Court Sentences “Rust” Armorer to 18 Months in Prison for Involuntary Manslaughter

‘‘Rust‘‘ armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter last month in the 2021 shooting death of Halyna Hutchins.

Though Alec Baldwin, 66, pulled the trigger, a jury found Gutierrez-Reed had erroneously loaded a live round into a revolver he was using on the Santa Fe, New Mexico, movie set.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer addressed Gutierrez-Reed’s phone calls from jail, citing comments she made to family and friends as evidence that she had failed to take accountability.

Gutierrez-Reed has been in custody since the Santa Fe jury found her guilty on March 6, following a multi-week trial.

Gutierrez-Reed made a statement before the court, saying her ‘‘heart aches‘‘ for Hutchins’ family, friends, and the film industry at large. In an emailed statement to USA TODAY Tuesday, Bowles said the movie armorer’s legal team will appeal her prison sentence ‘‘on multiple grounds.

ALSO READ: Prosecutors Say Alec Baldwin Lied About His Actions After Losing Control on “Rust” Set

Attorney Gloria Allred, who is representing Hutchins’ parents and sister, said in a statement that Gutierrez-Reed’s sentence is ‘‘appropriate‘‘ given the armorer’s ‘‘failure to express any remorse herself at the hearing‘‘ and ‘‘her attitude in many jailhouse calls.

‘‘The family just wanted justice for Halyna, and today the court handed down the maximum sentence possible under New Mexico law,‘‘ Allred said.

‘‘We now look forward to the trial of Alec Baldwin where a different jury will decide if Alec Baldwin is or is not guilty of involuntary manslaughter.”

Gutierrez-Reed got emotional during personal statements from Hutchins` friends and co-workers, including Joel Souza, the ‘‘Rust‘‘ director who was also injured during the shooting.

Hutchins’ father, Anatolii Androsovych, and sister, Svetlana Zemko, shared similar sentiments of grief in their statements, with Androsovych calling Hutchins’ death the ‘‘biggest bitter loss of my life.”

‘‘I do not wish for revenge but believe that each person responsible for the death of my Halyna needs to carry the punishment that is equal to their guilt,‘‘ Androsovych said.

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Gutierrez-Reed’s sentencing comes nearly a month after a judge denied her legal team’s request for a new trial as well as her release before sentencing to visit her father, who is battling leukemia.

In response to her request for a new trial, state prosecutor Kari Morrissey asked that she be sentenced to the maximum sentence of 18 months due to a lack of remorse, citing phone calls Gutierrez-Reed made from jail in which she said the jury was ‘‘idiots‘‘ and the judge was ‘‘paid off.”

He blamed Hutchins’ death on Baldwin’s reckless use of firearms and his efforts to rush and control filming as lead actor, writer, and producer on ‘‘Rust.”

Baldwin’s trial for his role in the shooting death of Hutchins begins July 10, after he was indicted in January of involuntary manslaughter.

ALSO READ: New Mexico Jury Finds “Rust” Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed Guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter

Baldwin’s lawyers urged a judge in March to dismiss the grand jury’s indictment against him, accusing prosecutors of ‘‘unfairly stacking the deck‘‘ against the actor and distracting from evidence and witnesses that would present his innocence.

State prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis filed the state’s response to the defense’s motion weeks after, slamming Baldwin’s team for allegedly sharing ‘‘predictably false (and) misleading‘‘ facts and engaging in ‘‘countless lies and manipulation.”

In their 316-page filing, prosecutors painted Baldwin as a demanding actor and producer of the project who flouted safety precautions, did not heed directions from his director, and changed his story about what happened during the shooting.

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