Alec Baldwin and his legal team have filed a motion asking that the actor’s manslaughter case be dismissed because the state allegedly failed to turn over a batch of bullets to the defense.
According to Fox News, Baldwin’s attorney, Luke Nikas, accused the prosecution of concealing evidence that “would be favorable” to the actor.
Nikas asked for a dismissal on Friday, July 12, alleging the state withheld evidence that prop distributor Seth Kenney was the source of the live ammunition. Kenney, the owner of the prop firearms supplier for Rust, has previously denied any wrongdoing in the incident.
Per Fox News, crime scene technician Marissa Poppell testified during cross-examination on Thursday, July 11, that a “good samaritan” handed over live ammunition after the conclusion of Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed‘s trial to Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department.
The “good samaritan” was revealed to be Troy Teske, who is a family friend of Gutierrez Reed’s father. Baldwin’s attorneys argued this information was not given to the defense.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer sent the jury home for the weekend to allow for further exploration of the defense motion.
According to Fox News, special prosecutor Kari Morrissey described the defense’s move as “a wild goose chase.” When contacted by The Hollywood Reporter on Friday, Teske said, “This trial is going down a path that I can’t make any comments on it. I don’t want to interfere.”
In October 2021, a prop gun held by Baldwin fired a single round that injured Rust director Joel Souza and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins at the age of 42.
Baldwin has maintained his innocence in the aftermath of the incident, even though he was holding the weapon that killed Hutchins.
“The trigger wasn’t pulled. I didn’t pull the trigger. I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them. Never,” Baldwin told ABC News in a December 2021 interview. “I have no idea [how a bullet got in there]. Someone put a live bullet in a gun. A bullet that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property.”
Prosecutors later charged Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed with two counts each of involuntary manslaughter in January 2023. Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty and sentenced to 18 months in prison. Baldwin, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges before they were ultimately dropped in April 2023 of that year.
In January, Baldwin was indicted for the second time on charges of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of Hutchins.
When his trial began in Sante Fe, New Mexico on Tuesday, July 9, Alec received support from his family including wife Hilarie Baldwin and brother Stephen Baldwin.
