Alec Baldwin ‘Rust’ Manslaughter Case Is Over After Prosecutor Drops Appeal

Alec Baldwin‘s manslaughter case is finally over after special prosecutor Kari Morrissey announced she has withdrawn her appeal of a judge’s decision to dismiss the case.

The decision, announced on Monday, came after the state attorney general’s office said it “did not intend to exhaustively pursue the appeal on behalf of the prosecution.” The move officially concludes the case for Baldwin nearly three years after the accidental on-set shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins while filming the movie Rust.

Back in July, a New Mexico judge dismissed the single involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin over Hutchins’ death after the actor’s lawyers claimed prosecutors and investigators withheld evidence. The decision was upheld in October, but the special prosecutor handling the case said they planned to appeal. (The case was dismissed “with prejudice,” meaning Baldwin couldn’t be charged again if the appeal failed.)

Baldwin’s lawyers, Alex Spiro and Luke Nikas, called the final dismissal a “vindication.”

“Today’s decision to dismiss the appeal is the final vindication of what Alec Baldwin and his attorneys have said from the beginning — this was an unspeakable tragedy but Alec Baldwin committed no crime. The rule of law remains intact in New Mexico,” they said.

During a recent interview, Baldwin, who has rarely spoken about the case himself, opened up about completing the film amidst various civil and criminal proceedings. He also addressed misconceptions that he’s profiting off of the film. “This is obviously the most difficult thing I’ve ever dealt with in my life,” Baldwin told Variety, adding: “The film doesn’t stand by itself. It’s always going to be overshadowed by this.”

When asked if he’d seen the movie, which debuted at a festival in Poland last month, Baldwin replied: “No, I haven’t seen the final cut. I was sent a rough cut early on, before everything got a little more sticky and difficult. So I haven’t seen the film. But, again, I hope the film is released, that it comes out. That it makes its money back for its investors. You never want these people who believed in your project to be left high and dry. And I hope the movie is sold, and that he [Matt Hutchins, Halyna’s husband] gets his money.”

But while Baldwin’s manslaughter case is over, Hutchins’ mother, father, and sister are continuing to pursue a civil case against the actor and the film’s producers in state court in New Mexico.

“This has always been about seeking justice for Halyna Hutchins,” Morrissey said in a statement. “We regret that Mr. Baldwin will not be held accountable for the role he played in the death of Halyna Hutchins and as we withdraw the appeal, we do so with the hope that the outstanding lawsuits bring some measure of justice to the family of Halyna Hutchins.”