Alec Baldwin Indicted for Involuntary Manslaughter in ‘Rust’ Case
Alec Baldwin was indicted for involuntary manslaughter for a second time Friday, as New Mexico prosecutors sought to hold the actor accountable for the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust” after dropping their initial charges last year over evidence concerns.
“We look forward to our day in court,” Baldwin attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro said in a statement to TheWrap.
Hutchins’ death , which happened in October of 2021.
Baldwin was previously charged in January of 2023 of Hutchins’ October 2021 death, but those were dropped three months later after his defense raised questions about the gun he was holding; ballistics investigators said at the time that the replica Colt .45 was not functioning properly. In October of 2023 special prosecutors for the New Mexico district attorney’s office announced they planned to present new charges to a grand jury.
“After extensive investigation over the past several months, additional facts have come to light that we believe show Mr. Baldwin has criminal culpability in the death of Halyna Hutchins and the shooting of Joel Souza,” prosecutors Kari Morrisey and Jason Lewis said in a statement at that time. “We believe the appropriate course of action is to permit a panel of New Mexico citizens to determine from here whether Mr. Baldwin should be held over for criminal trial.”
The case has been fraught with issues since it happened. When the initial charges against Baldwin were dropped in April the case’s first special prosecutor, Andrea Reeb, stepped down after an attempt to press firearm enhancement charges against Baldwin that were not in effect when the shooting happened. Defense attorneys for Baldwin also claimed that Reeb could not prosecute the case as she was also a state legislator, therefore violating New Mexico state constitution laws.
When the involuntary manslaughter charges were dropped by Morrissey and Lewis in April, they said in a statement that their decision to do so “does not absolve Mr. Baldwin of criminal culpability and charges may be refiled” pending further investigation and forensic analysis of the firearm.
Last August a judge denied Baldwin’s motion to dismiss a civil lawsuit brought on by three crew members on the “Rust” set. The lawsuit was filed Ross Adding, a dolly operator; Doran Curtin, a set costumer and Reese Price, a key grip. All said they were inside the New Mexico church at the time of the shooting and were seeking unspecified damages for “blast injuries” and post-traumatic stress anxiety.
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