Alec Baldwin's manslaughter trial begins: lingering questions over 'Rust' set death

In the aftermath of Halyna Hutchins' shocking death, a series of lawsuits ensued which targeted the producers, prop master and notably Alec Baldwin himself, who had fired a live round from a revolver at the crew behind the camera, leading to minor injuries for the director. Despite the charges against Baldwin being dismissed in April 2023, legal proceedings related to the incident still continue. As recently stated, a New Mexico jury on 19 January accused the famed actor of involuntary manslaughter.

Baldwin issued a statement before the court on 31 January. From the statement, it emerged that the actor does not consider himself culpable in the death of his colleague on set. According to Baldwin, he did not engage the trigger and asserts that the weapon discharged spontaneously, without any third-party involvement. However, this account contradicts findings shared by the prosecutors in the summer, which suggest that it is only possible for the firearm to discharge by the manual operation of the trigger.

The resolution of this question of culpability falls to the court. A trial is expected to commence in mid-2023. It's currently known that Baldwin could face a potential 18-month prison sentence and be required to pay a fine of £3,700.

The film's prop master, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, was set to appear before the court in February. She stands accused not only of causing accidental death, but also evidence tampering. It is believed that she may have been the one to load real ammunition into Baldwin's gun, although it remains unclear how these rounds found their way onto the film set. Typically, blank rounds are utilised for such purposes in film production.