Lead detective to testify; convicted armorer may appear in Alec Baldwin ‘Rust’ trial

SANTA FE, N.M. — The involuntary manslaughter trial of Alec Baldwin regarding the tragic shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust” continues, with the lead detective expected to testify extensively. On Friday, prosecutors aim to depict Baldwin as reckless with a gun, while the defense portrays him as an actor merely following instructions.

Cpl. Alexandria Hancock from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, though she became the chief investigator two weeks after the October 2021 incident, initially interviewed Baldwin, “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, and assistant director David Halls, all criminally charged.

Hancock briefly testified on Thursday, with prosecutors continuing their examination on Friday. The defense is anticipated to conduct a thorough cross-examination, challenging the investigation as biased against Baldwin.

Earlier, Italian gunmaker Alessandro Pietta testified about the manufacturing quality of the gun involved in the shooting. The gun, shipped in 2017 and last examined in 2018, was acquired by a supplier in Albuquerque and eventually handled by Baldwin. The defense raised concerns that the gun might have been modified or might discharge without a trigger pull.

Baldwin asserts the gun fired accidentally when he pulled back the hammer, not the trigger, unaware it was loaded with a live round. Pietta and a sales distributor stated that the revolver was in good working order and unmodified. Pietta confirmed that the hammer drops only with a trigger pull, though he added that standard practice is to load only five rounds to avoid resting the firing pin on a live round. Experts agree the gun could discharge if pressure is applied to the hammer while on a live round.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer will consider striking testimony about a man who brought ammunition to the sheriff’s department, claiming it matched the fatal bullet. This came up during the defense’s questioning of crime scene technician Marissa Poppell, suggesting the investigation was too lenient on the film’s firearms supplier, Seth Kenney.

Poppell confirmed the man brought the ammunition to the sheriff’s department and that she wrote a report, denying any suppression of this evidence. However, prosecutor Kari Morrissey argued the man’s claims were dubious, establishing the ammunition came from Troy Teske, a friend of Gutierrez-Reed’s father, and was not the same size as the live rounds found on set.

Morrissey defended Kenney’s role, asking Hancock if any evidence indicated Kenney supplied live rounds to the set. Hancock responded negatively. Kenney has not been charged, and his attorney did not respond to a request for comment.

Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney mentioned that prosecutors might call her to testify, to which she intends to assert her Fifth Amendment rights due to her pending appeal. The judge previously denied prosecutors’ request to grant her immunity for her testimony. Gutierrez-Reed is currently serving an 18-month sentence, matching the potential sentence Baldwin faces if convicted.

Source: The Associated Press