Manslaughter Case Dismissed Against Actor Alec Baldwin Over Fatal ‘Rust’ Shooting

Saying prosecutors had failed to turn over evidence to defense attorneys, a judge in New Mexico Friday dismissed an involuntary manslaughter case against actor Alec Baldwin stemming from the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film “Rust.”

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case “with prejudice,” meaning it cannot be refiled. The judge called prosecutors “highly culpable” for failing to share potential evidence with defense attorneys — specifically a collection of lead bullets that had been turned over to sheriff’s investigators in the case three months ago.

Prosecutor Kari Morrissey insisted that the bullets, which were provided by retired Arizona police officer Troy Teske, had no “evidentiary value.” She also noted that Teske provided the bullets only after the conviction of the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, on an involuntary manslaughter charge in March. She said Teske was a friend of Gutierrez-Reed’s stepfather.

Defense attorneys brought up the issue of the bullets in court Friday morning, just days into Baldwin’s trial on the involuntary manslaughter charge. Sommer sent jurors home for the day and opted to hold an evidentiary hearing about the handling of the bullets.

The decision prompted one of the special prosecutors on the case, Erlinda Johnson, to resign from the matter.

Baldwin’s attorney accused prosecutors of concealing the potential evidence, even logging the bullets under a separate case number and failing to disclose that they existed.

Defense attorneys considered the bullets potentially critical to determining how live ammunition wound up in the weapon Baldwin was holding on the New Mexico film set on Oct. 21, 2021. The weapon discharged while Baldwin was helping to set up camera angles for a scene. The bullet killed the 42-year- old Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza.

Baldwin has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing stemming from the shooting, which reverberated through the film industry and prompted calls for revamped safety standards on sets, particularly involving weapons.

Baldwin has maintained he did not pull the trigger on the gun, and said he had been told it was “cold” — meaning it did not contain live ammunition.

Gutierrez-Reed, 26, was sentenced in April to 18 months in prison. It was unclear if her conviction might be overturned in light of the evidentiary development in Baldwin’s case.