Hunter charged with manslaughter after fatally shooting mother of five in Delaware field

Walter Moorhead, 74, shot Santos Maria Chilel Soto, 39, after mistaking her for a deer in Ellendale, Delaware. He faces three felony charges and was released on a $43,000 bond.

Delaware hunter kills mother of five he mistook for deer, faces manslaughter charge

A 74-year-old hunter has been charged with manslaughter after fatally shooting a mother of five who was walking through an open field in Ellendale, Delaware, Toronto Sun Crime reports.

Walter Moorhead, of Salisbury, Maryland, was arrested following the death of Santos Maria Chilel Soto, 39, of Georgetown, Delaware. The shooting occurred around 7:40 p.m. on Friday evening, as Soto walked through the field alongside a man and two children.

Moorhead was hunting deer from a ground blind — a camouflaged structure designed to conceal a hunter from game animals — when he told police he spotted what he believed was a deer and fired his rifle, striking Soto.

Delaware State Police troopers responded to the scene and attempted life-saving measures before Soto was transported to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

Moorhead faces three felony charges: manslaughter for recklessly causing the death of another person, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and first-degree reckless endangerment. He was released after posting a $43,000 cash bond.

A GoFundMe campaign launched to cover Soto's funeral costs and transport her remains to her native Guatemala describes her as a "beloved aunt." The campaign message states that "Maria's family is now facing the overwhelming pain of this sudden loss while also trying to make sure she is laid to rest with dignity." The fundraiser had surpassed half of its $13,000 goal at the time of reporting.

Source: Toronto Sun Crime