"Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed released from prison 13 months after involuntary manslaughter conviction

Convicted armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed expected to be called to testify in Baldwin trial

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer who was working on the Western movie "Rust" when the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was killed in an on-set shooting in 2021, was released from prison Friday, 13 months after her involuntary manslaughter conviction, New Mexico officials said.

In March 2024, Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in connection with Hutchins' death, and sentenced to 18 months in prison the following month. At the time, she was acquitted of a second charge of evidence tampering.

The Parole Board of the State of New Mexico granted Gutierrez-Reed parole Friday, according to a parole certificate provided to CBS News.

That parole runs through May 23, 2026. Her certificate said she is required to follow the conditions set forth by the board, some of which include electric monitoring, following a curfew, and either getting a job or enrolling in school.

Gutierrez-Reed was paroled to Arizona and ordered to report there immediately, according to the certificate.

"Rust" movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed stands by her defense team during her involuntary manslaughter trial, March 5, 2024. Jim Weber / AP

She received the maximum penalty for her part in the October 2021 tragedy when actor Alec Baldwin discharged live rounds from a prop gun on the movie set during a rehearsal, killing Hutchins and wounding the film's director, Joel Souza, a tragedy which shook the Hollywood community. Several experts said the death of Hutchins, who had a young son, was entirely preventable.

Prosecutors cited Gutierrez-Reed's lack of contrition during the trial as one reason to impose the maximum sentence. During her sentencing, she said she was "young and naive" when she started working on "Rust."

"Your honor, when I took on 'Rust,' I was young and naive. But I took my job as seriously as I knew how to," Gutierrez-Reed told the judge. "I beg you, please, don't give me more time. The jury has found me in part at fault for this horrible tragedy, but that doesn't make me a monster. That makes me human."

Baldwin went to trial in July 2024 on an involuntary manslaughter charge in the deadly shooting. But in a remarkable series of events during trial, the judge dismissed the case with prejudice after the defense team accused prosecutors of withholding evidence.

Cara Tabachnick Cara Tabachnick is a news editor at CBSNews.com. Cara began her career on the crime beat at Newsday. She has written for Marie Claire, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. She reports on justice and human rights issues. Contact her at [email protected]