New Mexico special prosecutors said on Tuesday they will present new evidence against Alec Baldwin to a grand jury in the case of the 2021 fatal shooting of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
“After extensive investigation over the past several months, additional facts have come to light that we believe show Mr. Baldwin has criminal culpability in the death of Halyna Hutchins and the shooting of Joel Souza,” said special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis.
The special prosecutors will present their case to a New Mexico grand jury in the coming weeks.
Baldwin has denied pulling the trigger on a Colt .45 he was holding during an on-set rehearsal at Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico, on October 21, 2021.
The gun discharged and hit Hutchins, who was rushed to hospital and died later that day.
In April, initial involuntary manslaughter charges filed against Baldwin in January were dropped after evidence emerged that the prop gun held by the actor and film’s producer may have been modified, which could have led to a discharge without the trigger being pulled.
A subsequent forensics investigation determined the actor could not have discharged the gun without pulling the trigger, which led to Tuesday’s announcement by the special prosecutors.
Baldwin’s lawyers Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro told reporters, “It is unfortunate that a terrible tragedy has been turned into this misguided prosecution. We will answer any charges in court.”
Rust armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter charges and is due to stand trial.
Under New Mexico law a conviction for involuntary manslaughter can result in a prison term of up to 18 months and a $5,000 fine.
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