Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, an armorer on the set of the upcoming film Rust, has appealed her manslaughter conviction.
According to court docs obtained by TMZ, on Monday, Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyers filed to appeal her involuntary manslaughter conviction.
Back in 2021, during the filming of Rust, armorer Gutierrez-Reed provided actor Alec Baldwin with a gun that contained live ammunition. Baldwin was told it was a cold gun, and he ended up fatally injuring cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during rehearsal. The incident also injured director Joel Souza.
Due to her negligence as Rust armorer, Gutierrez-Reed received 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine for involuntary manslaughter. Before she was sentenced, however, Gutierrez-Reed provided a statement to the trial judge.
“My heart aches for the Hutchins family and friends. Halyna has been and always will be an inspiration to me,” she said. “I understand she was taken too soon and I pray that you all find peace.”
“My heart goes out to the film industry for the devastating pain that this tragedy caused,” she continued. “When I took on Rust, I was young and I was naive, but I took my job as seriously as I knew how to do. Despite not having proper time, resources, and staffing, when things got tough, I just did my best to handle it.”
Halyna Hutchins’ Family Responds to Manslaughter Conviction
After Gutierrez-Reed received her 18-month prison sentence, the Hutchins family’s attorneys Gloria Allred and John Carpenter provided a statement.
“Halyna’s parents and her sister have always wanted everyone who is responsible for Halyna’s death to be held accountable. Today was the first trial and conviction in the criminal justice process,” they said.
“We are satisfied that the jury, based on the evidence, found Hannah Gutierrez-Reed guilty beyond a reasonable doubt for her part in the taking of Halyna’s life.”
“We look forward to the justice system continuing to make sure that everyone else who is responsible for Halyna’s death is required to face the legal consequences for their actions.”
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed Appeals Manslaughter Conviction
After receiving her involuntary manslaughter sentence in April, Gutierrez-Reed is now appealing the conviction. On May 13, her lawyers filed a motion to appeal, as well as requested an early release from prison.
According to court documents, Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyers made the following statement:
“Ms. Gutierrez-Reed is requesting to be released while she appeals, as if her appeal is successful, she will have served most or all of her sentence anyway, rendering a large part of the appeal meaningless.”
Baldwin will also stand trial on involuntary manslaughter charges in July, for which he is pleading not guilty.