Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is expected to testify in Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial on Friday as the first week of testimony comes to a close.
The Hollywood actor is on trial in Santa Fe almost three years after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed in a tragic shooting while filming Western movie Rust.
Gutierrez-Reed has already been convicted of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. She is expected to be transported from prison to the courthouse Friday, but her attorney has said she will plead the fifth.
During a rehearsal of a shooting scene in 2021, a prop gun Baldwin was holding went off, striking and killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. Baldwin is charged with involuntary manslaughter and faces 18 months in prison.
On Wednesday, jurors heard opening statements with prosecutors saying that the Hollywood star skipped safety checks and recklessly handled a revolver prior to the fatal incident.
Baldwin “played make believe with a real gun and violated the cardinal rules of firearm safety,” special prosecutor Erlinda Ocampo Johnson said.
But defense attorney Alex Spiro said “these cardinal rules, they’re not cardinal rules on a movie set.”
In witness testimony, prosecutors played the fraught 911 call in the aftermath of the shooting and graphic bodycam capturing the frantic efforts of first responders to save Hutchins. In the courtroom, Baldwin looked at the screen somberly as the video played.
Key points
- Armorer to testify in Alec Baldwin’s trial on Friday
- Alec Baldwin’s wife Hilaria and brother Stephen show support at trial
- Bodycam video and 911 call played in court
- How much jail time could Alec Baldwin face if convicted?
How does a gun shoot without pulling the trigger?
02:20
Andrea Cavallier
Alec Baldwin’s defense team argues that even if the actor did pull trigger, he’s still not guilty.
So how does a gun shoot without pulling the trigger?
Here’s what Baldwin’s defense is saying:
Lead detective takes the stand as court ends for the day
01:23
Andrea Cavallier
Baldwin’s trial ended Thursday with Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Cpl. Alexandra Hancock on the stand.
Hancock began her testimony about the shooting investigation.
Hancock will return to the stand when court resumes Friday morning at 10:30 a.m. ET.
Manufacturer testifies gun used on ‘Rust' set could not fire without pulling trigger
Thursday 11 July 2024 23:12
Andrea Cavallier
Alessandro Pietta, who manufactures reproductions of collectible firearms, is on the stand as the state’s next witness.
He testified that his family made the gun used by Alec Baldwin on the set of “Rust” and that it is not possible to fire the gun without pulling the trigger.
“This gun cannot fire without pulling the trigger because of the mechanics and design of the trigger was made to work in this way,” Pieta said.
He said that the gun goes through quality control by the government of Italy and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives after the company does its own check for defects.
On redirect, Pietta said he did not inspect the gun following the shooting and did not have knowledge of its condition when it was used on set.
Who is Seth Kenney?
Thursday 11 July 2024 23:00
Andrea Cavallier
Seth Kenney was the owner of the prop company, PDQ Arm and Prop, LLC. He is also a good friend of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s father, and the one who brought the ammunition in after her conviction.
Gutierrez-Reed sued Kenney and his company for allegedly selling her a cache of dummy ammunition with live rounds mixed in.
Crime scene technician Marissa Poppell testified on Thursday that there is evidence which shows Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer for “Rust,” brought the live rounds of ammunition on the set.
Crime scene tech says there is evidence armorer brought live rounds on set
Thursday 11 July 2024 22:22
Andrea Cavallier
A friend of Hannah Gutierrez’s father, a widely known armorer in Hollywood, turned over a box of munition following Gutierrez’s trial, the state confirmed on redirect with crime scene tech Poppell.
Morrissey questions Poppell about the man’s motivation to implicate Seth Kenney, the weapon supplier for the film.
But Poppell testified she had no evidence that Kenney had anything to do with bringing live rounds to set.
“If you know, is there evidence that Hannah Gutierrez brought the live rounds onto the set of Rust?” Morrissey asked.
“Yes,” Poppell said.
Gloria Allred says Halyna Hutchins’ family cannot travel for trial
Thursday 11 July 2024 21:30
Andrea Cavallier
Gloria Allred, the attorney for the family of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, told CNN that they will not be able to travel to the United States for Alec Baldwin’s trial.
Hutchins’ mother, father and sister all live in Kyiv, Ukraine.
She added that the family does not speak English. But that she is thankful the family did not have to see the footage played in court on Wednesday of the aftermath of the shooting.
“That would have been too painful,” she said. “I’m here to be able to communicate with them what is happening in this criminal case.”
Baldwin abruptly leaves courtroom
Thursday 11 July 2024 21:15
Andrea Cavallier
Alec Baldwin abruptly left the courtroom briefly while the prosecutor argued during a motion to include Baldwin’s phone call with his wife in evidence.
The actor is back in the courtroom and Poppell is back on the stand.
Judge allows Baldwin’s call with wife as evidence
Thursday 11 July 2024 21:10
Andrea Cavallier
During a hearing following lunch break, Judge Sommer approved the prosecution’s motion to include Alec Baldwin’s phone call with his wife as evidence.
The call was made following the shooting of Hutchins.
Prosecutor Morrissey claimed in the motion that the call contradicts the defense’s portrayal of a grieving and traumatized Baldwin because it involves him telling his family to still come to New Mexico and that they’d “have fun.”
At the time, he was aware Hutchins had been severely injured, but did not yet know she had died.
“And if the defense hasn’t spent all of this time saying how, how, how panicked and upset he was, I’m not sure that it would be relevant, but he is actually planning basically a vacation,” Morrissey told the judge on Thursday.
Baldwin’s attorney said his client’s demeanor after the shooting is not relevant to involuntary manslaughter.
“You all made that fact very important through Officer LeFleur yesterday,” Sommer said in court.
“So, I do find that it’s relevant to basically respond to you all talking about how upset Mr Baldwin was, and certainly you considered that fact of consequence.”
Armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed to plead the fifth
Thursday 11 July 2024 20:55
Andrea Cavallier
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer for “Rust,” plans to plead the fifth, her attorney Jason Bowles told CNN.
Gutierrez-Reed was called to testify and will be transported from prison to the courthouse in Santa Fe on Friday but Bowles said she will not corporate.
Live bullet found in prop holster of actor Jensen Ackles, crime scene tech says
Thursday 11 July 2024 20:22
Andrea Cavallier
Crime scene technician Marissa Poppell testified on Thursday that one of the live bullets found on the set of Rust following the 2021 shooting was located in the bandolier – or prop holster – of actor Jensen Ackles.
Live bullets were found on the prop cart and in two prop gun holsters.
One was worn by Alec Baldwin and the other was worn by Ackles.
“Mr. Ackles, another actor on the set, turns out that he — as he acted, as he performed — had a live bullet in his bandolier, correct?” Spiro asked Poppell who responded “yes.”
“You have no reason to think Mr. Ackles had any idea that was there, right?” Spiro pushed.
Poppell told him: “Correct.”
How long is Alec Baldwin’s trial supposed to last?
Thursday 11 July 2024 18:46
Andrea Cavallier
Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial at the First Judicial District Court of New Mexico — about 20 miles northeast of the ‘Rust’ movie set and the shooting of Halyna Hutchins — is projected to last nine days.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer insists that she’ll keep the lawyers in line and on schedule.
A jury was selected on Tuesday and opening statements were presented on Wednesday.
The state’s first four witnesses testified on Wednesday but on Thursday, cross-examination of crime scene tech Marissa Poppell has lasted most of the day.
The projected end is the following Friday.
Once the jurors get the case, however, they can deliberate as long as needed.
Defense questions why it took a week to search ‘Rust’ prop truck
Thursday 11 July 2024 18:31
Andrea Cavallier
Defense attorney Alex Spiro questioned crime scene tech Marissa Poppell why it took a week to search the prop truck on the set of Rust.
The truck is where the blank ammunition and dummy rounds were kept. Live ammo was found on the set, but none was found in the truck.
“You’re finding these live rounds all over the set, right? Sort of seemed to be a little bit of everywhere without much cohesion between where you’re finding them,” Spiro said.
“And they’re housed originally in the truck. And so you go a week later to the prop truck, which has all of the ammunition. And there’s not a single live round there, right? Why did law enforcement wait a week to go to the prop truck?”
Poppell responded: “The search warrant needed to be written.”
She added: “I’m not sure of why the time difference occurred exactly.”
He claimed that a search warrant for the church on set was written and filed the same day of the shooting. Poppell clarified the search warrant was done the next day.
Piece of paper collected from scene reads ‘Rust Colt cocked quietly now’
Thursday 11 July 2024 17:45
Andrea Cavallier
A piece of paper collected from the scene of the shooting at the church is displayed.
There appear to be directions on the paper and it reads: “Rust Colt cocked quietly now.”
Poppell says on the stand that she photographed the paper because she felt it was important because it mentioned a firearm.
Crime scene tech says live bullets were found among dummy bullets
Thursday 11 July 2024 17:24
Andrea Cavallier
Marissa Poppell testified on the stand that live bullets were found mixed with dummy bullets in a prop cart on the set of Rust.
In photos shown in court, the live rounds appear to have a silver dot at the bottom of the casing rather than a dull orange shade.
"Your working theory, as you evaluated the ammunition and looked at the similarity between the Starline nickel live and the Starline nickel dummies is that they could have been easily commingled there?” defense attorney Alex Spiro asked.
“Yes,” she responded.
“In other words, somebody could have mistaken one for the other, right?” he asked. She said: “Yes.”
Spiro also questioned Poppell about the damage caused by the state’s forensic analysis of the gun. The team previously tried to have the cases dismissed because they were unable to examine the gun.
”As to the firearm, I think where you left off yesterday is ultimately that firearm was destroyed in the testing there,” Spiro said.
”Not destroyed, but broken,” Poppell responded.
She later agreed that the gun could likely be fixed with replacement parts, but it could not be restored to the condition it was on the day of the shooting.
Alec Baldwin’s family back in court to support him
Thursday 11 July 2024 17:02
Andrea Cavallier
WATCH LIVE: Alec Baldwin ‘Rust’ manslaughter trial continues on second day
Thursday 11 July 2024 16:21
Andrea Cavallier
Court resumes for second day of Baldwin trial
Thursday 11 July 2024 16:16
Andrea Cavallier
Court is back in session for the second day of Alec Baldwin’s manslaughter trial.
The prosecution’s fourth witness, crime scene technician Marissa Poppell, is back on the stand.
She is being cross-examined by the defense.
JUST IN: Armorer to testify in Alec Baldwin’s trial on Friday
Thursday 11 July 2024 15:38
Andrea Cavallier
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the ‘Rust’ movie set who was convicted, is expected to testify on Friday morning.
Gutierrez-Reed will be transported from prison to the courthouse on Friday morning, Attorney Jason Bowles confirmed to Court TV as court resumed on Thursday.
Alec Baldwin watches footage of Halyna Hutchins's final moments
Thursday 11 July 2024 00:00
Andrea Cavallier
Alec Baldwin, along with a Santa Fe court, watched footage of Halyna Hutchins’s final moments.
When authorities arrived on the scene, body cam footage showed how Hutchins moved her head from side to side while paramedics tried to stabilize her.
“Deep breath, Halyna. Deep breath,” a paramedic told Hutchins in the video.
Joel Souza, the director who survived his injuries after being shot could be heard screaming.
Baldwin remained expressionless as he watched and several jurors took notes.
His brother Stephen watched, but their sister Beth Keuchler and Baldwin’s wife did not.
Alec Baldwin’s sister cries in court
Wednesday 10 July 2024 20:40
Andrea Cavallier
The actor’s sister, Beth Keuchler, and his brother, Stephen Baldwin, were both in court to support their brother on Wednesday.
An eyewitness told Entertainment Tonight that Stephen Baldwin was seen “consoling his sister, who was crying during opening statements.”
During the break, “Elizabeth and Stephen went out into the hallway, where Stephen continued to console his sister, who was visibly emotional, crying and wiping away tears.”
Baldwin then joined his family and hugged his sister, it was reported.
Baldwin’s wife, Hilaria Baldwin, was also in the courtroom for opening statements.
Deputy says Baldwin was instructed not to speak to others
Wednesday 10 July 2024 19:09
Andrea Cavallier
In video footage played in court, Baldwin is shown smoking a cigarette as he answered LeFleur’s questions and asked about the location of the two victims.
The deputy instructed Baldwin instructed not to speak to others. He said he had concerns about witnesses potentially tainting their statements about what happened.
But the prosecution pointed out that despite LeFleur’s instruction, Baldwin continued to talk about it.
Baldwin pulled the trigger, prosecution says
Wednesday 10 July 2024 16:48
Andrea Cavallier
Johnson tells the jury that they will see video footage during the trial of Baldwin using the gun on set.
“You’ll see the video footage of the multiple occasions during which the defendant used this firearm on the set, and each time he fired it, it was working just fine,” Johnson said.
“And in fact, you’ll hear evidence that the defendant himself admitted in December of 2021 that this gun didn’t have any mechanical problems.”
This comes after Baldwin stated that he did not pull the trigger the day Hutchins was shot.
Johnson also said the firearm was repeatedly tested by a forensic expert at the FBI, which determined that the gun had no defects and was in working order.
Prosecutor says Baldwin asked to be given the ‘biggest gun’
Wednesday 10 July 2024 16:31
Andrea Cavallier
Prosecutor Johnson said Baldwin asked to be given the “biggest gun” available for the movie.
She told the jury during her opening that they would hear evidence that firearm was sold to the “Rust” set in “perfect” working order.
Alec Baldwin arrives at court for opening statements
Wednesday 10 July 2024 15:18
Andrea Cavallier
Jury seated in Alec Baldwin ‘Rust’ manslaughter trial
Wednesday 10 July 2024 00:28
Graeme Massie
Hollywood star is on trial for involuntary manslaughter in New Mexico for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western movie in 2021.
Veteran armorer turned down ‘Rust’ job over ‘red flags’
Tuesday 9 July 2024 22:15
Andrea Cavallier
In an exclusive interview with NewsNation’s guest host Brian Entin on Banfield | NewsNation this week, Hollywood prop master Neal Zoromski said he was set to work on the Alec Baldwin film “Rust” but backed out after noticing some budgetary red flags.
On that movie set, Baldwin ended up firing a prop gun filled with real bullets, killing the film’s cinematographer.
He now faces trial.
Alec Baldwin arrives at courthouse
Tuesday 9 July 2024 15:17
Andrea Cavallier
The Hollywood star has arrived at the courthouse in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Jury selection in his trial is expected to begin today.
Welcome to The Independent’s live blog
Tuesday 9 July 2024 11:01
Rachel Sharp
Follow along for live updates as Hollywood star Alec Baldwin goes on trial today over the deadly shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Rust movie
