Prosecutors in Santa Fe, New Mexico, have decided to drop the charges against actor Alec Baldwind, accused of involuntary manslaughter due to the fatal shooting during the filming of the western Rust, in October 2021. This cost the camerawoman her life. and chief of photography Halyna Hutchins, 42.
The public prosecutors appealed to the appearance of new evidence, including the possibility that the gun was fired without pulling the trigger, to justify this decision. However, they noted that “this decision does not absolve Mr. Baldwin of criminal guilt and the charges can be refilled.”
The news of the withdrawal of the accusation was advanced by the actor’s lawyers. “We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and encourage an investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident,” according to a joint statement signed by attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro. A hearing is scheduled for this Friday.
Hutchins passed away on October 21, 2021 while filming the western at Bonanza Ranch. Baldwin was rehearsing a scene with a gun when the shot was fired, killing the cinematographer and wounding the film’s director, Joel Souza.
The case against the actor has been marked by controversy from the beginning, as well as the setbacks suffered by the accusers. The special prosecutor, Andrea Reeb, already had to resign due to the defense’s claims of conflict of interest. Reeb is also a state legislator, and this means that she holds two separate positions in different branches of government, so she should be removed from this indictment, the lawyers argued.
The prosecution was also forced to downgrade the possible sentencing request, as they wanted to apply an aggravated charge for possession of weapons that was passed in the state after this incident occurred and therefore could not be used retroactively.
Given all this, the chief prosecutor herself, Carmack-Altwies, stepped back last month and appointed two special prosecutors, Jason Lewis and Kari Morrissy, who are the ones who have changed the course of the investigation.
The decision to drop the manslaughter charges against Baldwin came after a review by the new prosecutors, who have reviewed recent evidence indicating the actor’s practicing pistol was modified before it was delivered to him. . This undermined the prosecution’s original arguments that the gun could not have been fired unless Baldwin pulled the trigger.
In fact, the actor declared that he did not shoot, but that it was the weapon itself that was hammered, an issue that an FBI report ruled out, a conclusion that is now also being questioned.
But prosecutors may decide to file other charges. “The new evidence reveals that more investigation and forensic analysis are needed in the case against Alec Baldwin,†prosecutor Kari Morrissey said in a statement. “Therefore, we cannot proceed under the current time constraints and on the facts and evidence provided by law enforcement in the current form,” she added.
In this matter, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was responsible for the armory on set, is also charged with involuntary manslaughter. Her lawyer said Thursday that that charge was maintained for her.
A New Mexico judge was due to decide next month whether or not the manslaughter charges could go to trial. Baldwin, who signed an out-of-court agreement with the deceased’s husband and son, pleaded not guilty.
The actor maintained that he had no responsibility for what happened because he was given a pistol with the guarantee that it lacked live fire bullets.
The filming of Rust restarted this Thursday, but in another setting. They have moved to Yellowstone. Joel Souza continues to direct, while as part of the deal with Baldwin, Matthew Hutchins, Halyna’s widower, has joined the production.
