Alec Baldwin’s manslaughter case is over, as Rust prosecutor drops appeal

The manslaughter case against Alex Baldwin over the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the Rust set has now ended.

On October 21, 2021, Hutchins was killed by a bullet from Alec Baldwin’s gun on the New Mexico set of the western.

Baldwin was accused of involuntary manslaughter, and during the July 2024 trial, the prosecution aimed to show that the actor had been reckless and criminally negligent when firing the weapon.

The judge dismissed the case after three days, due to the prosecution’s failure to hand over a cache of bullets to the defense.

Manslaughter case ends, but civil case continues

Prosecutor Karri Morrissey then filed an appeal against the dismissal, claiming that the bullets weren’t key to the case. However, the state Attorney General’s office said it “did not intend to exhaustively pursue the appeal on behalf of the prosecution.”

In response, Morrissey announced the withdrawal of her appeal, and released the following statement (as per Variety): “This has always been about seeking justice for Halyna Hutchins. We regret that Mr. Baldwin will not be held accountable for the role he played in the death of Halyna Hutchins and as we withdraw the appeal, we do so with the hope that the outstanding lawsuits bring some measure of justice to the family of Halyna Hutchins.”

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Baldwin’s lawyers Alex Spiro and Luke Nikas released their own statement, saying: “Today’s decision to dismiss the appeal is the final vindication of what Alec Baldwin and his attorneys have said from the beginning – this was an unspeakable tragedy but Alec Baldwin committed no crime. The rule of law remains intact in New Mexico.”

According to Variety, Hutchins’ family were consulted in advance about the withdrawal of the appeal – which they opposed – and continue to pursue a civil case against Baldwin and the Rust producers in New Mexico.

The film’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed was previously found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for loading a live bullet into Baldwin’s gun, and is currently serving an 18-month sentence.

Rust premiered at the Camerimage festival in November 2024, though there’s no word on a release date yet.