Alec Baldwin breaks silence with emotional message after unexpected Rust case dismissal

Alec Baldwin has broken his silence after his involuntary manslaughter case was sensationally dismissed with prejudice.

The actor, 66, had been in a Santa Fe courtroom all week over his role in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was tragically killed on set of western movie, Rust.

The film's armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is currently serving an 18-month sentence at the Western New Mexico Correctional Facility after she was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for her role in Hutchins' death.

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But Baldwin walked away free after the judge explained errors made by the proseuction in handling evidence had "impacted the fundamental fairness of the case."

In a new statement on Instagram, the actor wrote: "There are too many people who have supported me to thank just now.

"To all of you, you will never know how much I appreciate your kindness toward my family."

Baldwin's laywers claimed bullets being used by the prosecution as evidence were "concealed and buried" in a different case file.

The prosecution argued that the bullets in question were inconsequential, however, Baldwin's defense lawyers insisted this wasn't their call to make.

Speaking in the courtroom, defense attorney Luke Nikas told the judge: "If this evidence wasn't as important as we say it is, they would have turned it over.

"The fact that they concealed it, the fact that they put it in a separate document number, didn't disclose a supplemental report, didn't disclose the bullets, didn't bring them to the April 6th evidentiary viewing. If it was that irrelevant, didn't have evidentiary value, it would have been there."

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"There is no way for the court to right this wrong," Judge Sommer said, adding that it was a "very extreme sanction" but the threshold had been met.

Gutierrez-Reed had loaded the gun, which killed Hutchins, with live bullets.

Now, Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyer is making the same argument, and hopes to set her free.

“The judge found intentional misconduct and we also have had the same failures in Hannah’s case, by the State. We will be moving for dismissal of Hannah’s case,” attorney Jason Bowles said.