Alec Baldwin will not be called to testify against the gunsmith accused of fatally shooting cameraman Halyna Hutchins on the film set of Rust.
The prosecution filed its 13th amended witness list last week, which does not include Baldwin. Fox news reported.
The actor has been notably removed from all thirteen lists, despite other crew members, including assistant director Dave Halls and director Joel Souza, expected to take the stand at Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's trial next year.
Gutierrez-Reed faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence stemming from the fatal shooting of Hutchins during a rehearsal for the film set on October 21, 2021.
Baldwin was holding the gun at the time the shots were fired. He was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter, but the state dropped the charges after “new facts” came to light and further investigation was necessary.
Alec Baldwin will not be called to testify against the gunsmith accused of fatally shooting cameraman Halyna Hutchins on the Rust film set, it has emerged. Baldwin (pictured on the Rust set) was not on the prosecution's amended witness list filed on December 14
Master of Arms Hannah Gutierrez-Reed (pictured) is charged with involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence stemming from the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal for the film set on October 21, 2021
Baldwin held the gun during the shooting of cameraman Halyna Hutchins (photo). He was originally charged with involuntary manslaughter, but the state dropped the charges after “new facts” came to light and further investigation was necessary
Gutierrez-Reed will appear in court early next year in connection with the fatal shooting of Hutchins. The trial will take place from February 21 to March 6 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The first day starts with jury selection.
She has denied guilty of involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence.
An attorney for Gutierrez-Reed previously described the fatal shooting as a tragic accident and said the film's gunmaker committed no crime. Gutierrez-Reed is currently the only criminal suspect.
Prosecutors are said to be considering whether to renew charges against Baldwin after receiving a new analysis of the gun fired at Hutchins.
Special prosecutors dismissed an involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin in April after being told the gun may have been modified before the shooting and malfunctioned.
Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the gun fired, fatally wounding Hutchins and injuring Souza.
A final photo of Hutchins filming with Baldwin in the chapel where she was shot
Baldwin is pictured on the phone in the parking lot outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office shortly after the fatal shooting
In March, Rust assistant principal and safety coordinator David Halls pleaded no contest to a conviction for unsafe handling of a firearm and was given a six-month suspended sentence. He agreed to cooperate in the investigation into the shooting.
Defense attorneys said they plan to present evidence that Gutierrez-Reed asked Halls to recall her from rehearsal if Baldwin planned to use the gun. They say this didn't happen before Hutchins was shot.
As part of their preparation for trial, special prosecutors have also issued subpoenas for documents from producers of Rust and any audio and video recordings from a Los Angeles film production company that may show Baldwin on set or his comments about the film elsewhere.
Legal experts have said prosecutors could reuse documents or papers discovered in the case against Gutierrez-Reed if a grand jury were to indict Baldwin.
Prosecutors have said they will present evidence against Baldwin in the fatal set shooting to a grand jury, but it is unclear when that could happen. It is a secret trial without public access as prosecutors present evidence and witnesses may testify without cross-examination or immediate review by counsel.
Baldwin fired the prop gun (pictured), killing Hutchins and injuring another crew member on set
Filming of Rust resumed this year in Montana, under an agreement with the cinematographer's widower, Matthew Hutchins, that made him executive producer.
Meanwhile, in a separate case, Gutierrez-Reed waived her arraignment and pleaded not guilty to a charge of carrying a gun into a Santa Fe bar.
She was scheduled to appear in court on the charges earlier this month, but a state court spokesperson said Dec. 1 that her attorneys opted to forego her appearance.
The firearms charge against Gutierrez-Reed stems from an incident days before she was hired to work as a gunsmith at Rust. According to court records, a witness told authorities she had a gun with her when she walked into a bar in downtown Santa Fe.
