Hours after Alec Baldwin’s lawyer revealed the gun that killed Halyna Hutchins in Rust shooting case no longer existed, the prosecutors denied his claims. The claims, made during a virtual hearing on Thursday, implied that the New Mexico government destroyed the weapon used on the set of Rust.
The D.A’s Statement Brings Alec Baldwin’s Alleged Rust Shooting Gun Destruction Into Question
The New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney has since responded to this claim in a statement to People. The spokesperson for the D.A.’s office, Heather Brewer, noted that the defendant’s statement possibly resulted from the misinterpretation of a previous statement. Heather shared:
“The gun Alec Baldwin used in the shooting that killed Halyna Hutchins has not been destroyed by the state. The gun is in evidence and is available for the defense to review.”
Going further, the statement described Alec Baldwin‘s lawyer Alex Spiro’s claims as unexpected. The prosecutors believed the idea that the Rust shooting gun had been destroyed stemmed from a firearm testing report the FBI made in July 2022, stating that “damage was done to internal components of the gun during the FBI’s functionality testing.” Heather concluded the statement by asserting that the gun still exists, and could serve as evidence.
Alec Wants His Day In Court After Previous Waivers
This follows Alec Baldwin’s court’s status update meeting on Thursday, which saw his lawyer appear on his behalf to discuss the October 2021 Rust shooting. During the hearing, which KOAT streamed, the legal representative said:
“I think I should tell the court that the firearm in this case, that’s a great subject of it, was destroyed by the state. So that’s obviously an issue.”
During the hearing, Alex also stated that Alec Baldwin, who did not attend the status update meeting, wanted his day in court. His demands come barely a month after the actor waived his right to appear in court for a hearing initially scheduled for Feb. 24, per court documents. At the time, the 64-year-old entered a not-guilty plea to involuntary manslaughter charges at the Santa Fe County First District court.
Deferring his court appearance, which would have marked his first since the manslaughter charges, caused the judge to cancel the hearing. Ultimately, millions of fans were denied the chance to watch Alec come to his own defense on the stands and reaffirm his plea in his own words.
