Alec Baldwin sent texts to Halyna Hutchins' husband Matt days after fatal shooting hinting at an 'act of sabotage'
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO: Alec Baldwin allegedly sent a series of messages to the widower of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was killed during the fatal shooting on the sets of 'Rust' in October 2021. Two days after the shooting Baldwin messaged Matt Hutchins, Halyna's husband suggesting an 'act of sabotage' might have been the motive of her death.
Baldwin was practicing pulling a cross-cut on the set of the 'Rust' when a replica Pietta Colt 45 discharged, injuring Hutchins, 42, and director Joel Souza, 49. Hutchins, a married mother of one, died shortly thereafter, but Souza survived. In the messages, Baldwin messaged Matt saying both he and Halyna "believed the gun was empty," according to the 551-page documents released by New Mexico Sheriff's office on Friday, November 18. By the following week, Baldwin messaged him about a potential "sabotage angle," reported Daily Mail.
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(Credit: Halyna Hutchins/Instagram)
"Important for you to keep in mind: The Santa Fe Sheriff's office may lack both the skill and the will to properly investigate the sabotage angle," Baldwin messaged. "I'm told their agenda is to write off as an accident and throw it to the civil courts. And yet, the more that is presented to me about certain anomalies on that day, the more open-minded I become. I dismiss the sabotage claim initially. But not know. I hope these NM have the sense to follow it through." When Matt questioned Baldwin who informed him about the "agenda," Baldwin states multiple attorneys told him.
Two days after the shooting, Baldwin messaged his assistant advising, "I have to delete my archive," adding, "There is no further details on the meaning of this message." Baldwin was "referring to his Twitter archive, which he has long considered deleting," according to his attorney, Luke Nikas of Quinn Emanuel. Baldwin's attorney, Luke Nikas, states Baldwin "fully cooperated with the investigation and turned over his phone with all records, including all records from the day of the incident, to the Suffolk County Police," reported ABC News.
(Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images for National Geographic)
Baldwin is among the four people who may face criminal charges for the death of the cinematographer. However, a state prosecutor is still to decide whether to press criminal charges. Baldwin has reportedly denied responsibility for Hutchins' death and said "live rounds should never have been allowed onto the set of the low-budget movie." Furthermore, the documents still offer no conclusion on how live ammunition got onto the movie set. Last week Baldwin filed a lawsuit against four people responsible for providing him with a gun that discharged.
(Voices of the West/Facebook)
The suit alleges Baldwin suing the film's armorer and props assistant, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed; assistant director David Halls; props master Sarah Zachry; and Seth Kenney, who supplied guns and ammunition to the film set, reported the source. Baldwin accuses Gutierrez-Reed of failing to verify that a Colt revolver he was using in rehearsal was safe which led to the tragic killing. The suit also states that Halls failed to check the weapon before he declared it safe and handed it to Baldwin and that Zachry failed to ensure that weapons used on the New Mexico set were safe. Nevertheless, all those names in the suit have denied any culpability.