Halyna Hutchins' Parents and Sister 'Satisfied' with “Rust” Armorer's Guilty Verdict After Cinematographer's Death
'Rust' armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed faces up to 18 months in prison following her involuntary manslaughter conviction in Halyna Hutchins' 2021 death
Halyna Hutchins' family is speaking out after Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins' October 2021 death.
"Halyna’s parents and her sister have always wanted everyone who is responsible for Halyna’s death to be held accountable," a statement issued by Hutchins' family attorneys, Gloria Allred and John Carpenter, obtained by PEOPLE reads. "Today was the first trial and conviction in the criminal justice process. We are satisfied that the jury, based on the evidence, found Hannah Gutierrez-Reed guilty beyond a reasonable doubt for her part in the taking of Halyna’s life."
"We look forward to the justice system continuing to make sure that everyone else who is responsible for Halyna's death is required to face the legal consequences for their actions," the attorneys added.
A jury at the First Judicial District Courthouse in Santa Fe, New Mexico found Wednesday that Gutierrez-Reed, 26 was liable, in part, for the on-set fatal shooting of Hutchins, who died at 42 years old. Gutierrez-Reed was acquitted of a separate charge of tampering with evidence.
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Related: 'Rust' Armorer Speaks Out About Criminal Charges: 'We Intend to Bring the Full Truth to Light'
Gutierrez-Reed was the armorer hired for the indie Western film Rust, which Alec Baldwin starred in and produced. During a rehearsal on the set at Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe on Oct. 21, 2021, Baldwin, 65, held a prop gun that happened to be loaded with live rounds and discharged, shooting director Joel Souza and cinematographer Hutchins. Souza, 50, survived his injuries; Baldwin has maintained he did not pull the trigger.
In her closing argument on Wednesday, prosecutor Kari Morrissey said, "The astonishing lack of diligence with regard to gun safety is without question a significant cause of the death of Halyna Hutchins," per ABC News.
"This is not a case where Hannah Gutierrez made one mistake, and that one mistake was accidental -- putting a live round into that gun," Morrissey told jurors. "This case is about constant, neverending, safety failures that resulted in the death of a human being and nearly killed another."
Defense attorney Jason Bowles said during his closing argument that Gutierrez Reed was a "convenient fall person" and that detectives did not conduct a thorough investigation of the Oct. 2021 shooting. Bowles told PEOPLE following the verdict that the defense will appeal.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer ordered that Gutierrez-Reed be remanded into custody at the Santa Fe County Adult Detention Center following the guilty verdict. She faces up to 18 months in prison with the conviction. A sentencing date has not been set.
Baldwin was also charged with involuntary manslaughter in January 2023, but the criminal case against the actor was delayed when those charges were dropped three months later. He was indicted for a second time this past January. Baldwin's criminal trial is expected to begin Aug. 6, per New Mexico court documents obtained by PEOPLE. He has pled not guilty to the new charge.
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