A dozen people were in a church that was on the set of a movie the day Alec Baldwin shot and killed cameraman Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza during a rehearsal for the Western film “Rust.”
Now, nearly three years later and after countless hearings and much legal wrangling, Baldwin is on trial for involuntary manslaughter. Some of those who inside the church on that fateful day in 2021, witnesses are expected to testify.
The witness list also includes numerous detectives, firearms experts and likely the film’s gunmaker, who has appealed her conviction for her role in the shooting.
Baldwin, the film’s star and co-producer, has claimed the gun went off accidentally after he followed instructions to point it at Hutchins, who was standing behind the camera. Unaware it was loaded with a live round, he said he pulled the hammer back — not the trigger — and it went off.
Prosecutors plan to introduce evidence that the gun trigger had to be pulled. They have said Baldwin shares responsibility for what happened that day.
Below is an overview of the main players in the criminal trial of an actor who has been a fixture in television and film productions for decades:
ALEC BALDWIN — Known for his roles in the early blockbuster “The Hunt for Red October,” Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” and the sitcom “30 Rock,” Baldwin’s career has spanned more than four decades and included other roles in which he carried a gun. Baldwin has been charged twice in Hutchins’ death. Prosecutors dismissed an earlier charge, but it was subsequently revived by a grand jury after receiving a new analysis of the revolver he had pointed at Hutchins. An indictment alleges that Baldwin caused Hutchins’ death — either through negligence or “total disregard or indifference” to safety. He has pleaded not guilty.
HANNAH GUTIERREZ-REED — The stepdaughter of famed gunslinger and gun consultant Thell Reed, Gutierrez-Reed was 24 at the time of the deadly rehearsal. “Rust” was her second feature film gunsmithing assignment. Her attorneys argued she had been made a scapegoat, pointing to safety concerns that went beyond their client. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison on a conviction for involuntary manslaughter, which she is attractiveIn the sentencing, Gutierrez-Reed said she did her best on set despite not having the “right time, resources and personnel.”
DAVID HALLS — With credits including “The Matrix Reloaded,” Halls has worked on dozens of films in his 30-year career. The assistant director and safety coordinator no defense was presented on a misdemeanor charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon and was given a suspended sentence of six months’ probation. After producers of “Rust” halted work on the film in 2021, it was revealed that Halls had been fired from a previous job after a gun went off on set, injuring a crew member.
JOEL SOUZA — Souza, a director and writer, wrote the screenplay for “Rust.” Though he’s worked on smaller projects over the years, he made his feature film debut in 2019 with “Crown Vic.” Baldwin was also a producer on that project and had said he was looking forward to working with Souza on the western. Souza was wounded by the same bullet that killed Hutchins. Souza previously testified He moved behind Hutchins to get a better look at the camera, but did not see the weapon that shot him.
ROSS ADDIEGO — He was hired by Rust Productions as a member of the frontline crew who built and operated systems to control the film’s camera. He was among those in the church the day Hutchins was killed. He and other crew members are suing the producers, claiming that their failure to follow industry safety rules caused them emotional distress.
ZAC SNEESBY — A sound engineer and boom operator, Sneesby has worked on numerous projects, with “Stranger Things” being one of his most recent works. He also mixed the sound for the Meow Wolf art collection in Santa Fe. He said in a recent pretrial deposition that he was standing very close to Baldwin when the actor shot Hutchins. He told prosecutors that he saw Baldwin pull the trigger.
LUCIEN HAAG — Haag, a firearms expert at an Arizona consulting firm, has been asked to testify in numerous criminal cases on topics including firearms identification and shooting reconstruction. Prosecutors have identified Haag and his son Michael as two of the nation’s leading experts on firearms forensics. The pair examined the weapon Baldwin used during the rehearsal.
KARI MORRISSEY — Morrissey is a seasoned attorney with experience in hundreds of cases. She was appointed special prosecutor in March 2023. She has practiced law in New Mexico for more than 20 years and graduated from the University of New Mexico Law School. Accused by Baldwin’s legal team of being overzealous, Morrissey did not back down during the many hearings leading up to the trial. Throughout her career, she has focused on criminal defense and civil rights cases.
ERLINDA JOHNSON — Johnson joined the team less than three months ago and had to learn quickly. Her specialty is criminal law and personal injury. She was brought in on a high-profile corruption case to defend former New Mexico Secretary of State Dianna Duran, who resigned in 2015 after it was revealed she had used campaign funds to fuel a gambling addiction. Johnson also previously worked as a federal prosecutor in drug enforcement and organized crime investigations after serving as an assistant district attorney in the Albuquerque area.
LUKE NIKAS — With a resume that boasts top spots on numerous legal MVP lists, Nikas is a Harvard Law School graduate and a partner in the New York office of one of the world’s largest law firms. When the charges against Baldwin were first announced, Nikas called it a miscarriage of justice and vowed that his team would fight the charges and win. He is best known for his work in the art world, where he has represented museums, galleries, auction houses and collectors. He has also recovered works by Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso and led the defense in a forgery case that shook the New York art world to its foundations.
ALEX SPIRO — A fellow Harvard graduate and partner with Nikas at Quinn, Emanual, Urquhart & Sullivan, Spiro works on white collar and government enforcement cases, as well as sports and entertainment litigation. He previously served as a Manhattan district attorney and had a hand in convicting two notorious murderers. His client list while in private practice included Elon MuskJay-Z and Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots.
MARY MARLOWE SOMMER — Her decades-long career includes work as a paralegal, attorney and hearing officer who has handled thousands of cases involving domestic violence and family law. In 2010, Marlowe Sommer was appointed to the First Judicial District Court by then-New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. At the time, Gutierrez-Reed’s conviction in Aprilthe judge told the defendant that anything less than the maximum sentence would not be appropriate, citing what she called recklessness. If Gutierrez-Reed’s trial is any indication, Marlowe Sommer will keep the attorneys on track and on schedule in what will be a high-profile trial.
