Will Alec Baldwin be charged in Halyna Hutchins ‘Rust’ shooting? DA concludes investigation into tragedy
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO: The investigation into the tragic 'Rust' shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was completed Thursday, Oct 27, by the Santa Fe Sheriff's Office. Alec Baldwin may soon be charged in the incident. Heather Brewer, the spokesperson for Santa Fe's top prosecutor's office, said in an email: "Today, District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies received the Santa Fe County Sheriff's investigative report on the Rust movie set incident."
The email added, “The District Attorney and her team of investigators and prosecutors will now begin a thorough review of the information and evidence to make a thoughtful, timely decision about whether to bring charges.” According to Brewer, the prosecutor will concentrate "on upholding the integrity of the process, enforcing the state of New Mexico's laws, and pursuing justice," reports NY Post.
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In New Mexico, there are no statutory time limits on how much time Carmack-Altwies has to file charges, aside from statutes of limitations, according to Brewer, who could not provide a time frame for when Carmack-Altwies will have her sentence ready. A spokesperson for the Santa Fe Sheriff's Office, Juan Rios, said the file was sent to Carmack-Altwies for "prosecutorial consideration" on Thursday, Oct 27, but he could not provide immediate public comment.
The investigation was nearly complete in August, but was put on hold when Baldwin failed to produce his phone records in a timely manner - and then turned them over to Long Island investigators, adding another layer of red tape to the process. On Aug 11, the sheriff's office said investigators from the Suffolk County Homicide and Computer Crimes Unit were "actively assisting" Santa Fe police and the district attorney's office in "obtaining, processing and disclosing" Baldwin's documents. "Those records are forthcoming," the sheriff's office stated at the time.
It will be up to Carmack-Altwies to decide whether to charge crew members in connection with the incident after this data is analyzed and the investigation is complete. The City's lead prosecutor has consistently stated that she wants the full investigative report from the Sheriff's Office before deciding whether or not to file charges.
In an Aug 30 letter to the New Mexico Finance Authority, she said she was prepared to prosecute up to four people, including "possibly" Baldwin, but was still waiting for the final information from the sheriff's office. On Oct 21 last year, Baldwin was practicing pulling a cross-cut on the set of the ill-fated Western 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. Baldwin has always denied pulling the trigger, claiming the gun was fired accidentally. However, a forensic medical report released in August (FBI) found that the revolver could only have been discharged if someone had pulled the trigger.