Widower of ‘Rust’ cinematographer killed by Alec Baldwin when he fired prop gun on set WILL testify against Alex Baldwin during his involuntary manslaughter trial
- Matthew Hutchins will likely testify in court against Alec Baldwin on February 24
- He supports the charges against the actor despite previously expressing ‘no interest in engaging in recriminations’
- The widower settled a lawsuit against Baldwin last year and became the executive producer of ‘Rust’ as apart of the agreement
Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins’ husband will likely testify in court after she was killed by a bullet in Alec Baldwin’s ‘prop’ gun.
Matthew Hutchins was added to the New Mexico District Attorney’s witness list to testify at the preliminary hearing on February 24 against Baldwin and Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, according to documents.
Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed were formally charged last month for involuntary manslaughter in connection to the death of Halyna on the low-budget Western’s New Mexico set in October 2021.
Prosecutors allege Baldwin pulled the trigger of the gun that killed Hutchins while Gutierrez-Reed failed to ensure it was unloaded.
The widower, who shared a nine-year-old son with Halyna, sued the Rust production team last year and was appointed executive director as a part of the settlement. He previously expressed ‘no interest in engaging in recriminations.’
Matthew Hutchins (left) was added to the New Mexico District Attorney’s witness list to testify at the preliminary hearing on February 24 against Alec Baldwin. Matthew is pictured above with Halyna and their now nine-year-old son
Baldwin was formally charged last month for involuntary murder in connection to the death of Halyna on the low-budget Western’s New Mexico set in October 2021
The extensive witness list includes director Joel Souza, who was wounded by the bullet that passed through Halyna, and assistant director David Halls.
Halls is accused of telling Baldwin the gun was ‘cold’ – safe – an accusation he has denied. He agreed a plea deal with prosecutors in January which included a six-month suspended sentence and a fine.
Prop worker Seth Kenney, camera assistant Lane Luper, line producer Gabrielle Pickle and script supervisor Maime Mitchell will also likely testify.
Mitchell was the first to call 911 after Hutchins was shot. The script supervisor was standing the closest to Hutchins when the bullet fired from Baldwin’s gun.
She previously filed her own lawsuit in 2021 against Baldwin and others on the western movie set. The suit claims assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and deliberate infliction of harm. It also states that the scene being shot did not require a gun to be fired.
Meanwhile, Baldwin and Guitierrez-Reed have denied the involuntary manslaughter charges with the armorer claiming she was ‘stretched too thin’ on the set of the low-budget film.
Prosecutors allege Baldwin pulled the trigger of the gun that killed Hutchins while on set
Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 25, (left) is also to be charged with involuntary manslaughter. Dave Halls, the Assistant Director, has pleaded guilty to the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon
Rust script supervisor Mamie Mitchell, the first person to call 911 after Halyna Hutchins was accidentally shot by Alec Baldwin on the film’s set last month, broke down in tears in 2021 as she announced she is filing a lawsuit against Baldwin and other producers of the low-budget Western movie. She will likely be a witness in court
Halyna Hutchins with her husband Matthew, a film producer, and their son Andros, who was eight-years-old when his mother was shot dead on the set of Rust in New Mexico
Despite settling the lawsuit last year and Matthew claiming he desired no further ‘recriminations,’ Halyna’s family said last month they support Alec Baldwin being charged with manslaughter.
The Hutchins family, including Matthew, welcomed the decision through their lawyer Brian J Panish who said: ‘It is a comfort to the family that, in New Mexico, no one is above the law.’
Panish added that Hutchins had been killed ‘with conscious disregard for human life’ and stated that an ‘independent investigation also supports charges are warranted.’
Matthew, who called Baldwin ‘supportive’ in the immediate aftermath of Halyna’s death, said after the settlement was reached: ‘I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin).’
He added: ‘All of us believe Halyna’s death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna’s final work.’
It is not clear why the Hutchins family now support charges against Baldwin.
If convicted, Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed face a maximum of 18 months in prison if convicted.
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