Monday marked the eighth day within the trial in opposition to “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed in reference to the deadly capturing of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Actor Alec Baldwin, who had been holding the gun, isn’t anticipated to testify at this trial; nevertheless, his personal trial for involuntary manslaughter costs will probably be held in July 2024.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has been charged with each involuntary manslaughter and tampering with proof after prosecutors alleged that she handed off a bag of cocaine on the day Hutchins was killed, thus impeding the police investigation.
The rookie armorer has pleaded not responsible to each costs.
‘Rust’ Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s Father Accused Of Shifting Blame To Ammo Provider
On Friday, “Rust” script supervisor Mamie Mitchell was the final to testify. She had been current for 2 misfires that occurred on set and appeared irritated throughout cross-examination when she was requested to recall them a second time. “I used to be there. It nearly blew my ears out,” she informed the armorer’s protection workforce, as per The Impartial. She additionally seconded what director Joel Souza had testified to, reiterating that it was not within the script for Alec Baldwin to attract his gun and level it on the digital camera.
On Monday, the jury heard testimony from Stills Photographer Karen Kuehn, Crime Scene Investigator Marissa Poppell, who had beforehand testified, Key Kraft Providers Rebecca Smith, and Ammunition and Props Provider Seth Andrew Kenney. Kenney’s title had ceaselessly come up through the trial, as he was nearly charged in reference to the dying of “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins as effectively.
In testimony transcribed by Deadline, Kenney stated that he “began to sense that there have been efforts to redistribute blame or the reason for this accident” and accused Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s father of making an attempt to shift the blame to him, since he was the one who offered ammunition to the set.
Referencing 81-year-old veteran film guide Thell Reed, Kenney stated, “Figuring out Thell and having been buddies with him for just a few years at that time, I understand how a lot he loves his daughter.” He went on to say that Thell and her authorized workforce had been “primarily in the end making an attempt accountable the reside ammunition on the set of Rust … one way or the other got here by means of me.”
Bullets Discovered On Set Did Not Resemble These In Kenney’s Store
The police did conduct an investigation into Seth Kenney’s store in Albuquerque, New Mexico; nevertheless, the reside ammunition that they present in his store didn’t resemble the reside ammunition that had been positioned on the “Rust” set. Along with offering the set of the Western movie with dummy rounds, blanks, and different weapons, Kenney additionally equipped the Colt .45 firearm used within the deadly capturing.
The firearm, which had come from a “supplier” in California, was reportedly designed for the use on the “Rust” set. Kenney informed the jury that he gave the set a single field of fifty Colt .45 dummy rounds that had simply come off a prop truck in Texas, the place he had simply labored on Taylor Sheridan’s “1883” collection. Taylor says he handed over the ammunition to prop grasp Sarah Zachery on October 12, 2021.
The final textual content change that Kenney had with Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was on October 16, 2021. The self-described “expletive-filled” dialog was in relation to an “unintended discharge of a clean on the set of Rust.” Kenney described Gutierrez-Reed as “emotional” and felt that he was owed an apology.
One other textual content message that happened earlier than October 16 featured a dialog wherein Gutierrez-Reed stated, “You simply ship me out to do this stuff and don’t educate me / Disgrace on each of you.” Kenney later admitted that though he had “points” with the daughter of his outdated pal, he didn’t need to see her fired from the set of her second movie.
“It’s not that I wished her fired, she was doing a horrible job at props… I had combined emotions about it,” he informed the jury. “If I actually wished her fired, I might have gotten her fired.”
Different ‘Rust’ Crew Members Took The Stand On Monday
![Police in the US have released video footage from the set of the film Rust, including of the aftermath of the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by actor Alec Baldwin. Halyna Hutchins, 42, was shot by Mr Baldwin while he rehearsed with what he believed to be a safe gun. Footage, which has no audio, released shows Baldwin dressed as a cowboy rehearsing with a gun ahead of the deadly shooting. He can be seen in stills from that video posing with the gun, and with ammo / ammunition on his costume in a scene set in a church. A clapper board with Ms Hutchins' name on it can also be seen. It's not known if the gun he is holding is the one that fired the deadly bullets. The actor, who was also a producer on the film, previously said he did not pull the trigger and had no idea how a live bullet came to be on the set near Santa Fe in the US state of New Mexico. The Santa Fe County sheriff’s office released a trove of documents released to the investigation this week. 26 Apr 2022 Pictured: Alec Baldwin seen in stills from video footage of Rust rehearsals released by investigators in the US. Photo credit: Santa Fe County Sheriff/MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342 (Mega Agency TagID: MEGA851467_005.jpg) [Photo via Mega Agency]](https://theblast.prod.media.wordpress.mattersmedia.io/2023/01/Alec_Baldwin_Rust_Charges_2.jpg)
“Rust” nonetheless photographer Karen Kuehn was the primary witness to take the stand on Monday morning. She famous that “decrease tier reveals” had been all the time making an attempt to chop prices and didn’t really feel that “Rust” was any totally different. By way of the specifics of the incident, she offered a number of “I don’t recall” responses throughout her transient testimony.
Marissa Poppell, a Crime Scene technician for the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Division, returned to the stand Monday. Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyer, Jason Bowles, famous that the police search of Kenney’s store was carried out weeks after the capturing and identified that Kenney had loads of time to do away with the ammo or some other proof in that point to stop him from being charged in Halyna Hutchins’ dying.
Rebecca Smith, a self-described “set mother” who labored with key crafts companies, informed the jury that Hannah Gutierrez-Reed requested her to carry a bag of “powder” on the day that Hutchins was killed. Smith recognized herself as a “recovering addict” and stated that she believed that the powder was cocaine. Nonetheless, she stated that she tossed it right into a rubbish can within the resort hallway after she left Hannah’s room. Subsequently, the substance was not examined to confirm if it was, the truth is, cocaine. Nonetheless, she did say that she acquired a number of textual content messages from the armorer asking for her “stuff” again.
On Monday, Smith informed the jury that she had initially determined to not inform anybody in regards to the powder as a result of she didn’t need to be part of the “Rust” investigation. Nonetheless, in September 2023, she acquired a textual content message from particular prosecutor Kari Morrissey searching for extra details about the incident. The bag of “cocaine” later led to a cost of tampering with proof.
The prosecution is anticipated to current its closing witnesses on Monday and hand issues over to the protection. Choose Mary Marlow Sommer has expressed hope to see the case go to the jury by the top of the week. Alec Baldwin’s trial, which will probably be overseen by the identical choose, is scheduled to start on July 9, 2024.
