SANTA FE.- A bala The real thing was found in the ammunition belt of another actor Rust in investigations into the fatal shooting on the set of the film, a forensic expert said today – July 11 – during the second day of the judgment against Alec Baldwin for involuntary manslaughter.
Baldwin was brandishing a .45-caliber Colt revolver during a tragic October 2021 rehearsal in New Mexico when the gun discharged a bullet that killed the western film’s cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, and wounded the director.
Authentic bullet
Live ammunition is not allowed on the set, but investigators found real ammunition in the prop cart, the box of bullets and two cartridge belts belonging to Baldwin and another actor in the film, said Marissa Poppell, the criminal investigator who examined the crime scene.
“Mr. (Jensen) Ackles, another actor on the set, happened to have a live bullet in his holster while he was acting, correct?” Baldwin’s attorney, Alex Spiro, asked.
“S”, respondi Poppell.
“You have no reason to believe that Mr. Ackles knew it was there, correct?” Spiro asked, to which Poppell replied, “Correct.”
Poppell also confirmed that a live bullet was found in Baldwin’s cartridge belt, as he played an outlaw in the low-budget film.
Baldwin arrived at the Santa Fe courthouse for the second day of his highly publicized trial wearing a dark suit and horn-rimmed glasses. His wife, Hilaria, and his younger brother, Stephen, followed the proceedings inside the courtroom.
Baldwin’s Defense
The Hollywood star’s defense focused its efforts in the Santa Fe courtroom on raising doubts about how thorough the expert work was at Bonanza Creek Ranch, where the film was being shot when tragedy struck.
Hutchins, a rising star, was 42 when she died on October 21, 2021. Of Ukrainian origin, she was married and had one son.
Baldwin has repeatedly said he did not pull the trigger. But an FBI report, which tested the Colt .45 revolver, contradicts that account.
The prosecution, which characterized Baldwin as a powerful movie star who behaved irresponsibly and without due regard for the safety of others, said it would bring in the gun’s manufacturer, Alessandro Pietta, to support its case.
Spiro, a prestigious lawyer whose clients include Elon Musk and Jay-Z, maintains that Baldwin is innocent and that as an actor it was not his responsibility to check the contents of a gun during a performance on the set.
During opening statements Wednesday, Spiro also appeared to backtrack on Baldwin’s initial statement regarding the trigger.
“In a study, you have the right to pull the trigger… that doesn’t make him guilty of murder,” he said.
If found responsible, the actor 30 Rock faces up to 18 months in prison, a sentence currently being served by the film’s gunsmith, Hannah Gutierrez, after being sentenced in the case in April.
The trial is scheduled to end on July 19, after which the jury will begin deliberations.
FUENTE: AFP
