SANTA FE, NM – Alec Baldwin expressed his gratitude to his supporters on Saturday, a day after a judge dismissed the involuntary manslaughter charge against him for the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film “Rust.” The 66-year-old actor shared his appreciation via Instagram, posting a photo of himself in court and acknowledging the overwhelming support he received.
“There are too many people who have supported me to thank just now,” Baldwin wrote. “To all of you, you will never know how much I appreciate your kindness toward my family.”
The dismissal came after Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer ruled that the prosecution had concealed evidence from Baldwin’s defense team. The judge’s decision, made with prejudice, ensures that the charge cannot be refiled against the actor. Baldwin was visibly emotional in court, cupping his face in his hands and weeping as the judge delivered the ruling.
“The state’s willful withholding of this information was intentional and deliberate,” Sommer stated. “If this conduct does not rise to the level of bad faith, it certainly comes so near to bad faith as to show signs of scorching prejudice. There is no way for the court to right this wrong.”
Prosecutor Kari Morrissey, speaking outside the courthouse, expressed her disappointment with the ruling. “I’m disappointed because I believe that the importance of the evidence was misconstrued by the defense attorneys, but I have to respect the court’s decision,” she said.
The trial, held in the First Judicial District Court, saw defense attorney Luke Nikas accusing the state of withholding evidence that pointed to prop distributor Seth Kenney as the source of the live ammunition. This revelation led to an 11th-hour hearing, during which Morrissey took the stand as a witness. She testified that she did not believe the evidence was exculpatory because it indicated the ammunition had never left Arizona before the fatal incident on the “Rust” set.
The defense argued that investigators and prosecutors had concealed critical evidence related to the source of the ammunition that killed Hutchins. Armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed was convicted of loading a live round into a revolver that Baldwin fired, resulting in Hutchins’ death and wounding director Joel Souza.
During the trial, it was revealed that a family friend of Gutierrez Reed’s father had delivered rounds to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, claiming they matched the bullet that killed Hutchins. However, this evidence was not properly inventoried under the “Rust” case, leading to further complications in the trial.