Baldwin was officially charged with involuntary manslaughter of Galina Hutchins – news on UNN

2023-04-22 19:32:00

KYIV. April 22. UNN. On Friday, the prosecutor’s office officially dropped Alec Baldwin from involuntary manslaughter charges due to a fatal shooting on the set, reports UNN with reference to AFP.

Details

A New Mexico court statement said the case against Baldwin was “dismissed without prejudice,” but that the investigation into the death of cinematographer Galina Hutchins while filming the 2021 western Rust in New Mexico remains “active and ongoing.”

Baldwin was holding a Colt .45 pistol during rehearsals when he fired, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

The court document states that “new facts have come to light requiring further investigation and forensic examination which cannot be completed” just in time for a preliminary hearing scheduled for May.

The Los Angeles Times, citing three anonymous sources, reported that prosecutors had received information that the weapon had been modified to make it more likely to misfire.

The criminal case against Hannah Gutierrez-Reid, the young gunsmith responsible for the guns on the film’s set, is ongoing.

Before

Filming on “Rust” resumed this week at a new location in Montana, producers announced Friday, with Baldwin and Sousa returning to finish the film.

Principal photography is planned to be completed by the end of May.

The criminal case against Baldwin has hit numerous legal potholes over the past few months.

Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reid were initially charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

But the so-called “firearms enhancement,” which would have increased their prison terms if they had been convicted, was revoked soon after because of a technical error by prosecutors.

Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Oltwiss and previous special prosecutor Andrea Reeb recused themselves from overseeing the case against Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reid.

In a statement Thursday, the new special prosecutors said the decision to drop the charges “does not absolve Baldwin of criminal culpability, and charges may be filed again.”