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Hunter Fatally Shoots Woman He Mistook for a Deer, Delaware Police Say
Police said the hunter mistook the woman for a deer and fired from a ground blind, and the homicide unit is still investigating.
- On Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, 74-year-old Walter Moorhead fatally shot 39-year-old Santos Maria Chilel Soto in an open field near Ellendale, Delaware, after police say he mistook her for a deer.
- Firing from a camouflaged ground blind, Moorhead allegedly believed he saw a deer and fired his rifle while Soto walked through the field with a man and two children.
- Moorhead faces felony charges of manslaughter, possession of a firearm during a felony, and three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment; he posted a $43,000 cash bond and was released.
- Soto's family launched a GoFundMe campaign for funeral costs and transport to Guatemala, raising approximately $795 of a $6,500 goal to support her five children.
- The Delaware State Police Homicide Unit continues investigating the shooting, which recalls a similar Iowa incident about a year ago and underscores ongoing concerns about hunter target identification.
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A 74-year-old hunter from Maryland is accused of killing a 39-year-old woman after he opened fire, thinking he saw a deer. The victim was walking in a field with a man and two children at the time of the drama.
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Hunter says he mistook mother for deer — now he faces manslaughter charge
BS BULLETIN: Delaware State Police say Walter Moorhead, 74, fatally shot Santos Maria Chilel Soto, 39, after mistaking her for a deer. Soto was crossing an open field with a man and two children when Moorhead fired from a ground blind. Moorhead faces felony manslaughter, a firearm charge and three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment. A Maryland hunter who told police he thought he was firing at a deer instead killed a 39-year-old mother…
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Total News Sources146
Leaning Left13Leaning Right21Center68Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Center
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources are Center
67% Center
13%
C 67%
R 20%
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