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Bodycam Footage Released in Hackman Death Investigation
Santa Fe, NM – Body camera footage from the investigation into the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa Hackman, has been released. The footage, obtained from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department, offers further insight into the circumstances surrounding their passing.
One video, dated February 27th, the day after the couple was found, captures a conversation between a sheriff’s deputy and Hackman’s daughter, Elizabeth. The deputy discusses the remains of the couple’s 12-year-old dog, Zinna, found deceased near Betsy’s body.
Elizabeth requested that Zinna be cremated and her ashes buried with her stepmother. In a touching moment, she inquired whether the dog was wearing a collar, hoping to keep it as a memento.
A second video shows a groundskeeper visibly distraught by the couple’s death, expressing his fondness for the Hackmans and describing Betsy as a “sweetheart.” The footage also confirms that officers contacted both of Gene’s daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie, following the discovery.
While a significant portion of the footage is from outside the Hackman residence and includes interviews with the workers who discovered the bodies, the release has not been without controversy. The Hackman estate had previously filed a lawsuit seeking to block the release of the footage, citing the couple’s desire for privacy. However, the Sheriff’s office maintains that the released material falls outside the scope of the lawsuit.
The petition filed by the estate’s lawyer, Kurt Sommer, argued that the couple’s right to privacy outweighed public interest, referencing the case of Kurt Cobain and emphasizing the irreversible nature of releasing such sensitive information. The petition highlighted the Hackmans’ commitment to maintaining a private life during their 30 years in Santa Fe.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department previously confirmed that Betsy likely died on February 11th from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, while Gene likely passed away a week later from hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease as a contributing factor.