‘Rust’ Armorer Denied Release & New Trial Over Supressed Evidence

Just days after a hearing on whether Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed should get a new trial or dismissal and be released from a New Mexico state prison over the fatal 2021 shooting of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, a judge has said no on all counts.

“Defendant has not established that there is a reasonable probability that, had the evidence been available to Defendant, the evidence would have produced a different verdict,” said Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer in a ruling posted this morning.

In April, Gutierrez-Reed was sentenced to 18 months in a New Mexico state prison after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for the live round that ended up on the seemingly chaotic Rust set. Her main lawyer Jason Bowles has made a number of efforts since the sentencing to appeal his client’s conviction or get her bail while the appeal proceeded. When Alec Baldwin‘s involuntary manslaughter case was tossed on out the fourth day of trial over suppressed evidence, it seems that a new avenue for Gutierrez-Reed had opened up.

Today’s dual rulings by Judge Sommer shut that down pretty firmly.

MORE