The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office has released edited body camera footage from outside the home of late actor Jean Hackman.
The footage shows the agent discussing the situation with the two workers who first warned authorities after finding someone lying on the floor inside the couple’s home.
With no indication of forced entry, the agent asked about potential gas leaks and carbon monoxide poisoning.
The couple’s cause of death finally became clear when medical researchers confirmed that Hackman had died of complex heart disease due to Alzheimer’s disease about a week after Arakawa succumbed to Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, a rare rodent-borne disease.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office has released some of the footage as a New Mexico court issued a temporary restraining order to prevent the spread of images and videos depicting Hackman and his wife inside his home.
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Hackman and Arakawa were known for their private lifestyles in Santa Fe. I lived there for over 30 years. Body camera footage also includes a brief glimpse of one of the couple’s dogs roaming freely around their property. The dog trainers spoke to by authorities are videos showing Hackman and Arakawa are “nuts” about the dog, with toys scattered throughout the property.
The couple’s real estate is currently managed by Peters. Peters also processes requests to appoint trustees for two trusts related to the real estate. Hackman’s will, renewed in 2005, left his property to Arakawa, but if she died first, she directed her assets on him. With both dead, the management and distribution of property assets remains personal.
A hearing is scheduled later this month to determine whether other records and images related to the couple’s death remain sealed.
Actor Jean Hackman arrives with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, for the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards held in Beverly Hills, California on January 19, 2003. Mark J. Terrill/AP Photo
I have a file photo of the dogs Jinna (L) and Betsy Arakawa and the bear from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Sherry Gaber via the AP
Amanda Rabin, legal director at the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, said earlier this week that privacy is important, but public access to such records ensures accountability and transparency from the government.
“The whole idea that these records are available is to ensure accountability in the way those investigations are conducted,” Rabin said.
Hackman, a two-time Oscar winner, was celebrated for his roles in films such as “The French Connection” and “Relentless,” but Arakawa was a classic pianist.
