'Rust' Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed Accused Of Transferring Narcotics By Prosecution

"Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has been accused of transferring narcotics the day that cinematographer Halyna Hutchinswas shot by actor Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western film on October 21, 2021.

The charges against the "30 Rock" actor in late April were dropped without prejudice pending further investigation, which means that the charges can be reinstated at any time. In court documents obtained by The Blast earlier this month, prosecutors will make a decision within sixty days as to whether or not Baldwin will be facing charges again.

However, charges were not dropped against "Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who is facing two counts of involuntary manslaughter. The prosecution is continuing to build their case against the rookie armorer, this time alleging that she transferred narcotics to someone on the day that Hutchins was shot and killed on set.

According to new court documents, "Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has been accused of transferring narcotics from her person on the day that Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed on the set of the Western film.

Gutierrez-Reed has reportedly been charged with tampering with evidence after prosecutors claims that she "did transfer narcotics to another person with the intent to prevent the apprehension, prosecution or conviction of herself" on the day that law enforcement officials arrived on set.

The court filing does not state what kind of narcotic that the armorer allegedly had in her possession, but the case against her is building by the day.

The documents were first obtained by TMZ.

Gutierrez-Reed's attorney, Jason Bowles, slammed the new allegations against the armorer in a statement to TMZ. "Something is rotten in Denmark. It is shocking that after 20 months of investigation, the special prosecutor now throws in a completely new charge against Ms. Gutierrez Reed, with no prior notice or any witness statements, lab reports, or evidence to support it," he said.

This comes on the heels of the state letting its lead investigator go, and the investigator raising serious concerns about the investigation in an email," he continued. "This stinks to high heaven and is retaliatory and vindictive."

This is only the latest court filing against the armorer. In another court filing earlier this month, prosecutors accused Gutierrez-Reed of drinking heavily and showing up to work hungover.

According to court documents obtained by The Blast earlier this month, Gutierrez-Reed's legal team slammed allegations that the armor was "drinking heavily and smoking marijuana" while she was supposed to be fulfilling her duties on set as both the armorer and the props master.

“Witnesses in the current case will testify that Defendant Gutierrez was drinking heavily and smoking marijuana in the evenings during the shooting of Rust,” the prosecutors wrote. “It is likely that Defendant Gutierrez was hungover when she inserted a live bullet into a gun that she knew was going to be used at some point by an actor while filming a shooting scene with other actors and crew members.”

In a response to the allegations, Bowles states that the prosecution "did not remotely get the facts right" and found it "very interesting" that the charges against the armorer "now belatedly surface" over a year after the investigation began.

“In fact, witnesses to date have all said Hannah was reliable, competent, and not hungover on the job,” he states, citing an interview with props assistant Nicole Montoya. Bowles wrote, “Baldwin said he trusted her. No witness has ever said that Ms. Gutierrez-Reed was hungover on the day of the shooting.”

Despite its troubled production, "Rust" was finally able to wrap filming in early May. Cinematographer Bianca Clineserved as the film's new cinematographer and donated her salary to charity, as per Rust Movie Productions. In addition, Cline is said to have had the "blessing and support" of Halyna Hutchins' husband, Matthew Hutchins, who is now serving as an executive producer on the film as part of his wrongful death lawsuit that was settled last October.

Most of the cast and crew returned to reprise their roles, although Hannah Gutierrez-Reed did not return, as the Western film was no longer using working weapons. Director Joel Souza, despite being hospitalized in the October 2021 shooting, did return to finish the film, which was based on a script that he wrote.

The synopsis for the film reads: "A 13-year-old boy left to fend for himself and his younger brother following their parents' deaths in 1880s Kansas goes on the run with his long-estranged grandfather after he's sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher."

No release date has yet to be announced at this time.