Alec Baldwin involuntary manslaughter case dismissed over withheld evidence

A New Mexico judge shockingly dismissed Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter case on Friday, after agreeing that prosecutors withheld crucial evidence.

Baldwin, who pleaded not guilty to the involuntary manslaughter charge, allegedly fired a gun on the set of the movie "Rust" in New Mexico that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021. Baldwin has maintained that he never pulled the trigger.

First Judicial District Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer agreed with Baldwin's defense attorneys, who claimed the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office possessed live rounds of ammunition that were considered evidence, but did not record them properly in the case file or reveal their existence to the defense.

“The sanction of dismissal is the only warranted remedy," Sommer said, according to NBC News.

The rounds were allegedly delivered to the sheriff's office in March, by former police officer Troy Teske, who was a friend of Thell Reed, the stepfather of “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.

Marissa Poppell, who works as a crime scene technician for the sheriff’s office, said the rounds were not withheld from the defense team, and denied that the Colt .45 ammunition matched what was used in Baldwin's prop gun.

Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey also denied that the ammunition delivered by Teske was related to the Baldwin case, and said the bullets were not the same size or composition as the live rounds taken from the "Rust" set.

The dismissal marks a major victory for Baldwin, who would have faced up to 18 months in prison if convicted.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.