Gene Hackman's Estate Files a Petition to Block Release of Materials from Death Investigation

As the Gene Hackman death saga continues to unfold, details have emerged about a petition filed from his estate concerning the release of death investigation materials

A recent petition, filed by attorney Kurt Sommer on behalf of Gene Hackman's estate, aims to prevent the release of sensitive materials gathered during the investigation into the legendary late actor's and his wife Betsy Arakawa's deaths.

Specifically, the request seeks to block the state Office of the Medical Investigator and the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office from making public any photographic or video evidence, including body camera footage from deputies at the scene.

Given what has been described as "the unusual circumstances" surrounding the duo's deaths, the estate is looking to restrict the release of autopsy and death investigation reports until the matter can be legally resolved.

According to reports, Hackman passed away as a result of heart disease complicated by advanced Alzheimer's, while Arakawa died from hantavirus, a rodent-borne illness. Reportedly, Hackman passed about seven days after his wife.

The petition argument stipulates that once the death investigation materials are disclosed, the damage to the family's privacy will be irreversible. "The bell cannot be unrung," read the words used concerning the filing.

Additionally, Hackman's will was also filed in the probate case yesterday, March 13, 2025. The will is dated June 7, 2005.

The case presents a rare legal challenge, as death investigation records in New Mexico are generally considered public. Legal experts note that granting this level of privacy protection would set a new precedent, treating the Hackman estate differently from that of an average citizen.

The petition draws parallels to the legal battle over the release of photographs from the death of late music icon Kurt Cobain, in which courts ruled in favor of privacy, citing the potential harm to the family's dignity and reputation.

Sommer argues that Hackman and Betsy Arakawa maintained a strong desire for privacy throughout their lives, and their estate is merely continuing that commitment.

"Because of the descendants' prominence and their great desire for privacy while living, the Personal Representative seeks to protect the Hackmans' privacy after death, just as the Hackmans did during their life," the petition states.

The filing emphasizes that no public interest is served by disclosing the evidence, asserting that the materials contain highly personal and distressing content that should remain confidential.

The estate contends that respecting the couple's privacy—even posthumously—should outweigh any public curiosity surrounding their passing.

Sommer added that he "cannot think of respective harm that would come to the State and County offices from respecting the discretion of Mr. Hackman's and Mrs. Hackman-Arakawa's right to privacy."

In addition to the petition blocking the release of investigative materials, questions have arisen regarding the administration of Hackman's estate. According to court records, Julia Peters, a partner at Avalon Trust Co., has been appointed as the estate's representative.

Notably, Peters was not Hackman's first choice for the role. His will initially designated his wife to oversee his estate. If she was unable to do so, Santa Fe attorney Michael G. Sutin was named as the alternate representative.

However, Sutin passed away in 2019, ultimately leading to Peters taking over the position. Further complicating matters, it remains unclear who will benefit from the several trusts Gene Hackman established that are mentioned in the will originally created in 1995.

Additionally, court notices regarding Peters' appointment were sent to Hackman's three children from his first marriage.

These details surrounding the petition and Hackman's will emerge amid reflections shared by Jesse Kesler, who had worked as the actor's contractor and handyman for 16 years and made the gruesome discovery.

In his first interview, the 52-year-old revealed that he had seen the 95-year-old actor driving in the Santa Fe, New Mexico area three months before his death. He recalled that Hackman appeared to be in good health.

As the couple's general contractor, Kesler explained that his company, Mud City Builders, "did everything" for them, including renovations, new constructions, and maintenance. He noted that he had been in near-constant communication with the couple.

His last contact with Arakawa, however, was via email in the days leading up to her suspected time of death. At first, he assumed their lack of communication was due to an accident or miscommunication.

"For the first week, I thought maybe she was mad at me. I thought I had done something wrong," Kesler explained. Since he had other projects, he wondered if he might have upset them by saying something like, "Oh yeah, we're doing this for this other person."

He elaborated, "So I thought maybe I'd got caught. I thought maybe I was in trouble." When he checked with his employee, Dwayne, he learned that he also believed Hackman and Arakawa were upset with him since he, too, hadn't heard from them.

After weeks without contact, Kesler grew concerned. In the last three days before the discovery, he became convinced that something was wrong. That's when his team started investigating the situation.

"It wasn't like we were just up there and stumbled across it," he explained. Kesler said it took two weeks for them to take action because they wanted to proceed properly rather than enter the couple's property unannounced.

The red tape involved in gaining entry to the home caused delays. After reaching out to law enforcement, they also attempted to contact the couple's family. However, when they realized how long it was taking to reach them, Kesler decided to act.

On February 26, 2025, he drove to the mansion's security gate and was about to enter when security guard Roland Lowe Begay arrived. Kesler informed Begay of his concerns, and since the guard had known the couple for years, he joined him.

The two men managed to only catch a glimpse of Arakawa, who was found dead on the bathroom floor. Begay, sensing something was terribly wrong after peering through the windows, made a panicked 911 call.

Later, police found Hackman's body in another room. Kesler recalled that even though the bathroom door was open from the outside, they did not enter the house. They only looked in, and it was clear that "she was gone."

"I was told to stay out of the house, and [not to] go in there. I was hysterical. I pretty much lost it," the contractor shared. Kesler also called Dwayne to come over, sharing with him that something was seriously wrong.

When Dwayne arrived, he and Kesler had to answer questions from the police. Authorities initially suspected a carbon monoxide leak as the cause of the couple's death. However, Kesler, who was familiar with the house and its systems, assured them that wasn't the case.

Even so, the police insisted on investigating their theory themselves. Kesler also recalled feeling, at one point, that investigators were looking at him as a potential suspect, though they never officially named him as one.

"It was pretty stressful. In the beginning, I had the police going through all my stuff, my phone, my computer. Yeah, I was the guy that knew something was badly wrong and I'm the guy that found them," Kesler admitted.

Despite feeling scrutinized, he continued assisting with the investigation and was relieved when authorities ultimately determined the true causes of the couple's deaths. He's since expressed deep regret for delaying checking on the couple's well-being in their New Mexico mansion.

The contractor admitted that he is haunted by the thought that he could have saved them if he had acted sooner. Speaking in a phone interview with a publication in the second week of March, Kesler confessed, "I wish I'd gone in quicker... I might have been able to save Gene or the dog."

With a quivering voice, he continued, "To be honest, it was awful. It was one of the worst days of my life, and I've had some bad days. To see someone like that..." he trailed off. "I was hoping for a better outcome, that maybe they were out of town and just didn't tell anyone, or they got locked in the wine cellar by accident," he added.

Kesler initially refused to comment publicly on the tragedy due to his respect for the "extremely" private couple. He explained his decision to the media with a printed statement that he placed on his door on March 1.

However, he explained to Daily Mail that the "misinformation" going around took its toll on him. He ended up seeking therapy and opened up to set the record straight.