Sheriff releases Alec Baldwin 'Rust' shooting investigation files with crime scene photos, videos after actor claims he's exonerated
Still don't have the FBI forensics and Baldwin's cell phone analysis
UPDATES: The Sheriff’s spokesman Juan Rios sent out a press release — uploaded at the bottom in sources— with a dropbox link to get the files. I’m downloading and reading and updating this story as I get them. Keep checking back here…
Alec Baldwin claimed last week that he was exonerated for shooting and killing Halyna Hutchins. The Santa Fe Sheriff shut down the actor with a surprise public release of much of the evidence gathered. The Sheriff made clear the investigation is ongoing.
This is what is in the dropbox:
“Today the sheriff’s office is releasing all files associated with our ongoing investigation,” said Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza. “The files are all related to the Rust movie set investigation and include lapel/dash camera footage from deputies and detectives, incident reports, crime scene photos, examination reports, witness interviews, set video and staff photos collected throughout the course of this investigation.”
So far, I see the biggest news coming out of this new information is that Baldwin is seen on video with his finger on the trigger pointed in Hutchins’s direction, even though he said he did not. I wrote a new story just on the trigger issue from the sheriff’s movie video here:
The most upsetting 40-minute video shows Hutchins on the ground after she is shot. The paramedics are trying to get her stable to move to a stretcher. Then she is carried out and put in an ambulance. Just as they are putting Hutchins in the ambulance, the helicopter arrives to take her to the hospital. You don’t hear her speak.
While Hutchins is being treated inside, Baldwin is shown outside with the rest of the crew in his costume. He mostly has his head down and his face is not seen because of the cowboy hat. At one point, someone tells him that Hutchins is being moved out of the church and that is good news. He looks up and nods.
I am not sure if it’s right to upload the because of how terrible it is for the Hutchins family. But I can upload it if you tell me it’s not somewhere else and you want to see it. Let me know in the comments.
The photos you see here are screencaps of the horrifying scene.
The “Dep. Lujan ER video” inside the hospital with Joel Souza shows an officer asking about the chain of custody with the bullet inside him. Souza is conscious and answering questions before what appears to be surgery on him.
Later, a deputy sheriff goes into Souza’s room to talk to him before he’s released. Souza says he wants to talk to someone about pressing charges. The deputy says this case has been considered an accident.
Hannah Guiterrez Reed is interviewed by a deputy just about who she is and where she lives. “What’s your job there?” the sheriff’s deputy asks.
“I’m the armorer. Or at least I was,” replied Reed.
This video I uploaded below is marked from “Agent Vigil” and shows Baldwin right after shooting Hutchins. He’s still in costume. They tell him they need to take photos of him before changing clothes. He’s on the phone. This is quite a remarkable scene for a big movie star to be photographed for a crime.
But the sheriff said the investigation is ongoing because they don’t have all the evidence.
Read my story Alec Baldwin shooting investigation stalled by FBI forensics of gun and ammo for what we know. Also, Alec Baldwin turns over his cell phone to New York law enforcement on Jan. 14 and they still don’t have the data on it.
You can see blood on Bakdwin’s boot in this crime scene photo:
I’ve called or emailed Juan Rios about the FBI forensics report and Baldwin’s cell phone analysis for months. He never can answer those questions. Now we know why.
The press release today says:
According to Sheriff Mendoza, “various components of the investigation remain outstanding including, FBI firearm and ballistic forensics along with DNA and latent fingerprint analysis, Office of the New Mexico Medical Examiner findings report and the analysis of Mr. Alec Baldwin’s phone data extracted by Suffolk County Sheriff’s investigators.”
UPDATES 4/26:
I’m adding more information and evidence from the dropbox for paid subscribers only below this line. I hope you will consider supporting my independent journalism.