Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is looking to overturn her involuntary manslaughter conviction in connection with the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, Us Weekly can confirm.
Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty on March 6 and sentenced to 18 months in prison the following month on April 15.
Her lawyers filed a motion to appeal the conviction on Monday, May 13, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
Gutierrez-Reed is also requesting to be released from prison pending the outcome of the appeal.
“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,” her lawyers argued in the motion, the publication reported.
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Gutierrez-Reed was responsible for the firearms on the New Mexico set of the Western movie Rust when Hutchins was fatally injured in 2021. The 42-year-old cinematographer was struck by a live round of ammunition discharged from a gun held by actor Alec Baldwin during rehearsals. Director Joel Souza was also injured.
Before her sentence was read out in April, Gutierrez-Reed told the trial judge: “My heart aches for the Hutchins family and friends. Halyna has been and always will be an inspiration to me. 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. 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,” she added.
Following Gutierrez-Reed’s conviction in March, attorneys for Hutchins’ family said her relatives were “satisfied” with the outcome of the trial.
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“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,” said attorneys Gloria Allred and John Carpenter.
“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,” the statement continued.
Baldwin is set to stand trial on manslaughter charges in July. He has pleaded not guilty.
