Investigation into Alec Baldwin taking pictures on “Rust” set strikes ahead as FBI completes forensic report

It has been practically 10 months since actor Alec Baldwin’s prop gun was discharged on a New Mexico movie set, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. Now, the FBI has accomplished its forensics investigation, and handed the case over to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.

On Aug. 2, sheriff’s detectives obtained the FBI’s accomplished forensic experiences on the taking pictures, which occurred on the set of the film “Rust” close to Santa Fe on Oct. 21, 2021. 

Those FBI experiences have been instantly forwarded to the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI), which had suggested sheriff’s workplace in order that they too might finalize their investigation, based on a information launch from the sheriff’s workplace. 

The sheriff’s workplace obtained the official OMI experiences on Wednesday.

Detectives from the Suffolk County Police Department in New York, the place Baldwin has a house, are additionally aiding within the investigation, and are working to acquire, course of and disclose Baldwin’s cellphone information, the sheriff’s workplace stated. Those information are forthcoming.

“The district legal professional’s workplace has been working with Suffolk County PD, and Baldwin’s lawyer, to accumulate the cellphone information,” Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza stated in an announcement. “Once Suffolk County PD completes its company help and sends these information to New Mexico legislation enforcement, our detectives might want to then completely evaluate these cellphone information for evidentiary functions.”

Earlier this month, Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwie stated in an announcement that she was awaiting the finished investigation from the sheriff’s workplace, and as soon as she obtained it, her workplace would “start the screening course of and any vital follow-up investigation.”

“To date, my workplace has obtained parts of the Rust investigation from SFSO however continues to be awaiting the steadiness of supplemental experiences together with, however not restricted to, the next: FBI firearm and power mark analyses, forensic testing on the firearm itself, the forensic obtain from Suffolk County PD of Mr. Baldwin’s cellphone, and the pathology report from the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator,” Carmack-Altwie stated.

Carmack-Altwie stated as soon as she receives all vital experiences, she and her staff will make a charging choice.

On the afternoon of Oct. 21, 2021, a single reside spherical from a Pietta Colt .45 revolver fired by Baldwin struck and killed the 42-year-old Hutchins and wounded the 48-year-old Souza.  

The 63-year-old Baldwin was inside a church constructing, sitting on a wood pew, rehearsing unholstering his prop gun and pointing it on the digicam when he fired it, according to a previous search warrant filed by sheriff’s investigators. Hutchins was hit within the chest and Souza within the shoulder.  

Baldwin has known as the incident a “tragic accident.” In an emotional interview in December 2021, Baldwin instructed ABC News he had no concept there was a reside spherical within the gun. He stated he did not notice it had killed Hutchins and injured director Souza till hours after the taking pictures.

Bodycam footage launched in April by the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office reveals Baldwin holding the gun earlier than the incident, and Hutchins and Souza on the bottom surrounded by first responders after they have been shot. The video additionally reveals Baldwin telling two officers that he didn’t pull the set off. He is seen telling the officers he did not know who put a reside spherical within the weapon.