SANTA FE, N.M. –
A film weapons supervisor is going through as much as 18 months in jail for the deadly capturing of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western movie “Rust,” together with her sentencing scheduled for Monday in a New Mexico state courtroom.
Film armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted in March by a jury on a cost of involuntary manslaughter within the loss of life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and has been held for greater than a month at a county jail on the outskirts of Santa Fe.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer for “Rust,” was pointing a gun at Hutchins when the revolver went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.
Baldwin has pleaded not responsible to an involuntary manslaughter cost and says he pulled again the gun’s hammer, however not the set off, earlier than the gun went off. His trial is scheduled for July earlier than the identical decide, Mary Marlowe Sommer, who oversaw the path of Gutierrez-Reed.
Gutierrez-Reed might additionally obtain a US$5,000 nice.
Prosecutors blamed Gutierrez-Reed for unwittingly bringing dwell ammunition onto the set of “Rust” the place it was expressly prohibited and for failing to comply with primary gun security protocols. After a two-week trial, the jury deliberated for about three hours in reaching its verdict.
Defence attorneys for Gutierrez-Reed requested leniency in sentencing — together with a doable conditional discharge that will keep away from additional jail time and depart an adjudication of guilt off her report if sure situations are met.
Gutierrez-Reed was acquitted at trial of allegations she tampered with proof within the “Rust” investigation. She additionally has pleaded not responsible to a separate felony cost that she allegedly carried a gun right into a bar in Santa Fe the place firearms are prohibited.
Defence attorneys have highlighted Gutierrez-Reed’s comparatively younger age “and the devastating impact a felony may have on her life going ahead.”
They are saying the 26-year-old will endlessly be affected negatively by intense publicity related together with her prosecution in parallel with an A-list actor, and has suffered from anxiousness, concern and despair consequently.
Particular prosecutor Kari Morrissey urged the decide to impose the utmost jail sentence and designate Gutierrez-Reed as a “severe violent offender” to restrict her eligibility for a sentence discount later, describing the defendant’s behaviour on the set of “Rust” as exceptionally reckless. She mentioned Gutierrez-Reed has proven a scarcity of regret, citing feedback by Gutierrez-Reed in cellphone calls from jail which are monitored by authorities.
“Rust” assistant director and security co-ordinator Dave Halls final 12 months pleaded no contest to negligent dealing with of a firearm and accomplished a sentence of six months unsupervised probation. “Rust” props grasp Sarah Zachry, who shared some duties over firearms on the set of “Rust,” signed an settlement with prosecutors to keep away from prosecution in return together with her co-operation.
Written testimonials in favour of leniency included letters from Gutierrez-Reed’s childhood pal and romantic accomplice Sean Kridelbaugh, who mentioned Gutierrez-Reed cries continuously out of regret within the capturing and that additional incarceration would intervene with efforts to look after a relative with most cancers. Different pals and former colleagues urged the decide to emphasise rehabilitation over punishment within the sentencing.
The pending firearms cost in opposition to Gutierrez-Reed stems from an incident at a bar in downtown Santa Fe, days earlier than she was employed to work because the armourer on “Rust.” Prosecutors says investigations into the deadly capturing led to discovery of a selfie video wherein Gutierrez-Reed filmed herself carrying a firearm into the bar, whereas defence attorneys allege vindictive prosecution.
