A 39-year-old Delaware woman was fatally shot while walking through an open field in Ellendale with a man and two children, after a Maryland hunter allegedly mistook her for a deer, according to investigators.
Walter Moorhead, 74, of Salisbury, Maryland, has been charged with manslaughter following the Sept. 18 shooting. He also faces charges of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and three counts of first-degree reckless endangering.
The shooting happened at about 7:40 p.m. near South Old State Road, north of East Robbins Road. Delaware State Police said troopers arrived after receiving a report that a woman had been shot.
The woman, identified as Santos Maria Chilel Soto of Georgetown, was taken to a nearby hospital after emergency responders provided lifesaving treatment at the scene. She later died from her injuries.
Investigators said Soto had been walking through the field with her boyfriend and two children while Moorhead was hunting deer from a ground blind. Police said Moorhead believed he had spotted a deer and fired his rifle, striking Soto instead.
Her family has since been left dealing with the loss of a mother of five. Relatives have also been seeking financial help for funeral expenses and the cost of returning Soto’s body to Guatemala, where she was originally from.
According to details reported from court documents, Moorhead told investigators that he believed he saw a doe moving through the field. He reportedly repositioned himself and his rifle before firing. When he later approached the area where he thought he had shot the deer, he discovered that he had struck a person.
Soto’s boyfriend, who was with her at the time, described hearing a sudden gunshot before seeing Soto fall. Her daughter also reportedly rushed to her mother’s side after hearing the gunfire.
The incident has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the hunting activity in the field. State environmental officials said the area has a permit allowing deer hunting because of crop damage, although individual hunters are required to be approved to hunt under that arrangement.
Authorities have not publicly established all the circumstances surrounding Moorhead’s hunting activity, including his exact position when he fired or whether he was authorized to hunt at that location and time.
Moorhead was taken into custody following the shooting. He later posted a $43,000 cash bond and was released while the case proceeds.
The Delaware State Police Homicide Unit continues to investigate the shooting. Moorhead is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 25 in Sussex County Court of Common Pleas.
The investigation remains ongoing, and the charges against Moorhead are allegations at this stage.
