Alec Baldwin Breaks Silence After Rust Shooting Trial Is Dismissed

This article reports on the ongoing trial of actor Alec Baldwin in connection to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film “Rust.” The article discusses various motions and testimonies presented during the trial, including a phone call Baldwin made to his wife Hilaria from the police station after the shooting, in which he encouraged her to visit him in New Mexico. Prosecutors argued that this call showed Baldwin was not as upset or distraught as he had claimed, and the judge agreed, allowing the call to be introduced as evidence.

Alec Baldwin is breaking his silence.

The actor spoke about the recent dropping of charges in the 2021 fatal shooting on the set of “Rust,” which resulted in the involuntary manslaughter trial against him being terminated. (or) The actor commented on the dismissal of his involuntary manslaughter trial, which stemmed from the 2021 fatal incident on the set of “Rust” that claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

In a recent Instagram post on July 13th, Baldwin expressed his gratitude by stating, “I’m deeply moved by the outpouring of support I’ve received. Unfortunately, I can’t thank each one of you individually right now. Know that your kindness towards my family is deeply appreciated.”

As an ardent admirer of Baldwin’s plight, I can tell you that the dismissal of his case by a New Mexico judge on July 12 was not just any dismissal. It was a dismissal with prejudice – a legal term that signifies the case cannot be refiled due to the prosecution’s misconduct. The accusation from Baldwin’s devoted legal team was shocking yet profound: they believed the prosecution had concealed crucial evidence.

I was let go from my position as an armorer on the set of “Rust” four months ago, following Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s conviction for involuntary manslaughter regarding the same shooting incident. Her legal team submitted a notice of appeal in May, as evidenced by court records reviewed by TopMob News.

At Baldwin’s trial, Marissa Poppell, a crime scene technician, testified that Troy Teske, an ex-Arizona cop and acquaintance of Gutierrez-Reed’s father, Thell Reed (a veteran Hollywood armorer), had handed her live ammunition following the verdict in the Rust case which she believed were connected to it.

As an avid follower of this intriguing case, I can tell you that during her testimony, Poppell admitted to logging the ammunition under a distinct case number as an additional report. However, she vehemently refuted Baldwin’s legal team’s accusations, asserting that her actions were not intended to conceal or hide the evidence.

Prosecutors also denied intentionally hiding evidence.

Baldwin’s legal team claimed they weren’t made aware of the ammunition Teske had given to the actor. They contended that if they had been informed, this discovery would have benefited Baldwin’s case.

“Judge Mary Marlmarowe Sommer expressed her concern in the courtroom, stating that the state’s violation of discovery rules has unnecessarily introduced a fatal delay into the jury trial. To preserve the sanctity of the judicial system and promote an efficient legal process, it is appropriate to dismiss this case permanently.”

After the judgment handed down by Judge Marlowe Sommer, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza spoke with TopMob News, expressing respect for the judge’s decision in the complicated Halyna Hutchins case. Our priority throughout has been to ensure justice for Halyna Hutchins and her family.

Former prosecutor Erlinda Johnson, who previously worked on the case team, explained her reason for leaving the investigation more recently.

As a conscientious and dedicated lifestyle expert committed to upholding ethical standards, I firmly believe in the importance of transparency and accountability. When I uncover new evidence that has not been previously disclosed during the course of my professional duties as a prosecutor, I recognize the significance of this development and take immediate action.

Keep reading for more major moments from Baldwin’s trial…

During the commencement of the trial on July 10, the jury watched a video of Alec Baldwin rehearsing the scene where he brandished a gun inside an antiquated church at Bonanza Creek Ranch.

“He hears someone request, ‘Let me see that,’ as he swiftly draws his gun from beneath his jacket for practice, doing so three times.”

In his opening statement, defense attorney Alex Spiro stressed that his client is an actor and if, by some unfortunate turn of events, he did indeed pull the trigger on the gun (a denial Baldwin has consistently maintained), he bears no responsibility for Halyna Hutchins’ tragic demise.

“Spiro stated that he had no information and no cause to believe that the bullet in the gun was live.”

Spiro listened to the 911 call placed by a script supervisor following Hutchins’ shooting, which occurred at 1:46 p.m. on October 21, 2021.

“The annoying advertisement that bothered me during my lunch break, demanding to know about revisions, was the individual in question. This person…”

As the first assistant director on set, I, David Halls, faced the consequences of my actions in March 2023 when I was given six months of unsupervised probation after entering a no contest plea to a misdemeanor charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.

The investigation revealed that Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the production armorer for Halls, was the most recent person to have handled the gun prior to it being passed on to Baldwin, which ultimately discharged a fatal bullet.

As a lifestyle expert, I would rephrase it like this: In March, a court found Gutierrez responsible for involuntary manslaughter and handed down a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison. This is the same potential sentence Baldwin faces if convicted.

During Spiro’s initial presentation, the authorities expressed various concerns. Among these objections was their disagreement with his observation that it is inherent in humans to try and understand a calamity and pursue justice as part of the grieving process.

Spiro made the poignant remark, “Justice equals truth,” in wrapping up his remarks. Tragically, Alec Baldwin‘s actions did not constitute a criminal offense.

On July 10, the court proceedings initiated with Prosecution Witness Nicholas LeFleur taking the stand. He is a police officer from Santa Fe who was employed by the sheriff’s department at the time of the incident. He was among the first responders to arrive at Bonanza Creek Ranch following the shooting of Hutchins.

During the heated pre-trial hearings, the jury was shown footage from Officer LeFleur’s body camera against the defense’s protests. This footage contained tense moments as Hutchins received medical attention following the shooting. Initially, the crew remained inside the church while they anticipated the arrival of a helicopter to transport Hutchins to the hospital for advanced treatment.

According to LeFleur’s testimony, he went to retrieve crime scene tape from his car to establish a boundary around the area based on either a request or his own intuition, as depicted in the body-cam video.

“I knew we needed to start one,” he said.

In the recording, Baldwin, who was seen lighting up a cigarette, wasn’t isolated by the investigators prior to taking his testimony, according to LeFleur. However, I instructed him to be quiet.

During cross-examination, I testified that at the time I placed the tape, I was unsure if a crime had transpired or if it was merely an accident.

During cross-examination, LeFleur admitted that he didn’t personally remind Alec Baldwin to cease conversations with fellow witnesses. He further acknowledged that people frequently approached Baldwin to chat with him instead.

As a dedicated follower of the events you described, I agree with Spiro’s perspective that there were many police cruisers on set and Baldwin could have been asked to sit in one of them for safety reasons, away from the others. However, it’s important to note that no officer actually requested him to do so according to LeFleur’s account.

During the search of the Rust set after the shooting incident, live bullets were discovered alongside supposedly spent ones, as stated by Marissa Poppell, a crime scene technician from the Santa Fe Sherriff’s Office, during her testimony on July 11th.

During Spiro’s questioning, I confirmed that there were real bullets in the prop cart, hidden inside a munition box, and tucked away in gun holsters for two actors. The image presented in court revealed that these live rounds bore a silver dot at their base, whereas the dummy ammunition appeared more golden or bronze in color.

Based on my analysis of the ammunition and observing 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 July 10th statement, Poppell is the individual who retrieved Baldwin’s shoulder holster from the church following the shooting. This holster contained a single live bullet.

During the lunch break of the jury trial, First Judicial District Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer granted permission for prosecutors to present a segment of a phone conversation between Baldwin and his wife Hilaria Baldwin, which took place at the police station following the shooting of Hutchins. In this call, Baldwin expressed his invitation for her to join him in New Mexico, assuring her that they would enjoy themselves.

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 conscious of the fact that she was gravely wounded.

If the defense hadn’t devoted so much time to portraying him as distressed and agitated, according to Morrissey, it might not matter, but apparently, he was making preparations for a getaway instead.

The judge addressed Baldwin’s legal team, who raised objections multiple times, acknowledging, “Your arguments regarding Mr. Baldwin’s distress are indeed significant factors I must take into consideration.”

At the cross-examination under Spiro, Poppell refuted allegations of withholding evidence by declaring that she hadn’t included a box of bullets obtained from a good Samaritan following Gutierrez’s trial in the overall Rust-related evidence. Furthermore, she maintained that she never presented this evidence to the defense.

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 suggested this person aimed to implicate Seth Kenney, the weapons supplier for “Rust,” in bringing live ammunition to the film set.

During cross-examination, Poppell testified that she lacked proof that Kenney transported live ammunition to the scene, but she did possess evidence implicating Gutierrez in this regard.

Jason Bowles, attorney for Gutierrez, expressed surprise to NBC News that the bullets under investigation hadn’t been compared to other bullets discovered on the set of “Rust” to determine if they were a match.

“Bowles pointed out that they had concealed the ball until it was brought up during the court proceedings. To uncover the facts completely, one should pursue every potential clue.”

As an avid follower of this high-stakes trial, I can’t help but share my excitement as I recount the events of July 12. The jury had barely taken their seats that morning when Judge Sommer made a surprising announcement. In response to the defense’s motion, he ordered us all to leave the courtroom for the day. The allegation? The state was hiding crucial evidence. What unfolded next left me on the edge of my seat, eagerly awaiting the revelations that would surely come to light.

I testified in court that I received a package containing ammunition from my friend Troy Teske, who is a former Arizona police officer and was previously described as a “good Samaritan” but has since been identified as such, following the conviction of Gutierrez for involuntary manslaughter in March, regarding the incident involving Hutchins’ death.

As a dedicated admirer of Poppell’s investigation methods, I couldn’t help but ponder over a question that had been lingering in my mind. Previously during our conversation, I had inquired, why hadn’t she included the box containing the Rust case evidence with the rest of it?

This morning, prior to the jury’s entrance, Poppell repeated his denial of deliberate concealment. 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 argues that both Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and the state kept me, Baldwin, in the dark about the existence of evidence indicating that the live round was from Seth Kenney.

During the recess after lunch, the prosecution summoned Kenneth, the proprietor of PDQ Props, who had been engaged to equip the “Rust” film set with authentic prop firearms and blank ammunition, for a closed-door hearing on the defense’s motion.

According to Kenney’s testimony, after providing over a thousand sets with decoy bullets, there was no doubt in his mind that he could have used real ammunition instead.

Morrissey called the defense’s attempt to blame Kenney “a wild goose chase.”

I happily consented to testify and clarify my involvement, or rather the absence of it, regarding the missing box of ammunition from Teske’s delivery that wasn’t part of the evidence presented in the Rust case.

She testified that Gutierrez’s attorney Jason Bowles was aware that Teske wanted to give him the ammunition in question and that, once Bowles showed her a photo of the rounds in question, to her they looked “dissimilar” to the live rounds found on the Rust set.

Morrissey shared that Bowles communicated to Teske that he wouldn’t be required as a witness in the case. Furthermore, Teske was informed by then-Detective (now Corporal) Hancock at the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office that the evidence, including the rounds, would be stored upon their submission.

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 would have been the ideal proof I could have wished for.

In simpler terms, Judge Sommer permanently threw out the case against Baldwin, forbiding it from being brought up again.

The judge concurred with the defense’s argument that the state failed to share crucial evidence. Consequently, the judge ruled that the appropriate resolution was to dismiss the case.

Baldwin and Hilaria both choked up instantly as they realized how the judge was going to render her decision. Every day of the trial was in attendance for them, alongside Baldwin’s brother Stephen.

2024-07-14 17:35

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