Tuesday marked the fourth day in the trial of former “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Although she was not present in the church when the gun held by Alec Baldwin went off, prosecutors alleged that her “unprofessional” and “sloppy” conduct on set contributed to the fatal shooting. Additionally, the rookie armorer has also been charged with tampering with evidence after prosecutors claimed that she got high on set the night before the shooting and even presented text evidence from the armorer’s phone suggesting such on Friday.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has pleaded not guilty to both charges but could face three years behind bars if convicted.
Medical Examiner Did Not Rule ‘Rust’ Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins’ Death A Homicide
MEGAOn Tuesday, the jury heard from dolly grip Ross Addiego, who gave an emotional testimony about Hutchins’ final moments. Addiego had actually been in the church when the gun went off and attended to director Joel Souza, who had been struck in the shoulder, while on-set medics attempted to stabilize Hutchins. Although she was transported to a trauma center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, she later passed away from her injuries. The defense team noted that Ross had filed a civil lawsuit against Alec Baldwin and other “Rust” producers and insinuated he was testifying in order to help his civil case. However, Addiego insisted he just wanted to see “justice” for the cinematographer.
On Wednesday, the court was given photographic evidence of the death of Halyna Hutchins. Her bloody body was shown to the jury, which clearly distressed Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. She closed her eyes and shook her head as the prosecution showed the photo. At one point, it looked like she was even fighting back tears as her lawyer rubbed her shoulder.
Halyna Hutchins’ Cause Of Death Was A ‘Gunshot Wound To The Chest’
MEGAThe first witness of the day, Dr. Heather Jarrell, was a chief medical investigator at the medical examiner’s office in Albuquerque. She told the jury that it is standard practice to take detailed photos of the body and pointed out a “gunshot entrance wound to the right armpit region.” The official cause of death was ruled a gunshot wound to the chest.
“It entered the right aspect of the chest, (went) into the right chest cavity, injured some blood vessels, broke one rib, went into the right lung, and exited the right chest cavity just adjacent to the vertebral column, through the spinal cord, through the soft tissue of the back,” Dr. Jarrell told the jury, noting that Hutchins suffered “significant blood loss” after a “lethal” injury to her right lung.
MEGAIn testimony transcribed by the Daily Mail, Dr. Jarrell explained how the bullet hit Joel Souza in the shoulder; however, he survived. Under questioning, Dr. Jarrell testified that she did not rule that Hutchins’ death was a homicide, which she described as a “volitional act caused by another to cause fear, harm, or death.”
“Looking at the material available to me through law enforcement reports it was apparent to me there was no obvious intent to cause death. It doesn’t mean there was not negligence,” she told the jury. Although she admitted that other medical examiners might have ruled the death a homicide, she felt that it was “’clear to me there was a belief on the set the firearm was not loaded with live ammunition.”
Forensic Experts Says The Trigger Had To Be Pressed For The Gun To Fire
PSBRAfter hearing from Steven Orr with the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and Byron French with the FBI Computer Forensics Lab, firearms expert Lucien Haag testified that the gun was in “proper working order” when it was brought to the FBI for analysis. Haag presented the firing mechanism to the jurors and testified that the gun could not have gone off unless Baldwin pulled the trigger.
Alec Baldwin has repeatedly claimed that he never pulled the trigger, although admitting that he had pulled the hammer back. Haag is the second witness to testify that the trigger had to have been pulled in order for the gun to go off. Bryce Ziegler, an agent with the FBI firearms unit, also testified that the trigger had to have been pressed after examining the gun used in the fatal shooting.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s trial is expected to run through March 8. Alec Baldwin’s trial begins in July 2024.
