Alec Baldwin broke down in tears as a New Mexico judge dismissed the involuntary manslaughter case against him for a fatal shooting on the set of the film “Rust.” The trial collapsed three days into proceedings in Santa Fe, just miles from where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot with a revolver Baldwin was using during rehearsals.
This marks the second dismissal of the case against Baldwin since the October 2021 shooting, and he will not be tried again. Baldwin’s lawyers alleged that police and prosecutors withheld evidence—a batch of bullets—that could have been linked to the shooting.
A key element of the case has been the presence of live ammunition on the set. Baldwin’s legal team has questioned the investigation and highlighted mistakes made by authorities at the scene. Their motion to dismiss triggered a series of extraordinary events, including the resignation of one of the two special prosecutors and Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissing the jury to hear from multiple witnesses.
Baldwin’s lawyers argued that the bullets could be connected to Hutchins’ death but were filed under a different case number. Prosecutors contended that the ammunition was not related to the case and did not match bullets found on the “Rust” set. However, the judge ruled that this information should have been shared with Baldwin’s defense team.
“The state’s willful withholding of this information was intentional and deliberate,” Judge Marlowe Sommer stated from the bench. “There is no way for the court to right this wrong.”
As a result, the judge dismissed the case with prejudice, preventing prosecutors from re-filing the charge against Baldwin.
Alec Baldwin, widely recognized for his role on NBC’s sitcom “30 Rock” and his portrayal of Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live,” wept as the judge delivered a lengthy statement explaining the dismissal of the involuntary manslaughter case against him. His wife, Hilaria, covered her mouth in shock, and other family members cried and smiled in relief.
After the ruling, Baldwin hugged his lawyers and then embraced his wife, who was seated behind him. Together, they walked out hand-in-hand through a crowd of press into a black vehicle without answering any questions or making any comments.
The pivotal evidence emerged on Thursday when a crime-scene technician revealed that Troy Teske, a retired police officer, had handed over live ammunition potentially connected to the case. Teske is friends with the step-father of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armorer who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter earlier this year. Teske had been working with Seth Kenney, who assisted with props and ammunition on the film set.
