Alec Baldwin's lawyers announced that prosecutors have dropped the involuntary manslaughter charges against him for the death of Halyna Hutchins during the filming of Rust. However, the charges against Baldwin's co-defendant, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, stand, according to the prosecution.
#BREAKING: New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney, Heather Brewer, releases a statement after dropping gun enhancement charges in #Rust movie set shooting.#CourtTV What do YOU think? ⚖️👇 pic.twitter.com/yluFce9H1D
— Court TV (@CourtTV) February 20, 2023
In a statement, the special prosecutors appointed by New Mexico First District Attorney, Mary Carmack-Altwies, said that the discovery of "new facts" - they did not specify which ones - led them to make this decision. "We cannot proceed under the current time constraints and on the facts and evidence turned over by law enforcement in its existing form. We therefore will be dismissing the involuntary manslaughter charges against Mr. Baldwin to conduct further investigation. This decision does not absolve Mr. Baldwin of criminal culpability and charges may be refiled."
Weapon modifications key
According to the Los Angeles Times, the "new facts" would be related to the murder weapon. As the newspaper reports, it, a 45 Colt revolver, was modified, which increased the likelihood of the gun failing.
In a statement, Luka Nikas and Alex Spiro, the actor's attorneys, expressed their satisfaction with the decision of the prosecutor of the First District of New Mexico, where the incident took place, and called for the investigation to continue. "We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and urge a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident," the release stated.
The actor always pleaded not guilty in the death of Hutchins, who died as a result of wounds sustained when she was shot by Baldwin with a gun that was supposed to be unloaded. In his statement, the actor maintains that he never pulled the trigger.
