Baldwin’s ‘Rust’ manslaughter case closed as prosecutor withdraws appeal

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The involuntary manslaughter criminal case against Alec Baldwin over the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust has been dropped.

On Monday, special prosecutor Kari Morrissey announced that she had withdrawn her appeal of an order that dismissed the case.

Her statement came after the New Mexico attorney general’s office said it “did not intend to exhaustively pursue the appeal on behalf of the prosecution”.

“The state’s efforts to continue to litigate the case in a fair and comprehensive manner have been met with multiple barriers that have compromised its ability to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law,” Morrissey’s statement said.

“This has always been about seeking justice for Halyna Hutchins. We regret that Baldwin will not be held accountable for the role he played in the death of Halyna Hutchins and as we withdraw the appeal, we do so with the hope that the outstanding lawsuits bring some measure of justice to the family of Halyna Hutchins.”

Baldwin’s lawyers, Alex Spiro and Luke Nikas, said in a statement that this was a “vindication”.

“Today’s decision to dismiss the appeal is the final vindication of what Alec Baldwin and his attorneys have said from the beginning — this was an unspeakable tragedy, but Alec Baldwin committed no crime,” they said. “The rule of law remains intact in New Mexico.”