Almost a month has passed since authorities investigating the fatal Rust set shooting got a search warrant for Alec Baldwin’s phone, and they still do not have the device.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office shared an update with the Washington Examiner on Thursday, days after the actor insisted in an Instagram video he was cooperating with law enforcement. Investigators are trying to learn about the circumstances of Baldwin rehearsing with a gun containing a live round that killed the film’s director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, and wounded director Joel Souza in New Mexico in mid-October.
“To date, the cellphone has not been turned over to authorities,” the sheriff’s office said.
A judge granted a request for a search warrant Dec. 16 to look for text messages, videos, or calls on the device. Baldwin’s attorney has acknowledged the warrant and contacted the lead detective over compliance, the statement said.
The sheriff’s office said Baldwin did not give his phone to the authorities, leading the sheriff’s office to reach out to the Santa Fe District Attorney’s Office. On Dec. 20, the office was advised that the district attorney’s office was in negotiations with Baldwin’s attorney “to obtain consent to retrieve the phone and its contents,” the statement said.
THE MOST GOOGLED PEOPLE OF 2021 IN THE US
Baldwin said in an Instagram video posted Jan. 8 that the claims he is not complying with authorities were “bulls***” and “a lie.” He insisted the process “takes time” and involves cooperation with authorities where he lives. Baldwin said he is “1,000% going to comply” with the request.
“The only way we can honor the death of Helena Hutchins is to find out the truth,” Baldwin said. “That’s what I’m working toward, insisting on, demanding that the organizations involved in this investigation do everything in their power to find out what really happened. That’s all that matters.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Rust’s ammunition supplier. The suit claims Seth Kenney and his company, PDQ Arm & Prop, mixed live and dummy rounds on set and seeks compensatory damages, punitive damages, attorney’s fees, and more.
Baldwin’s attorney, Aaron Dyer, and the Santa Fe District Attorney’s Office have not yet responded to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
