'Rust' Props Supplier Seth Kenney Speaks Out Following Alec Baldwin's Trial Dismissal

Even though Alec Baldwin is no longer facing criminal charges in connection with the fatal shooting of "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, the case continues to make headlines.

Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is currently serving 18 months behind bars after she was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in March. However, after Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the charges against Alec Baldwin based on buried evidence, the rookie armorer fought for a new trial. That will be determined at a hearing next month.

If Hannah Gutierrez-Reed does get a new trial, one person who is likely to testify is props supplier Seth Kenney, who was never criminally charged in the case.

Alec Baldwin’s “Rust” trial was dismissed with prejudice on the third day of his trial after a crime scene technician testified to evidence that had not been turned over to the defense. Retired Arizona police officer Troy Teske, a friend of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s father, veteran Hollywood armorer Thell Reed, went to the police to turn in ammunition that might have been a match to the bullet that killed Hutchins.

Baldwin’s attorney, Alex Spiro, argued that the bullets came from props supplier Seth Kenney, who had worked with Thell Reed on the Paramount+ Western “1883” and ran a “cowboy training camp.” The two had used live ammunition for shooting practice. Teske had gotten the bullet through Reed, who had stored some of the ammunition at his home. Kenney also had some of the rounds from the “cowboy training camp” and brought it back with him to his business: PDQ Arm and Prop in New Mexico.

While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Seth Kenney said that he suspected foul play and did not know why Teske waited so long to turn over the evidence to law enforcement.

Troy Teske had been recorded in November 2021 stating that he did not have any .45 Colt ammunition with nickel primers, a potential match to Rust,” he explained. “His years-late submission of ammunition to the sheriff’s office was only a small portion of the 100 rounds he previously was recorded as saying he had in his possession, but now in 2024, include three rounds that have nickel primers, and may match the Rust ammunition.”

Although law enforcement officials did execute a search of Seth Kenney’s warehouse, it was done four weeks after Hutchins’ death. Police did find the container that Kenney and Thell had used during live ammunition training on the set of “1883,” but at that time, it did not contain any Starline brass casings that matched the bullets found on set.

“Just days after the shooting death, Hannah and Thell Reed accessed the prop truck and removed a trove of potential evidence, including a dozen-plus gun belts, before the sheriff’s department gained and executed a search warrant,” Kenney told the publication. “Mr. Teske is a close friend to the Reed family. It is therefore no surprise that he may have come into possession of potentially matching Rust ammunition from the set.”

While filming in New Mexico, Seth Kenney supplied ammunition and props for the “Rust” set. According to the 551-page report released by the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office, Kenney provided approximately 30 guns of assorted types and ammunition, which consisted of mostly .44-.40 and .38-.40 rounds.

Kenney said that he only provided one box of .45 Long Colt ammunition, which was the ammunition that was used to load the revolver when it went off. Kenney has maintained since 2021 that he did not provide the ammunition that was used on the day of the shooting and stated that it was different from the bullet that Hannah Gutierrez-Reed loaded into the gun that later wound up in the hands of Alec Baldwin.

Although the Santa Fe police department released 551 pages of evidence that they collected, it is still unclear how live ammunition ended up on a movie set. According to Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s lawsuit, “There is no explanation as to where the remainder of the live rounds went or what Seth did with them,” referring to the live rounds that Kenney took home from the “1883” shooting camp.

Unfortunately, as per the sheriff’s report, they did not conduct DNA or fingerprint analysis on the live rounds found on the set. As such, the question of how live ammunition ended up on a movie set may forever remain a mystery.