Three months after Alec Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the Rust shooting that led to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, the actor is off the hook. Prosecutors have dropped the charges against Alec, and now, legal experts are weighing in on why this happened.
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On Thursday, prosecutors announced they are dropping the charges against Alec.
New Mexico special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis said in a statement to CNN that the charges against Alec have been dismissed due to "new facts" in the case.
"We therefore will be dismissing the involuntary manslaughter charges against Mr. Baldwin to conduct further investigation. This decision does not absolve Mr. Baldwin of criminal culpability and charges may be refiled," the statement read.
Investigators reportedly discovered that the gun used in the shooting had been modified.
According to what a source close to the situation told CNN, investigators will be examining the gun to figure out whether the modifications affected the way the gun functioned.
The armorer on set, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, also has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, though her charges still stand.
"We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident," said Alec's attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro.
A legal expert believes this will keep Alec from being in any criminal jeopardy.
Speaking with CNN, Areva Martin said that although, in theory, prosecutors could choose to charge Alec again, in all likelihood, he's free and clear. She believes that a new prosecutor joining the case may have meant it was being looked at in a different way, leading them to discover there wasn't enough evidence to justify the charges against Alec.
"We can't convince jurors beyond reasonable doubt — which is the standard in a criminal trial — that Alec Baldwin is guilty of involuntary manslaughter," she said. "I can think of no other reason that a prosecutor would drop a case."
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Alec has quietly responded to the news.
Alec took to Instagram Thursday night to post a photo of himself with his wife, Hilaria, that was taken earlier in their relationship.
"I owe everything I have to this woman," Alec wrote, adding in parentheses, "(and to you, Luke)" — a shoutout to his lawyer.
Hilaria seems to be feeling extra thankful as well.
For her part, she shared a photo of herself curled up in Alec's arms while he is sitting in a chair with a solemn expression on his face. She chose to caption her photo with only a red heart emoji.
We don't doubt that Alec and Hilaria are both sighing with relief right now. Hopefully, the continuing investigation on will help reveal what really went wrong to prevent a tragedy like this from ever happening again.
