In this text, Marissa Poppell, a former Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office detective who handled evidence in the Alec Baldwin “Rust” shooting case, testified about a box of bullets she received from a friend of Halyna Hutchins’ father after Hutchins’ death. The defense argued that this evidence was concealed by law enforcement and could have been relevant to their case. Poppell denied intentionally hiding anything and claimed she followed instructions to file the box under another case number. The defense filed a motion accusing the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and the state of burying evidence, which led to a hearing where PDQ Props owner Seth Kenney testified that he didn’t bring live rounds to the set. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case against Baldwin with prejudice due to the state’s failure to disclose possibly consequential evidence. Baldwin and his wife Hilaria both teared up during the ruling.
UPDATE: The judge permanently dismissed the Alec Baldwin’s case on July 12. Read more here.
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There’s been a shocking turn of events in Alec Baldwin’s Rust trial.
According to NBC News, the presiding judge in the ongoing involuntary manslaughter trial has dismissed the jury on the third day following an unexpected motion from the defense team. (You can watch the live stream of the trial here.)
According to the report, the lawyers for the actor argue that the state has concealed evidence relating to ammunition. A “good Samaritan,” they claim, had handed this ammunition to a crime scene technician after the trial of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed (who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in March and received an 18-month prison sentence).
According to NBC News reports, during the trial, Baldwin’s legal team argued that the bullet used in the tragic shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins came from the movie’s prop supplier Seth Kenney.
Regarding the “Good Samaritan” mentioned in the motion, he is identified as none other than Troy Teske, a close acquaintance of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s father.
Meanwhile, prosecutor Kari Morrissey called the accusation against Kenney a “wild goose chase.”
TopMob News has made contact with Baldwin’s legal representatives and the prosecution team, but no response has been received as of yet.
On the very day that Gutierrez-Reed was scheduled to testify in Baldwin’s trial, an unexpected development occurred instead. Her testimony, which was initially slated for this day, has now been postponed.
In May, before the trial began, Gutierrez-Reed expressed her reluctance to collaborate and stated that she had no intention of testifying, as reported by NBC News.
As a dedicated follower of the latest developments in this case, I can share that with the recent motion to dismiss, various possibilities emerge if the judge rules in favor of the defense. These outcomes may include Baldwin’s case being dropped entirely or Gutierrez-Reed’s conviction being overturned.
Keep reading for more trial bombshells…
At the beginning of the trial on July 10, the jury watched a video of Alec Baldwin rehearsing the scene where he brandished a gun inside an old church on Bonanza Creek Ranch’s film set.
“He hears someone saying, ‘Let me see that,’ as he quickly draws his gun from under his jacket, practicing the motion three times.”
In his opening argument, defense lawyer Alex Spiro stressed that his client, who is an actor, bears no responsibility for the deceased Halyna Hutchins’ death, even if it’s proven that he pulled the trigger of the gun – a claim Baldwin has repeatedly denied.
“Spiro stated that he had no information and no reason to believe that the bullet in the gun was live.”
As a lifestyle expert, I’d suggest paraphrasing it this way: I listened to the 911 call made by the script supervisor on October 21, 2021, at around 1:46 p.m., after the unfortunate incident where Hutchins was shot on set.
The advertisement that harassed me during my lunch hour regarding revisions, as described by the caller, is the person to blame.
In March 2023, David Halls, the first assistant director, received a sentence of six months’ probation without supervision following his no contest plea for a misdemeanor offense involving the reckless use of a dangerous weapon.
As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase it as follows: I’ve discovered from the investigation that Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the production armorer, and I were the last individuals who had possession of the gun prior to it being handed over to Alec Baldwin.
In March, a court found Gutierrez responsible for involuntary manslaughter and handed down a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison. This is the same length of time Baldwin could face if convicted.
During Spiro’s opening statement, I, as a representative of the state, voiced concerns over several points. One of these objections came after his assertion that it is natural for individuals to seek understanding and retribution in the wake of a tragedy, which he described as part of the human condition and an aspect of grief.
In Spiro’s perspective, justice equates to truth. It’s a heart-wrenching situation. According to the information known, Alec Baldwin did not break the law.
As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase that as follows: I, Nicholas LeFleur, was the first Santa Fe Police Department officer to arrive at Bonanza Creek Ranch on July 10, having been working for the sheriff’s office at the time. Upon my arrival, I discovered the scene where Hutchins had been shot.
As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase it this way: During the heated debates in the courtroom prior to the trial, the jury was shown footage from Officer LeFleur’s body camera. This footage contained tense moments where Hutchins received medical attention after being shot. Initially, we, the crew, were within the church walls before Hutchins was transported via ambulance for more extensive care. We remained there, patiently waiting for a helicopter to transfer her to the hospital.
According to LeFleur’s testimony, he went to retrieve crime scene tape from his car (as depicted in the body-cam video) to establish a boundary around the area of interest. However, he wasn’t certain whether this action was prompted by a request or if it was an automatic response.
“I knew we needed to start one,” he said.
In the video, Baldwin is depicted lighting up a cigarette, yet he remained among the crowd prior to being questioned by law enforcement. According to LeFleur, I instructed Baldwin to cease speaking during this time.
During questioning contrary to what was initially assumed, LeFleur admitted that he weren’t certain at the time of hanging up the tape if a crime had transpired or an accident had taken place.
During the intense cross-examination, LeFleur confessed that while he had testified for the prosecution that I advised Baldwin against conversing with other witnesses, I did not personally intervene to halt his discussions with them again. The officer further confirmed that more frequently than not, people approached Baldwin to engage in conversation with him.
As a dedicated follower of the events you’re describing, I concur with Spiro’s perspective. He argued that there were plenty of police cruisers on set for Baldwin to choose from and be seated in one separately from the others. Yet, no officer requested or made him do so according to LeFleur’s observation.
As an avid fan of true crime investigations, I can’t help but be intrigued by the details uncovered during the search of the Rust set following the tragic shooting. According to Santa Fe Sherriff’s Office crime scene technician Marissa Poppell, who testified on July 11, investigators discovered both live and supposedly dead bullets during their examination.
During Spiro’s questioning, she admitted that there were real bullets among the props, specifically located in the munition box and gun holsters for two actors. In contrast, the props shown in the court exhibit had silver dots at the bottom to distinguish them as live ammunition, whereas the dummy rounds appeared more golden or bronze in color.
Based on my analysis of the ammunition and the resemblance between Starline nickel live rounds and Starline nickel dummy rounds, it’s plausible that they might have been mistakenly mixed up in that location.
She said yes. Added Spiro? “In other words, somebody could have mistaken one for the other, right?”
Poppell replied, “Yes.”
Based on her testimony given on July 10, Poppell is the individual who retrieved Baldwin’s shoulder holster from the church following the shooting, containing a single live bullet.
During the jury’s lunch break at the First Judicial District Court presided over by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, prosecutors were granted permission to present a segment of a phone conversation between Alec Baldwin and his wife Hilaria Baldwin. This conversation took place at the police station following the shooting incident involving Hutchins. In this call, Alec urged Hilaria to come visit him in New Mexico, implying they would enjoy themselves together.
In the courtroom, Kari Morrissey, the designated prosecutor, stated that at the time Baldwin placed the call, he wasn’t aware that Hutchins had passed away, but was informed she had sustained severe injuries.
If the defense hadn’t devoted so much time arguing about his supposed panic and distress, Morrissey mused, it might not matter; however, it seems they were actually discussing his upcoming plans for a getaway.
The judge addressed Baldwin’s legal team, who raised objections on multiple occasions, acknowledging, “Your arguments about Mr. Baldwin’s distress are indeed significant factors I must take into account.”
At the cross-examination under Spiro, Poppell refuted allegations of withholding evidence by stating that she neither included a box of bullets obtained from a good Samaritan following Gutierrez’s trial in the total Rust-related evidence, nor did she disclose it to the defense. She emphasized that she had never handed over any evidence to them.
Morrissey revealed that the individual who provided Poppell with the explosives was a friend of Gutierrez’s father, experienced Hollywood armorer Thell Reed. The prosecution implied this man aimed to implicate Seth Kenney, the arms supplier for “Rust,” in bringing live rounds to the filming location.
During her redirection, Poppell testified that she lacked proof that Kenney had taken live ammunition to the scene, yet she possessed evidence implicating Gutierrez in this regard.
I find it astonishing that the bullets in question, which were discovered outside the Rust film set, weren’t examined to determine if they matched the ones already found on set. Jason Bowles, Gutierrez’s legal representative, made this statement to NBC News.
“Bowles remarked that they had concealed the ball until it was brought up in court. To uncover the whole truth, one must pursue every potential clue.”
On the morning of July 12, the jury had just taken their seats in court when Judge Sommer dismissed them for the day due to the defense’s allegation that the state had concealed evidence.
Testifying in court, Poppell revealed that he received a package containing ammunition from ex-Arizona law enforcement officer Troy Teske – a pal of Gutierrez’s father who was earlier referred to as a “good Samaritan” but has since been identified in the trial. After Gutierrez’s conviction for involuntary manslaughter in March, which stemmed from Hutchins’ death, Teske sent this package to Poppell.
Previously, Spiro asked Poppell to explain why she hadn’t included the Rust case’s box among the other pieces of evidence.
This morning, prior to the jury’s entrance, Poppell once more asserted that he hadn’t deliberately concealed anything. He explained to Spiro that he had been directed to file the box under a different case number, which is why he complied with the instruction.
The defense asserts that both the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and the state failed to disclose to Baldwin the existence of evidence suggesting that the live round used in the shooting originated from Seth Kenney.
During the afternoon recess, the prosecution summoned Kenney, the head of PDQ Props who was contracted to supply the “Rust” film set with prop firearms and blank ammunition, for a closed-door session without the jury being present. The defense had made a motion, and Kenney’s testimony was sought in this hearing.
Kenney asserted with confidence, based on his experience of providing over a thousand props with dummy rounds, that bringing live ammunition to the film set was a feasible option for him.
Morrissey called the defense’s attempt to blame Kenney “a wild goose chase.”
Morrissey voluntarily stepped up to testify about her involvement, or lack thereof, regarding the missing box of ammunition in the Rust case evidence, which was delivered by Teske but was not presented in court.
In her testimony, she stated that Jason Bowles, attorney for Gutierrez, was informed that Teske intended to provide him with the specific ammunition. Upon being shown a photograph of these rounds by Bowles, she found them visually distinct from the live ammunition discovered on the Rust set.
Morrissey shared that Bowles communicated to Teske that he wouldn’t be required to testify as a witness. Additionally, Bowles mentioned that once Teske delivered the items to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, Det. Hancock (now Cpl.) informed her they would be added to the evidence files.
Morrissey testified she had “no idea” it wouldn’t be filed under the Rust case number.
The rounds Teske provided wouldn’t have harmed the state’s argument, Morrissey stated. They represented the strongest evidence I could have asked for.
As a dedicated follower of legal proceedings, I can explain that when Judge Sommer dismissed the case against Mr. Baldwin with prejudice, it signifies that the same exact charges cannot be brought up again in the future. This decision is final and binding on all parties involved.
The judge concurred with the defense’s argument that the state failed to share crucial evidence. Consequently, the judge ruled that the appropriate action was to dismiss the case.
Baldwin and Hilaria both choked back tears as they realized how the judge was going to render her decision. Every day of the trial saw their attendance, joined by Baldwin’s brother-in-law, Stephen.
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2024-07-14 18:07