'Rust' Prosecutors Say Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed Was Hungover on Set

By Stephen Andrew

Prosecutors in the manslaughter case against Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed have made some very shocking claims, saying that they believe Gutierrez-Reed was hungover while working on the film's set the day cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot. The New York Post reports that Gutierrez-Reed's lawyers filed a motion for the court to dismiss the involuntary manslaughter charge she is facing in Hutchins's death. In October 2021, Hutchins was killed after a prop gun that actor Alec Baldwin was holding discharged. The gun was initially not believed to be loaded with live rounds.

In response to the motion filed by Gutierrez-Reed's attorneys, the prosecution stated that they have witness testimony that indicates that the armorer had been drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana during the evenings after working on the Rust set. They allege that it is possible she was hungover the day a live bullet was loaded into the gun that killed Hutchins, and that it's most plausible Gutierrez-Reed was the one to have handled the weapon. For this reason, they do not believe the charges should be dropped.

The new case update comes nearly two months after it was revealed that special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis — who were appointed to Baldwin's case by New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies — confirmed that involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin would be dropped. The pair noted that "new facts" have surfaced which impacted their decision regarding the charges that Baldwin was facing. "Consequently, we cannot proceed under the current time constraints and on the facts and evidence turned over by law enforcement in its existing form. We therefore will be dismissing the involuntary manslaughter charges against Mr. Baldwin to conduct further investigation," the prosecutors said in a statement.

However, they added that the new decision does not "absolve Mr. Baldwin of criminal culpability," which may indicate that charges could be refiled against the actor. It is also possible that he could face new charges at some point in the future. In response to the news, Baldwin's lawyers — Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro — stated that they "are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident."

Baldwin previously had a couple of big pre-trial wins in the case. In late February, prosecutors dropped the firearms enhancement charge that was filed against the actor. Had the firearms charges remained, he could have been facing up to five years behind bars. Notably, the firearms enhancement charge against Gutierrez-Reed was also dropped.

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