Gene and Betsy Hackman’s Estate Wins Partial Victory in Footage and Death Records Court Ruling

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A judge in Santa Fe has decided that documents concerning the deaths of Gene and Betsy Hackman can be made available to the public; however, in a decision delivered on Monday afternoon, it was also specified that photographs showing the semi-decomposed remains of this very private couple will not be disclosed.

During Monday, Judge Matthew Wilson listened to legal arguments at Santa Fe’s First Judicial District Court from lawyers on behalf of the Hackman family estate, who requested that records related to the two deaths in February, usually accessible to the public, be kept private. Lawyers representing Santa Fe County argued against this in court, emphasizing the importance of upholding state law, transparency, and government accountability.

Judge Wilson’s decision permits the publication of edited police body camera footage and related documents, but it explicitly prohibits any portrayal of bodies in these productions. Similarly, graphic images from the autopsy reports will not be disclosed to the public.

In March, details emerged from the autopsy reports of the renowned actor and his wife of thirty years, as shared by the police and medical examiner. Their bodies were found on February 26th in different rooms within their residence during a routine wellness check. Neither body displayed signs of external injury, according to the police, however, it was discovered that Hackman’s pacemaker had registered its final reading on February 17th, indicating he had been deceased for at least a week before his body was found slumped over in a mud room adjacent to their kitchen.

1) Actor Gene Hackman passed away due to severe heart issues, with Alzheimer’s disease being a substantial contributing factor, according to the New Mexico Medical Examiner. Betsy Hackman lost her life in their home living room from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, an acute respiratory illness that humans can contract through contact with infected rodents. Following their withdrawal from Hollywood in 2004, they preferred a private lifestyle together in their house on Old Sunset Trail Road.

On a Monday hearing, Kurt Sommer, a lawyer from Santa Fe, informed the court that the Hackman estate is obligated to safeguard Gene and Betsy’s property, such as photos and videos captured of their deceased bodies at the discovery and autopsy scenes. The discussion on this day mainly revolved around whether Judge Wilson’s temporary restraining order from March 17, which restricted public access to the autopsy and death investigation reports for the estate, should be made permanent while the investigation into their deaths continues and other matters concerning their estate are addressed.

Attorney Kurt Sommer, representing the Hackman estate, stated at a hearing today in New Mexico that the identities and visual representations of Gene and Betsy Hackman have significant value and must be safeguarded. This is evident as the media seeks access to related documents for their own financial advantage,” said Sommer. “The estate has an obligation to preserve Gene and Betsy’s possessions, such as photographs and videos of them after their deaths,” asserted Sommer, a lawyer in Santa Fe.

The primary issue at hand was whether the deceased couple had the right to privacy posthumously, including the ability to decide how their image is used after death, and if their estate could prevent the dissemination of footage due to potential safety concerns that might arise at the former residence.

Sommer stated that the demand for the video is essentially an indirect glimpse into the Hackmans’ lifestyle which the media couldn’t acquire during their lifetimes. He emphasized that there’s no harm in waiting for these issues to be resolved, as a substantial number of videos have already been leaked to the press.

Walker Boyd, Santa Fe County’s legal representative, contends that the deceased couple has no claim to privacy under the existing state laws. He found it peculiar for a court to issue an order preventing state organizations from performing their statutory duties, such as granting access to records related to the demise of a prominent individual.

Boyd stated that neither the estate nor the involved relatives have the claimed right to privacy in this case,” or alternatively, “According to Boyd, the estate and related parties do not hold the privacy rights they’re alleging.

Following a temporary order issued by the judge in February, The Associated Press, CBS News, and CBS Studios stepped in to address the matter. Their attorney, Gregory P. Williams, informed the court that documents submitted revealed no intention of distributing images depicting the couple’s bodies, instead opting to blur them from other records.

Williams stated to the court that it’s undeniably important for the public to understand how investigations into their deaths were conducted, and how those procedures were managed.

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2025-04-01 23:24