Gene Hackman's estate tries to block the publication of death investigations

Gene Hackman's estate tries to block the publication of autopsy and investigative reports in the recent death of the former Hollywood actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa in her house in Santa Fe.

The authorities announced last week that Hackman had died from heart disease with complications from Alzheimer's disease at the age of 95.

It came to a week after his 65-year-old wife died of the Hantavirus syndrome of rodents.

Hackman's pacemaker last showed signs of activities on February 18, which indicates a abnormal heart rhythm on the day he probably died.

However, the couple's partially mummified and decomposed bodies were only discovered on February 26, as maintenance and security staff at the house in Santa Fe took part in the house and the police alerted.

Julia Peters, a representative of the Hackman and Arakawa estate, asked a regional district court in Santa Fe to seal the records of the investigation in order to protect the family's right to grief after the 14th change in the US constitution.

She emphasized the photographs and video in nature and would probably be spread by the media.

Since Hackman's retirement, the request submitted on Tuesday have also described the couple's discrete lifestyle in Santa Fe – known as a refuge for celebrities, artists and authors.

According to the petition, the couple lived an exemplary private life in Santa Fe for more than 30 years and “did not present their lifestyle”.

Remember that block could “violate transparency”

Amanda Lavin, the legal director at the non -profit New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, said that the state's law on open records of the state blocked public access to sensitive images, including representations of people who have died.

She said that some medical information should not be viewed as part of the law on public records by the state.

However, Ms. Lavin said that the majority of the death investigations by law enforcement authorities and autop appeals are generally taken into account by medical investigators in accordance with state law.

“I think it violates transparency when the court prohibits the release of all examination documents, including autopsies,” she said.

“The whole idea that these records are available is to ensure the accountability obligation in the way these examinations are carried out.

“There is also a concern of public health because Hantavirus was involved.”

Ms. Lavin said that the preventive application to prevent the approval of government documents for constitutional reasons was unusual.

AP