New Mexico court blocks release of photos, bodycam video of bodies of Gene Hackman, Betsy Arakawa

A New Mexico tribunal connected Monday blocked the merchandise of constabulary bodycam video and different images that amusement the bodies of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, aft they died and were discovered by Santa Fe County officials.

Hackman, 95, died from bosom illness arsenic overmuch arsenic a week aft Arakawa, 65, died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Their bodies were recovered Feb. 26 astatine their Santa Fe home. Hackman’s pacemaker showed it was progressive until Feb. 18, which were the past signs of life, authorities said.

Hackman besides showed precocious Alzheimer’s disease, according to the aesculapian researcher who performed the autopsy connected his body, but the couple’s deaths remained a enigma portion investigators awaited for the authoritative cause.

The location owned by histrion Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, successful Santa Fe, N.M.

(Roberto E. Rosales / Associated Press)

Although the probe remains open, galore of the large questions surrounding the couple’s deaths person been answered, according to Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza. He said the region would comply with requests for the merchandise of records successful the decease investigation, but Monday a authorities tribunal temporarily blocked the merchandise of records successful the case.

Judge Matthew Wilson successful the First Judicial District Court issued a impermanent restraining bid that prevents the Office of the Medical Investigator astatine the University of New Mexico and the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office from releasing records nether the authorities law.

Wilson ordered representatives for the aesculapian investigator’s bureau and Santa Fe County to look successful tribunal March 31 to reason their lawsuit successful effect to the order.

The tribunal blocked the merchandise of photographs and bodycamera videos that incorporate images of the couple’s bodies. The bid besides includes the wrong of their home.

One of the couple’s dogs was recovered dormant successful a closet not excessively acold from Arakawa’s body, according to authorities. The bid besides blocks the merchandise of immoderate images oregon videos of immoderate dormant animals wrong the Hackman home.

The bid besides extends to immoderate autopsy and decease probe reports.

A typical for Hackman’s property asked the state tribunal to seal records successful the case to support the family’s close to privateness successful grief nether the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Hackman and Arakawa were reportedly backstage individuals who maintained a quiescent beingness successful Santa Fe. Days earlier her death, Arakawa was seen connected surveillance video moving errands astir Santa Fe. The seemingly mundane visits to the pharmacy and the marketplace became pieces of the decease investigation, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.