A court is allowing the release of most records in the Gene Hackman death investigation

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A court on Monday cleared the way for the release of investigative records from the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, as long as depictions of the deceased couple are blocked from view.

The ruling from a New Mexico judge allows the possible release of redacted police body camera video and other investigative materials, including images of the couple's dead dog. All photos, video and documents from the investigation had been restricted from release by an earlier, temporary court order.

“There shall be no depiction of either body in any video production” or photographic image of the bodies, Santa Fe-based Judge Matthew Wilson said in response to questions from attorneys on his ruling.

A representative for the Hackman family estate had urged a New Mexico judge to keep the records sealed to protect the family’s constitutional right to privacy.

The partially mummified remains of Hackman and Arakawa were found in their Santa Fe home on Feb. 26, when maintenance and security workers showed up at the home and alerted police.

Authorities have said Hackman, 95, died of heart disease with complications from Alzheimer’s disease about a week after his wife died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is a rare, rodent-borne disease. Hackman may have been unaware Arakawa, 65, was dead.

One of the couple’s three dogs, a kelpie mix named Zinna, also was found dead in a crate in a bathroom closet near Arakawa, while two other dogs were found alive. A state veterinary lab tied the dog's death to dehydration and starvation.

Authorities unraveled the mysterious circumstances of the couple’s deaths and described their conclusions at a March 7 news conference without releasing most related written and photographic records.

New Mexico’s open records law blocks public access to sensitive images, including depictions of dead bodies. Experts also say some medical information is not considered public record under the state Inspection of Public Records Act.

In seeking to block the release of records, estate representative Julia Peters had emphasized the possibly shocking nature of photographs and video in the investigation and potential for their dissemination by media. The Hackman family estate also sought to block the eventual release of autopsy reports by the Office of the Medical Investigator and death investigation reports by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.

An attorney for the estate, Kurt Sommer, argued during Monday's hearing that the couple took great pains to stay out of the public light during their lifetimes and that the right to control the use of their names and likenesses should extend to their estate in death.

The bulk of death investigations by law enforcement and autopsy reports by medical investigators are typically considered public records under state law in the spirit of ensuring government transparency and accountability.

The Associated Press, CBS News and CBS Studios intervened in the matter. Gregory P. Williams, an attorney for the news outlets, told the judge that they had previously said in court filings that they would not disseminate images of the couple's bodies and would blur images to obscure them from other records.

“There is certainly a public interest in knowing how their deaths were investigated and knowing how that was handled,” Williams said.

Susan Madore, a publicist who had worked with the Hackmans for years, testified that the couple relished living in Santa Fe because it afforded them anonymity. Hackman retired in the early 2000s.

Arakawa had no children, while Hackman is survived by three children from a previous marriage.

At Monday's hearing, an attorney for Hackman's son and daughters highlighted the possible traumatic effects of releasing conversations about the deaths within police body camera videos.

Scot Sauder, an attorney for the state medical investigator, told the judge that autopsy reports for Hackman and his wife do not yet exist and won’t include past health care information once completed. It can take months for autopsy reports to be completed.

Privacy likely also will play a role as the couple’s estate is settled. According to probate court documents, Hackman signed an updated will in 2005 leaving his estate to his wife while the will she signed that year directed her estate to him. With both dying, management of the estate is in Peters' hands.

Without trust documents being made public, it’s unclear who the beneficiaries are and how the assets will be divided.

Associated Press writer Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque contributed to this report.

FILE - Actor Gene Hackman arrives with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, for the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., Jan. 19, 2003. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

First District Judge Matthew Wilson listens to arguments during a hearing for an injunction to prevent the release of photos and other evidence related to the death of the actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betty Arakawa Hackman in a court hearing in Santa Fe, N.M. Monday, March 31, 2025. (Eddie Moore/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)

Gregory P. Williams, an attorney for The Associated Press, CBS News and CBS Studios, argues against an injunction to prevent the release of photos and other evidence related to the death of the actor Gene Hackmans and his wife Betsy Arakawa Hackman last month, during a court hearing in Santa Fe, N.M., Monday, March 31, 2025. (Eddie Moore/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)

Julia Peters, center, representing the estate of actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa Hackman, sits in First District Court with her attorneys during arguments for an injunction to prevent the release of photos and other evidence related to the death of the Hackmans last month, in Santa Fe, N.M., Monday, March 31, 2025. (Eddie Moore/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)

Julia Peters, center, representing the estate of actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa Hackman, sits in First District Court with her attorneys during arguments for an injunction to prevent the release of photos and other evidence related to the death of the Hackmans last month, in Santa Fe, N.M., Monday, March 31, 2025. (Eddie Moore/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)

Attorney Kurt Sommer talks with his client Julia Peters, who is representing the estate of actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa Hackman, in a case regarding the release of public records in First District Court, Monday, March 31, 2025, in Santa Fe, N.M. (Eddie Moore/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)

Julia Peters, center, representing the estate of actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa Hackman, sits with her attorneys regarding a case that involves the release of any public records in First District Court, in Santa Fe, N.M., Monday, March 31, 2025. (Eddie Moore/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)

Greg MacKenzie, attorney for the Hackman children, listens to Judge Matthew J. Wilson in District Court regarding the release of public records in the deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa in Santa Fe, N.M., Monday, March 31, 2025. (Michael G. Seamans/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP, Pool)

Gary Coffin, co-council for the Hackman estate, looks to Santa Fe County attorney, Walker Boyd, left, and and Peter Valencia, center, during witness testimony in the Hackman estate privacy case before Judge Matthew J. Wilson in District Court in Santa Fe, N.M., Monday, March 31, 2025. (Michael G. Seamans/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP, Pool)

Kurt Sommer, representing the personal representative of the Hackman estate, Julia Peters, hands documents over to Walker Boyd, attorney for Santa Fe County in court before Judge Matthew J. Wilson in District Court in Santa Fe, N.M., Monday, March 31, 2025. (Michael G. Seamans/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP)

Judge Matthew J. Wilson listens to arguments by attorney Greg Williams, representing the media interveners in the Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa case, regarding the release of public records in District Court in Santa Fe, N.M., Monday, March 31, 2025. (Michael G. Seamans/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP, Pool)

Julia Peters, left, Hackman family estate representative sits with attorney, Kurt Sommer, before Judge Matthew J. Wilson in a court hearing on the release of public records in District Court in Santa Fe, N.M., on Monday, March 31, 2025. (Michael G. Seamans/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP, Pool)

TORONTO (AP) — Easton Lucas allowed one hit over five scoreless innings in his first major league start, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Washington Nationals 4-2 on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.

It was hardly baseball weather with snow falling outside Rogers Centre, which had the roof closed for the afternoon game.

Lucas (1-0) struck out three and walked two in a composed 74-pitch outing.

Filling in for the injured Max Scherzer, the 6-foot-4 left-hander was making his 15th appearance in the majors. The 28-year-old from California appeared in two games for the Jays last season. He made 12 other appearances in 2024, split between Oakland and Detroit.

RANGERS 1, REDS 0

CINCINNATI (AP) — Jack Leiter shut Cincinnati down for the second game in a row as Texas won to take the three-game series.

The Rangers were outscored 14-5 in the three games but still won the series.

Leiter (2-0) retired the first 11 Reds batters until Elly De La Cruz doubled. He left after the fifth inning with a blister on his pitching hand but still tied his career-high with six strikeouts.

PIRATES 4, RAYS 2

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Paul Skenes needed nearly three innings to warm up, then struck out six over seven innings and Pittsburgh beat Tampa Bay at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Oneil Cruz hit his second home run of the season and drove in another to give Skenes, the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year, his first win of 2025.

The 22-year-old right-hander did not walk a batter and was on the mound when the Rays scored an unearned run in the sixth. Isaiah Kiner-Falefa’s throwing error on Jonn DeLuca’s ground ball allowed the Rays their only runner in scoring position against Skenes. He scored on Brandon Lowe’s groundout.

BREWERS 3, ROYALS 2 FINAL/11 INNINGS

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Brice Turang dropped a perfect bunt to score Oliver Dunn in the 11th inning and Milwaukee beat Kansas City.

Pinch-runner Dunn advanced from second base on Garett Mitchell’s groundout off Sam Long (0-2). Joey Ortiz walked. Turang, who was 0 for 5 for the game, laid down a bunt in front of the plate and raced to first as Dunn scored.

Jared Koenig (1-0) picked up the win with a scoreless 11th.

CARDINALS 12, ANGELS 5

STT. LOUIS (AP) — Iván Herrera hit three home runs to help St. Louis beat Los Angeles.

Herrera hit his third home run of the game, and of the season, off Sean Burke to cap a seven-run eighth inning for the Cardinals. Herrera hit a two-run homer in the sixth, and a solo shot in the fourth off Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi to give him his first career multi-home run game.

Willson Contreras drew a bases-loaded walk off Burke to break a 5-5 tie after Ian Anderson (0-1) allowed three straight hits to open the bottom of the eighth inning.

TWINS 6, WHITE SOX 1

CHICAGO (AP) — Harrison Bader and Byron Buxton hit home runs to back Pablo López’s solid start and Minnesota beat Chicago after rain delayed the start by nearly 3 1/2 hours.

Buxton, Carlos Correa and Ty France had two hits apiece for the Twins, who took the rubber match of the three-game series.

López (1-1) pitched seven innings, giving up four hits and one run with a walk and five strikeouts. Jhoan Duran and Danny Coulombe each threw a scoreless inning to complete the win.

CUBS 10, ATHLETICS 2

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Seiya Suzuki homered twice and drove in five runs as Chicago beat the Athletics to complete a three-game sweep.

Matt Shaw added two RBI singles for the Cubs, who outscored the A’s 35-9 in the first major league series played at Sutter Health Park, the club’s planned home for the next three years before a proposed relocation to Las Vegas.

Suzuki hit an early three-run homer for the second consecutive game when he connected in the second inning off Jeffrey Springs (1-1). Suzuki went deep again leading off the fourth before adding a late RBI single.

It was Suzuki’s fourth career multi-homer game. He has at least two hits in each of his last four games, with four home runs and 11 RBIs during that span.

Jacob Wilson had three of the A’s five hits and Brent Rooker hit a two-run homer against Jameson Taillon (1-1) as the hosts lost their fourth straight game. Taillon struck out seven over six innings.

PADRES 5, GUARDIANS 2

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jackson Merrill hit a two-run homer a few hours after finalizing a $135 million, nine-year contract and San Diego started 7-0 for the first time in their 57-season history by beating Cleveland.

Fernando Tatis Jr. raced home on the back end of a double steal to start the scoring in the four-run third inning for the Padres, whose previous best start was 4-0 in 1984, when they went to their first World Series.

The Padres’ hot start includes sweeping playoff teams from last year. Before taking three from the Guardians, the Padres swept a four-game series against the Atlanta Braves in a rematch of their NL Division Series, which San Diego won in two games.

Merrill homered in his second straight game, driving the first pitch he saw from Ben Lively (0-1) onto the party deck atop the right field wall. He began his trot, tossed his bat and gestured with his right arm.

MARINERS 3, TIGERS 2

SEATTLE (AP) — Victor Robles hit a two-RBI double, Dylan Moore homered and Seattle beat Detroit and American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

Luis Castillo (1-1) went seven innings, giving up two runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Gabe Spier pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and Andres Munoz survived a rocky ninth for his third save and prevent a Tigers’ sweep of the three-game series.

Robles’ second-inning drive to the left-center went over the glove of Ryan Kreidler to bring home Moore and J.P. Crawford. Moore hit his first homer of the season for a 3-0 lead in the fourth.

Skubal (0-2) left with two outs in the fifth after giving up six hits and three walks while striking out eight.

GIANTS 6, ASTROS 3

HOUSTON (AP) — Wilmer Flores homered again and Luis Matos and LaMonte Wade Jr. also went deep to lead San Francisco to a win over Houston to complete a three-game sweep.

It’s the fourth home run this season for Flores, who hit just four in 71 games last season. His four homers were tied with Aaron Judge, Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki for second-most in the majors entering Wednesday night’s games.

Flores got things going with his two-run shot to the seats in left field off Framber Valdez (1-1) with one out in the first. Matos made it 3-0 with his shot to center field to start the second.

Heliot Ramos doubled with one out in the inning to extend his streak with an extra-base hit to six games to start the season, tying Felipe Alou (1963) for the longest such streak in franchise history. The double drove in two runs to push the lead to 5-0.

METS 6, MARLINS 5, 11 INNINGS

MIAMI (AP) — Pete Alonso launched a three-run homer that tied the score with two outs in the eighth inning and New York scored twice in the 11th to beat Miami.

Alonso also doubled twice and finished with four RBIs. All three of his hits came off the bat at 113 mph or more.

Juan Soto scored three times for the Mets, who used eight pitchers and took two of three in the series to finish 3-3 on their season-opening trip. They play their home opener Friday against Toronto.

RED SOX 3, ORIOLES 0

BALTIMORE (AP — Garrett Crochet pitched eight outstanding innings in his first start with his big new contract, and Boston blanked Baltimore.

Trevor Story homered for the Red Sox, and Kristian Campbell — who also got a sizeable new deal from the Red Sox — had two hits. And Rafael Devers finally broke through with his first two hits of the season, including an RBI double in the fifth.

Crochet, who agreed to a $170 million, six-year contract earlier this week, followed that up with the longest outing of his career. He allowed four hits and a walk with eight strikeouts.

Aroldis Chapman worked the ninth for his first save.

PHILLIES 5, ROCKIES 1

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Zack Wheeler struck out 10 in seven sharp innings and Trea Turner had three hits in his return to the starting lineup as Philadelphia defeated Colorado.

Wheeler (1-0) allowed just one run and three hits. He reached double digits in strikeouts for the 26th time in his career by striking out three batters in the seventh.

Turner, who missed two games last weekend with lower back spasms, entered as a pinch hitter late in Philadelphia’s home opener Monday against Colorado. Back in the leadoff spot Wednesday, he delivered an RBI single in the seventh.

Kyle Schwarber had a run-scoring double and scored on an RBI groundout by J.T. Realmuto. Schwarber has at least one hit in each of the Phillies’ five games this season.

DIAMONDBACKS 4, YANKEES 3

NEW YORK (AP) — Zac Gallen tied his career high with 13 strikeouts while extending his scoreless streak over New York to 18 2/3 innings, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a two-run homer in the first off Carlos Rodón that started Arizona to a win.

Gallen (1-1) rebounded from an opening day loss to the Chicago Cubs by allowing three hits with no walks. He got 10 strikeouts on his knuckle-curve and improved to 3-0 against the Yankees.

He also fanned 13 at the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sept. 22, 2022.

A.J. Puk allowed Anthony Volpe’s opposite-field three-run homer in the ninth, then retired Austin Wells on a foulout and struck out Jasson Domínguez for his second save in two nights.

DODGERS 6, BRAVES 5

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit a tiebreaking home run in the ninth inning on his bobblehead night, lifting unbeaten Los Angeles over winless Atlanta.

The Dodgers improved to 8-0, the best start ever by a defending World Series champion.

Max Muncy tied the game with a two-run double in the eighth off Atlanta reliever Raisel Iglesias (0-1) after the third baseman’s two errors led to five unearned runs for the Braves early.

Atlanta is 0-7 for the first time since opening 0-9 in 2016.

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr (27) slides safely into second base with a double ahead of a tag by Washington Nationals shortstop C.J. Abrams (5) in fifth inning MLB action in Toronto on Wednesday April 2, 2025. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)