‘Rust’ Armorer Guilty Of Involuntary Manslaughter In Fatal Shooting Of Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins; Defendant Not Guilty Of Evidence Tampering, Jury Says

A New Mexico jury has found Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on October 21, 2021. The jury decided the defendant is not guilty of evidence tampering

The panel of seven women and five men returned their verdict after just a couple hours of deliberation today following the two-week long trial of the indie Western crew member.

The stepdaughter of famed movie gun coach Thell Reed, the relatively inexperienced armor was charged with involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering. Gutierrez-Reed faced up to three years in state prison if found guilty.

Ever since she was initially charged back in January 2023, the prosecution have claimed the a wildly negligent Gutierrez-Reed was responsible for live rounds getting on the Rust set and in the gun that Alec Baldwin was holding.  In response, the defense has offered various theories over the last two years on how those fatal rounds got there, including sabotage.

“There’s reasonable doubt she had anything to do ultimately with Halyna Hutchins’ death,” main defense lawyer Jason Bowles said today in his closing argument before the jury, the special prosecutors and Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer.  Reiterating language from his opening statement on February 22 Bowles called his client “convenient scapegoat,” and added: “The buck stops with production .. as in any organization, it starts at the top.”

There’s reasonable doubt she had anything to do ultimately with Halyna Hutchins’ death,” main defense lawyer Jason Bowles said today in his closing argument before the jury, the special prosecutors and Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer.  Reiterating language from his opening statement on February 22 Bowles called his client “convenient scapegoat,” and added: “The buck stops with production .. as in any organization, it starts at the top.”

The prosecution took a very different perspective, as expected.

“She was negligent, she was careless, she was thoughtless” exclaimed Special Prosecutor Kerri Morrissey Wednesday in her closing statement. Proclaiming there’s “a mountain of circumstantial evidence” against the defendant, Morrissey added of the defense’s so-called “shotgun approach” strategy: “This is all smoke and mirrors and deflection, they don’t want the truth.”

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