‘Rust’ Prosecutor Faults ‘Astonishing’ Lack of Gun Safety as Defense Urges Acquittal
variety.comGene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Attorneys gave their closing arguments in the “Rust” trial in Santa Fe, N.M., on Wednesday, with the prosecution urging jurors to find Hannah Gutierrez Reed guilty of involuntary manslaughter and to hold her accountable for an “astonishing” lack of gun safety on the film set.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey argued that as the film’s armorer, Gutierrez Reed, was in charge of guns on set, and that it was her failure to tell the difference between dummies and live rounds that led to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. “This was a game of Russian roulette every time an actor had a gun with dummies,” Morrissey said.
Defense attorney Jason Bowles urged the jury to find her not guilty. He cited flaws in the Sheriff’s investigation that made it impossible to know for certain where the live rounds came from.
He also pointed to errors committed by the production, including actor Alec Baldwin and others, that contributed to Hutchins’ death, and argued that Gutierrez Reed is being scapegoated. “The whole management team has just thrown safety aside in favor of money, in favor of speed, in favor of profit,” Bowles said. “At the end, they had somebody they could all blame… Justice for Halyna does not mean injustice for Hannah.” Gutierrez Reed loaded Baldwin’s gun on the set at the Bonanza Creek Ranch on Oct.
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