All charges have been dropped against Alec Baldwin in the killing of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
"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," said Baldwin's attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro.
Currently, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, Alec Baldwin's co-defendant and ex-Rust armorer, still faces charges, which keeps the investigation open and gives prosecutors the power to subpoena witnesses. Both Gutierrez-Reed and Baldwin have pleaded not guilty. Despite Baldwin's repeated insistence that he did not pull the trigger on the prop gun that killed Halyna Hutchins, the FBI disagreed in its report released last year. With Baldwin's lawyers now disputing the state of the gun, further investigation into the firearm is likely to occur as part of any renewed probe.
These developments are happening as the production of a new Rust series with Baldwin and director Joel Souza is set to begin in Montana. Originally scheduled to start earlier this week, the new Rust production is now expected to start tomorrow, but this could change based on the latest developments. The timing of the charges being dropped against Baldwin just before the new Rust production commences seems almost coincidental, according to sources.
The special prosecutors' upcoming move comes after the witness list for the preliminary examination, which is set to start on May 3, was made public. However, with prosecutors investigating the evidence, context, and circumstances of the on-set tragedy anew, it seems unlikely that the preliminary examination will go ahead as scheduled, even with charges against Gutierrez-Reed still active.
Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed were charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter more than a year after Hutchins died on the Rust set. Those charges carried a maximum of 18 months in jail and around $5,000 in fines if a jury found Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed guilty. Rust assistant director Dave Halls made a plea deal and was sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation.
In October 2022, the Hutchins estate settled its wrongful death suit with Rust Movie Productions LLC and Baldwin. As part of the deal, Hutchins' husband, Matthew Hutchins, is executive producing the new Rust production, as well as a documentary on his wife's life and burgeoning career. The settlement was ordered sealed earlier this week to protect the privacy of the Hutchins' young son.
