Alec Baldwin’s ‘Rust’ trial has been dropped – with the actor bursting into tears at the shock news.
Alec Baldwin’s ‘Rust’ trial has been dropped – with the actor bursting into tears at the shock news
The ‘Married to the Mob’ actor, 66, wept on Friday (12.07.24) at the decision to throw out the involuntary manslaughter charge against him, which came hours after the judge overseeing it dramatically halted proceedings after she heard an argument from his legal team the prosecutors had buried evidence.
Alec was facing his third day of proceedings in front of a jury in New Mexico on Friday when the surprise development came.
He stood accused of involuntary manslaughter after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, was killed on the set of neo-Western movie ‘Rust’ in New Mexico in 2021, and was facing 18 months in jail if convicted.
Before the jury was brought in to the courtroom on Friday Alec’s attorney Luke Nikas had asked for the case against his client to be dropped, claiming that prosecutors sat on evidence that would have helped show how live ammunition was brought on to the set of neo-Western movie ‘Rust’.
Alec’s wife Hilaria, 40, had tears in her eyes when the attorneys asked the judge to drop the case.
The actor was rehearsing a scene on the set of ‘Rust’ when the gun he was holding discharged, killing Halyna Hutchins and injuring its 51-year-old director Joel Souza.
Alec had insisted in interviews he did not pull the trigger of the gun or know why it contained live ammunition.
His lawyers claimed a man named Troy Teske – a friend of Thell Reed, the father of convicted ‘Rust’ armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 27, who was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for loading a live round into Alec’s gun – turned over ammunition to authorities he thought was connected to the case.
But Mr Nikas said: “We’re talking about a prosecution that didn’t preserve those bullets, that didn’t collect them at all. That didn’t turn them over.
“This is critical evidence in the case that was never disclosed to us… we were entitled to it.
“This case should be dismissed, Your Honor.”
After a recess, judge Mary Marlowe Sommer heard testimony from witnesses including Seth Kenney – the ‘Rust’ props firearms supplier – as well as Corporal Alexandria Hancock from the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office.
During one tense exchange, Alec’s attorney Alex Spiro asked Cpl Hancock if she was “hiding” any more evidence – but she replied: “I don’t think I’ve hidden anything.”
She admitted ammunition Mr Teske had handed over was filed separately from the other ‘Rust’ evidence – and said prosecutor Kari T Morrissey had been involved in talks to file them separately.
Earlier on Friday during the recess in the case, Alec and Hilaria hugged and smiled in apparent relief.
