The mystery surrounding the deaths of Hollywood star Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, has deepened. The couple was found dead alongside their pet dog at their mansion in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on February 26. In a surprising move, their family has now filed to block the release of the couple's autopsy results, photos, and videos from the scene.
Sources close to the investigation called this action "highly unusual." Speaking to The US Sun, a source revealed, "It's not common to block autopsy reports. I've never seen this before." New Mexico law usually allows such records to be released to the public. However, families of celebrities sometimes request courts to block photos specifically. "Photos are normally requested by the public when a celebrity dies," the source added.
The insider compared the Hackman family's actions to other high-profile cases. "Michael Jackson's family blocked autopsy photos, and the same happened in the Alec Baldwin shooting case of Halyna Hutchins. But blocking the actual autopsy report, that's rare," the source explained.
The situation became even more puzzling after questions arose about the timeline of Arakawa's death. Authorities initially reported she died on February 11. However, Santa Fe-based Dr. Josiah Child contradicted this. Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said Arakawa contacted his clinic on February 12, a day after her reported death.
"Mrs. Hackman did not die on February 11. She called my office on February 12," Dr. Child told the outlet. He further explained that Arakawa had previously contacted him weeks earlier, asking about a heart scan appointment for Hackman.
"She called back on the morning of February 12," Dr. Child added. "We booked her an appointment for that afternoon, but she never came." The doctor clarified that Arakawa showed no signs of respiratory issues during their phone conversations. "The appointment wasn't related to hantavirus," he said.
Santa Fe County Medical Examiner Heather Jarrell later confirmed that Arakawa died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare and serious respiratory illness. "Given the information, it's reasonable to conclude Ms. Hackman passed away first," Dr. Jarrell said, according to The New York Times. "The last time she was known to be alive was February 11."
Dr. Child stated that after Arakawa missed her appointment, his office tried calling her several times but received no response. The puzzling timeline and the family's effort to block key information have left many unanswered questions.
For now, the cause behind the double deaths remain a mystery.
