Night time earlier than ‘Rust’ taking pictures armorer smoked ‘to get excessive,’ texts present

By Andrew Hay

SANTA FE, N.M. (Reuters) – New Mexico prosecutors on Friday confirmed jurors within the trial of “Rust” weapons handler Hannah Gutierrez texts by which she mentioned she smoked to “get excessive” the night time earlier than the film’s cinematographer was fatally shot on set in October 2021.

In court docket filings, prosecutors have alleged Gutierrez’s use of marijuana, cocaine and alcohol on evenings after filming could have led to her impairment at work on Oct. 21, 2021 when she mistakenly loaded a dwell spherical right into a gun actor Alec Baldwin was rehearsing with. The texts proven Friday, the second day of testimony within the trial, didn’t specify a drug.

An skilled witness introduced by the prosecution who had analyzed texts from Gutierrez’s telephone testified Friday and confirmed texts by which she says at 7:48 pm on Oct. 20, 2021, “heading right down to get excessive out again.” Round half an hour later she texts “I am nonetheless smoking.”

Prosecutor Kari Morrissey instructed Reuters she didn’t intend to name an skilled witness on drug use as a result of no blood assessments had been carried out on Gutierrez after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot useless.

Gutierrez’s protection legal professionals have argued that prosecutors’ drug use allegations are speculative, with out proof and an try and infer character flaws and prejudice the jury towards her.

Hutchins died when the Italian-made Pietta copy Colt .45 revolver Baldwin was rehearsing with fired the dwell spherical, hitting the rising star cinematographer within the chest.

Authorized consultants say that ought to prosecutors persuade the jury Gutierrez was impaired on set, the place she was liable for firearms security, she may very well be convicted of a cost of involuntary manslaughter which carries as much as 18 months.

Gutierrez can be charged with proof tampering for allegedly handing a bag of cocaine to a fellow crew member after the taking pictures to be able to forestall police from discovering it.

Gutierrez has pleaded not responsible to each expenses.

(Reporting By Andrew Hay; modifying by Donna Bryson and Aurora Ellis)