‘Rust’ Armorer to Remain in Jail Pending Appeal, New Trial Denied

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, former armorer on the set of the movie "Rust," walks out of First Judicial District Courthouse in Santa Fe, N.M., during her trial on Feb. 27, 2024. Luis Sanchez Saturno/AFP via Getty Images

“Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will remain in jail for her role in the 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

A Santa Fe, New Mexico judge denied Ms. Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney’s request for the defendant’s release during a remote hearing held on Google Meet. The judge also denied a request for a new trial.

Variety reported that during the hearing, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer emphasized, “keep in mind there was a death that the jury determined was caused by her.”

On March 6, Ms. Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter following a trial spanning two weeks.

Accusations from the prosecution asserted that she unintentionally introduced live ammunition onto the film set, a serious violation of safety procedures, and neglected to adequately inspect the bullets before inserting one into actor Alec Baldwin’s firearm. Mr. Baldwin also serves as the film’s producer.

Ms. Gutierrez-Reed entered pleas of not guilty for both charges against her. Mr. Baldwin, who was handling the firearm when it discharged, similarly pleaded not guilty to an involuntary manslaughter charge.

Additionally, the film’s director, Joel Souza, sustained injuries during the incident.

After the jury rendered its verdict, Ms. Gutierrez Reed was remanded into custody.

A week later, her legal team lodged a petition for her release, citing a ruling from the New Mexico Supreme Court in a separate case, State v. Taylor. In that instance, the court overturned a guilty judgment due to confusing jury instructions.

The opinion, written by Justice Michael Vigil, stated that “The confusion and misdirection stem from the use of a single and/or connector to separate and join no fewer than four distinct propositions for the jury’s consideration. The term and/or has proved singularly unsuited to formulating clear and effective jury instructions, to the degree that our trial courts would be well-served to avoid its use in jury instructions altogether.”

Ms. Gutierrez-Reed’s attorneys contended that the instructions provided in her case were equally perplexing and argued that the precedent set by the Taylor decision strongly indicated that her conviction could be overturned.

Nevertheless, prosecutors countered, asserting that the dissimilarities between the two cases were significant.

However, Judge Marlowe Sommer, who presides over Ms. Gutierrez-Reed’s case, determined that the two cases are distinguishable and will issue a written order on Monday.

The defense is expected to lodge an appeal on various additional grounds, citing alleged deficiencies in the jury instructions and the prosecution’s accidental divulgence of attorney-client text messages to a pivotal witness.

Ms. Gutierrez-Reed remains in the Santa Fe County Adult Detention Facility. Her charges carry a maximum prison sentence of 18 months, and her sentencing is scheduled for April 15.

The revolver that actor Alec Baldwin was holding and fired, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding the film’s director, Joel Souza, is displayed during the trial against Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, in Santa Fe, N.M., on Feb. 22, 2024. Eddie Moore/Pool/The Albuquerque Journal via AP

Baldwin to Face Trial

Meanwhile, Mr. Baldwin’s trial for involuntary manslaughter is set to begin in July.

Charges against Mr. Baldwin had been dismissed last year following the emergence of evidence hinting at potential modifications to the hammer and the gun’s capability to discharge without trigger activation. But this changed after prosecutors convened a grand jury to pursue fresh charges against him after an independent examination of the single-action revolver corroborated earlier FBI conclusions, affirming that it could not discharge without a trigger pull.

The Epoch Times contacted the Santa Fe District Attorney’s office for comment but did not receive a response by press time.