Alec Baldwin manslaughter trial dismissed by judge

A New Mexico judge dismissed involuntary manslaughter charges against Alec Baldwin after his lawyers alleged police hid evidence of the source of the live round that killed “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021.

Three days after Mr Baldwin’s trial began in New Mexico, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer ruled after hearing evidence on the defence request made earlier Friday.

The actor’s lawyers said the Santa Fe sheriff’s office took possession of live rounds as evidence in the case but failed to list them in the “Rust” investigation file or disclose their existence to defence lawyers.

They also alleged the rounds were evidence that the bullet that killed Ms Hutchins came from Seth Kenney, the movie’s prop supplier. Mr Kenney has denied supplying live ammunition to the production and has not been charged in the case. He had been expected to testify against Mr Baldwin.

The Colt .45 rounds at the centre of the dismissal were handed into the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office on 6 March by Troy Teske, a friend of Thell Reed, the stepfather of “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez, on the same day Ms Gutierrez was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for Ms Hutchins’ death.

A Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office technician, Marissa Poppel, testified before the judge that the rounds were not hidden from Mr Baldwin, and she was told to file them and details on how they were obtained under a different case number to the “Rust” case. She disputed Mr Spiro’s assertion the Colt .45 ammunition matched the round that killed Mr Hutchins.

Prosecutor Kari Morrissey had questioned the allegation the evidence was concealed from Mr Baldwin.

“If you buried it how did the defence attorneys know to cross examine you about it yesterday?” asked Ms Morrissey.

Prosecutors accused Ms Gutierrez of bringing the live rounds onto the set, an allegation she denied.

Prosecutors allege Mr Baldwin played a role in the death of Ms Hutchins because he handled the gun irresponsibly. His lawyers say Mr Baldwin was failed by Ms Gutierrez and others responsible for safety on the set, and that law enforcement agents were more interested in prosecuting their client than finding the source of a live round that killed Ms Hutchins.