The bodies of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Hackman have been discovered in their New Mexico home. Betsy’s mother is requesting that no videos or images of her daughter be released to the public or media.
A court ruling has allowed for some information to be released, including video, audio, and photos related to the deaths under New Mexico’s public records law, but not images of the bodies themselves. The judge ruled that the bodies must be blurred or edited out.
Betsy Hackman died from hantavirus in February, while her husband Gene died a week later from a combination of severe heart disease, high blood pressure, and advanced Alzheimer’s disease. Their dog, Zinna, also passed away due to dehydration and starvation.
The couple’s names were removed from the list of “unclaimed decedents” on New Mexico’s Office of the Medical Investigator website, suggesting that their next-of-kin had been located. However, Betsy’s mother is opposed to any images or videos being released, citing concerns over how they could be shared online and re-lived.
Betsy’s mother expressed her concerns in court documents, stating that releasing such images would force her to relive the experience of her daughter’s untimely death repeatedly. She argued that a parent’s right to control their child’s memory and remains should extend to protect against the release of autopsy photos and reports.
Source: https://people.com/gene-hackman-mother-in-law-asks-court-to-block-release-of-footage-of-bodies-11706371