Digest

The criminal case against actor Alec Baldwin, stemming from the tragic shooting on the set of the film Rust, has come to a sudden close. The case focused on the handling of bullets from the start and ended for the same reason. Nearly three years ago, cinematographer Helena Hutchins was shot and killed on the New Mexico set of Rust. Authorities were consumed by one key question: How did live lethal rounds end up among the blanks and dummy rounds traditionally used in movie gunfire and then into the revolver Baldwin was handling? On Friday, new evidence presented by Baldwin's attorneys led to the judge ruling that prosecutors had improperly failed to share this evidence. This resulted in the dismissal of Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter trial. The evidence included ammunition turned over by a man who walked into the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office in March. The trial's abrupt end leaves uncertainty about whether Baldwin's defense would have clarified the origins of the live rounds or added more confusion, however the dismissal closed off a critical avenue for addressing this question. Special prosecutor Carrie Morrissey and other authorities are nearly certain about who brought the live rounds onto the set, even if they are unclear how they ended up in Baldwin's revolver. Meet to Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film's armorer who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in March and sentenced to 18 months in prison. Testimony last week from a crime scene technician revealed photos on Gutierrez-Reed's cell phone showing her with the box where the bullets came from. Additionally, Seth Kenny, who supplied the firearms and some of the blanks and dummy rounds for Rust, testified that Gutierrez-Reed had contacted him about using live ammunition with the prop guns on a different film shortly before Rust. Baldwin's lawyers argued that authorities had not thoroughly investigated Kenny and had an overly cozy relationship with him. They suggested this might have led to an oversight of his potential responsibility for the live rounds. However, the trial ended before this defense could be fully explored. Police and prosecutors maintain there is no evidence that Kenny was responsible. Kenny testified that he was certain he had not provided the live ammunition. Gutierrez-Reed is currently appealing her verdict and her lawyers plan to file a new motion to dismiss following the Baldwin ruling. In a separate case, Jasmine Pervers, 29, has been missing for over three years after witnessing a friend's murder. Weeks after the attack, she called her grandpa from her boyfriend's Jackson Mississippi home and asked to be picked up as soon as possible. While grandpa's on the way, she calls back several times within 15 minutes, pleading for him to hurry. When he gets there, she's gone. Her boyfriend says she got another ride and plans to call granddad later. But she never calls. Her phone goes straight to voicemail. She's last saying getting into a dark blue Chevy Tahoe driven by an African-American male. Jasmine, African-American, 5'4", 120 pounds, black hair, although typically her head is shaved, brown eyes with glasses. If you have info on Jasmine Pervers, call Heinz County Mississippi Sheriff's 601-974-2900.

Outlines

00:00:00

Crime Alert: Alec Baldwin Case Dismissed

This Chapter discusses the dismissal of the involuntary manslaughter trial against actor Alec Baldwin in the shooting on the set of the film Rust. The dismissal was due to prosecutors improperly failing to share evidence with the defense, including ammunition turned over by a man who walked into the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office in March. The trial's abrupt end leaves uncertainty about whether Baldwin's defense would have clarified the origins of the live rounds or added more confusion, however the dismissal closed off a critical avenue for addressing this question. Special prosecutor Carrie Morrissey and other authorities are nearly certain about who brought the live rounds onto the set, even if they are unclear how they ended up in Baldwin's revolver. The film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in March and sentenced to 18 months in prison. Testimony last week from a crime scene technician revealed photos on Gutierrez-Reed's cell phone showing her with the box where the bullets came from. Additionally, Seth Kenny, who supplied the firearms and some of the blanks and dummy rounds for Rust, testified that Gutierrez-Reed had contacted him about using live ammunition with the prop guns on a different film shortly before Rust. Baldwin's lawyers argued that authorities had not thoroughly investigated Kenny and had an overly cozy relationship with him. They suggested this might have led to an oversight of his potential responsibility for the live rounds. However, the trial ended before this defense could be fully explored. Police and prosecutors maintain there is no evidence that Kenny was responsible. Kenny testified that he was certain he had not provided the live ammunition. Gutierrez-Reed is currently appealing her verdict and her lawyers plan to file a new motion to dismiss following the Baldwin ruling.

00:03:41

Missing Person: Jasmine Pervers

This Chapter focuses on the ongoing search for Jasmine Pervers, who has been missing for over three years after witnessing a friend's murder. Weeks after the attack, she called her grandpa from her boyfriend's Jackson Mississippi home and asked to be picked up as soon as possible. While grandpa's on the way, she calls back several times within 15 minutes, pleading for him to hurry. When he gets there, she's gone. Her boyfriend says she got another ride and plans to call granddad later. But she never calls. Her phone goes straight to voicemail. She's last saying getting into a dark blue Chevy Tahoe driven by an African-American male. Jasmine, African-American, 5'4", 120 pounds, black hair, although typically her head is shaved, brown eyes with glasses. If you have info on Jasmine Pervers, call Heinz County Mississippi Sheriff's 601-974-2900.

Keywords

Q&A

• What led to the dismissal of the involuntary manslaughter trial against Alec Baldwin in the "Rust" shooting?

  The trial was dismissed due to prosecutors improperly failing to share evidence with the defense, including ammunition turned over by a man who walked into the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office in March. This evidence was crucial to the defense's case and its absence led to the judge's decision to dismiss the charges.

• Who is Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and what is her connection to the "Rust" shooting?

  Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was the armorer on the set of "Rust" and was responsible for handling the firearms, including the prop gun that was involved in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Helena Hutchins. She was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in March 2023 and sentenced to 18 months in prison. She is currently appealing her verdict.

• What are the details surrounding the disappearance of Jasmine Pervers?

  Jasmine Pervers, 29, has been missing for over three years after witnessing a friend's murder. She called her grandpa from her boyfriend's Jackson Mississippi home and asked to be picked up, but when he arrived, she was gone. Her boyfriend said she got another ride, but she never called her grandpa back. She was last seen getting into a dark blue Chevy Tahoe driven by an African-American male. The Heinz County Mississippi Sheriff's Department is investigating her disappearance and is asking for the public's help in finding her.

Show Notes