“Rust” star Hannah Gutierrez-Reed faces new charges from prosecutors following the October 21, 2021 incident that led to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Actor Alec Baldwin was rehearsing a scene in a church in New Mexico when the gun went off, hitting Hutchins and director Joel Souza. Souza was hospitalized in the incident but recovered and returned to finish production on “Rust,” which wrapped in early May.
Although the “30 Rock” actress returned to finish her scene, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed did not, as the film no longer had a working weapon as it wrapped production. Although his initial trial was postponed until August, special prosecutors continue to seek new evidence against the shield, including drug charges.
‘Rusty’ Prosecutors Allege Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed Gave Someone Cocaine The Day Halyna Hutchins Was Killed
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In new court documents, the special prosecutor alleges that the shield delivered cocaine to other people the evening that Halyna Hutchins was killed. Last week, Gutierrez-Reed was charged with tampering with evidence for allegedly transferring drugs to another person. Prosecutors claimed that the action interfered with the investigation into Hutchins’ death.
Last week, it was revealed that the “Rust” shield was facing new charges for alleged drugs; however, it was not revealed what narcotics were allegedly in his possession. According to NBC News, the shield “handed over a bag of cocaine to another person.” It is not known how many drugs he allegedly had in his possession, or how much he transferred.
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In a motion filed Thursday, June 30, special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis claimed that they were able to find a confidential witness who would testify under oath that Gutierrez-Reed gave the drugs to someone after returning from his first interview with police.
“The circumstances of the transfer of evidence strongly support the charge that the defendant transferred the cocaine to avoid prosecution and prevent law enforcement from obtaining highly inculpatory evidence directly related to the defendant’s handling of the firearm and the circumstances of the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins,” prosecutors wrote in court filings.
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Special prosecutor “Rust” is seeking an order to protect the identity of the witness, who fears being “blacklisted” from the film industry if his identity is revealed. However, the defense attorney, Jason Bowles, strongly opposed the request.
“The State wants to publish lewd allegations about Ms. Gutierrez-Reed in a secret procedure, which is not authorized by rule or constitution,” Bowles wrote in an email. “If the government really believes these claims, why is it a secret?”
Although the special prosecutor acknowledged that the identity of the witness would most likely be revealed in time, they said that their source wanted to remain anonymous for as long as possible.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s Lawyer Jason Bowles Slams New Charges As ‘Retaliation and Revenge’
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Jason Bowles has been vocal in his defense of his client in the press and has slammed the new cocaine allegations against his client as “retaliation and a defense of the truth.” In a statement made to TMZ, Bowles said, “Something is rotten in Denmark. It is shocking that after 20 months of investigation, the special prosecutor is now bringing new charges against Ms. Gutierrez Reed, without any prior notice or any witness statements, lab reports, or evidence to support them.”
“This comes after the government let its lead investigator go, and the investigator raised serious concerns about the investigation in the emails,” he continued. “This smells of high heaven and is revenge and vengeance.”
Prosecutors previously alleged that Gutierrez-Reed had been “drinking heavily and smoking marijuana” on the set of “Rust.” “Witnesses in the current case will testify that Defendant Gutierrez was drinking heavily and smoking marijuana the night of the Rust shooting,” prosecutors wrote.
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“Defendant Gutierrez was likely intoxicated when he put live ammunition into a gun that he knew would be used at some point by an actor while filming a shooting scene with other actors and crew,” they added.
In response to the allegations, Bowles stated that the prosecution “didn’t get the facts right” and found it “very interesting” that the charges against Shields “are now coming up late” a year and a half after the investigation began.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will make her first court appearance on the new evidence tampering charge on July 19. He will appear virtually via Google Meets. A preliminary hearing is still scheduled for August 9 and will last a week.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
