Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed pleads not guilty to involuntary manslaughter of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins who was killed by Alec Baldwin
- Rust Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has plead not guilty to two charges
- She will face court over involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering
- The weapon handler’s trial has been set for December 6-15 this year
Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has entered not guilty pleas to involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering charges in relation to the accidental death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
The weapon handler’s trial is set for December 6-15 as prosecutors set out to prove she acted recklessly when loading a prop gun in October 2021 before handing it over to actor Alec Baldwin for a rehearsal.
Production stopped abruptly when Baldwin shot a live round, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the movie’s New Mexico set.
Two involuntary manslaughter charges over the mum-of-one’s death against Baldwin were dropped earlier this year.
Prosecutors have accused Gutierrez-Reed of involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering
Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on the set of Rust when she was hit by a live bullet from a gun fired by Alec Baldwin
The actor was seen lingering outside the park lot of the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s offices after facing questions over the accidental shooting
Filming was halted immediately in October 2021 after Hutchins’ death and Joel Souza’s injuries
Prosecutors are, however, moving forward with Gutierrez-Reed’s case and will allege she didn’t check all of the rounds properly to ensure they were dummies.
They will also attempt to prove claims Gutierrez-Reed handed a bag of cocaine to another person on the evening after Hutchins was shot.
Special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis previously filed a motion stating that they have a confidential witness that will testify.
The witness is expected to claim that Gutierrez-Reed handed off the drugs after returning from her initial police interview.
‘The circumstances of the transfer of evidence strongly support the charge that the defendant transferred the cocaine to avoid prosecution and prevent law enforcement from obtaining highly inculpatory evidence directly related the defendant’s handling of the firearm and the circumstances of the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins,’ the prosecutors wrote.
Baldwin was initially charged but the case was dropped after evidence suggested the weapon could have been fired without him pulling the trigger
Hutchins pictured on the set of Rust
The armorer allegedly handed a bag of cocaine to another film worker after her police interview in October 2021
The Ukrainian had worked on more than 30 feature-length films, short films and TV shows
Gutierrez-Reed waived her right to an arraignment and preliminary hearing on Wednesday when she submitted the plea.
Jury selection will begin the day before opening statements.
Gutierrez-Reed´s attorneys previously said that they ‘fully expect at the end of this process that Hannah will also be exonerated.’
The state of New Mexico, where the shooting took place, was forced to drop charges against Baldwin after losing several pretrial rulings.
He has said in interviews that he was told the gun was safe and that he never pulled the trigger.
Santa Fe County prosecutors could still decide to file new counts after sending the gun for further testing.
Investigators are first looking into suggestions the gun could have fired without him pulling the trigger.
After a scathing safety review by regulators in New Mexico that detailed ignored complaints and misfires before Hutchins’ death in October of 2021, the production company agreed to pay a $100,000 fine.
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