, of the rodent-borne disease hantavirus.

An investigation into the deaths is still being completed by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, who are using information gained from cell phones gathered at the residence in addition to last contacts made to finish the timeline of events, according to the AP.

‘The case is considered active until we have that information to tie up the timeline,’ Denise Womack Avila, a spokesperson for the sheriff, said, according to the AP.

Police, paramedics and the Fire Department rushed to the home on February 26 after a caretaker made the grisly discovery of Arakawa’s dead body.