A judge is currently evaluating a request to block the release of records from an investigation into the deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa. This request comes from the couple’s estate and is being considered by Judge Matthew Wilson, based in Santa Fe.

A hearing has been scheduled for Monday, where estate representative Julia Peters will argue for sealing the records to safeguard the family’s right to privacy. The materials in question include photos, videos, and various documents related to the investigation. In the meantime, the court has placed a temporary hold on the release of these records pending the hearing. The bodies of acclaimed actor Hackman, aged 95, and his wife, 65-year-old Arakawa, were discovered in the confines of their Santa Fe residence on February 26.

Maintenance and security personnel who had arrived at the home to conduct routine checks made the grim discovery; upon entering, they immediately contacted law enforcement.

Authorities later confirmed that Hackman had succumbed to heart disease, following complications arising from Alzheimer's disease, just a week following the passing of his wife. It is believed that he may have been unaware of Arakawa's death, given the progression of his condition.

Arakawa's cause of death was determined to be hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare and potentially fatal illness transmitted by rodents.

New Mexico’s open records law restricts public access to certain sensitive materials, including images that depict deceased individuals.

Additionally, some medical information is not classified as public record under the state’s Inspection of Public Records Act. Experts have highlighted the potentially distressing nature of photographs and videos related to ongoing investigations, expressing concerns about the media's possible distribution of such content in attempts to prevent their release.

Furthermore, the Hackman family estate has filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the Office of the Medical Investigator from releasing autopsy reports, as well as death investigation reports from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.

The bulk of death investigations by law enforcement and autopsy reports by medical investigators are typically considered public records under state law.

One of the couple’s three dogs, a kelpie mix named Zinna, was found dead in a crate in a bathroom closet near Arakawa. Two other dogs survived.

The written request to seal the records notes the couple placed “a significant value on their privacy and took affirmative vigilant steps” to safeguard it during their lives, including after they moved to Santa Fe and Hackman retired.