Criminal charges against Alec Baldwin in Rust shooting dropped
Baldwin, 65, was charged with 2 counts of involuntary manslaughter in January
New Mexico prosecutors said on Thursday they have formally dismissed involuntary manslaughter charges against actor Alec Baldwin, stemming from the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western movie Rust in 2021.
Special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis said in a statement Thursday their office would be conducting further investigation and that the charges could be refiled.
Baldwin, 65, was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in January in Hutchins's death and the injury of Rust director Joel Souza, who was also shot.
The actor was accused of showing a "reckless" disregard for safety in Hutchins's death. He pleaded not guilty in February after prosecutors downgraded the seriousness of the charges, reducing the potential prison time.
Still, prosecutors alluded to new revelations in the investigation while cautioning that Baldwin has not been absolved.
"New facts were revealed that demand further investigation and forensic analysis," the prosecutors said Thursday in a news release, without elaborating on those facts. "This decision does not absolve Mr. Baldwin of criminal culpability and charges may be refiled. Our follow-up investigation will remain active and ongoing."
"We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident," Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, the attorneys for Baldwin, said in a statement.
The first assistant director on the set, Dave Halls, was sentenced last month to a suspended sentence after he pleaded guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon. Prosecutors had said he was responsible for set safety.
The movie's armourer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, also faces manslaughter charges and has pleaded not guilty.
A defence attorney for Halls said Friday that he is happy for Baldwin and also wishes the best for the Hutchins family.
"Mr. Halls never believed Mr. Baldwin should be charged with a crime. It was a tragic accident that is best resolved out of criminal court," defence attorney Lisa Torraco said in an email.
Rust filming resumes in Montana
When the manslaughter charges were announced in January, Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said the case was about equal justice under the law and accountability in Hutchins's death, regardless of the fame or fortune of those involved. She said the Ukrainian-born cinematographer's death was tragic — and preventable.
A new legal team took over prosecution of Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed in late March, after the original special prosecutor appointed in the case resigned.
WATCH | 'Lifelong consequences' could follow Baldwin, says former prosecutor:
The dismissal of the charge against Baldwin, also a co-producer on Rust, abruptly changes the tenor of the investigation, said John Day, a Santa Fe-based criminal defence attorney who is not involved with the case.
"It does give the impression that the people left holding the bag are the lowest people on that chain," Day said. "This is very different from what the original prosecutor said."
When word of the dismissal came, Baldwin was at Yellowstone Film Ranch on the set of a rebooted Rust production. Preparations for filming were underway Thursday at its new location in Montana, 18 months after the shooting shut it down, a representative for Rust Movie Productions said.
Gutierrez-Reed's attorneys said they fully expect her to be exonerated in the judicial process.
"The truth about what happened will come out and the questions that we have long sought answers for will be answered," the lawyers, Jason Bowles and Todd Bullion, said in a statement.