Full Breakdown
Maryland Man Charged After Fatal Shooting Mistaken for Deer
By Drooid · · How we work
Incident Overview
On a Friday evening, 74-year-old Walter Moorhead of Salisbury, Maryland, was hunting from a camouflaged ground blind in an open field near South Old State Road, north of East Robbins Road in Ellendale, Sussex County, Delaware. While aiming his rifle, Moorhead said he believed he saw a deer and fired. The shot struck Santos Maria Chilel Soto, a 39-year-old woman from Georgetown, Delaware, who was walking through the field with an adult man and two children. Soto was taken to a nearby hospital and was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.
Investigation Findings
Delaware State Police responded to the scene at approximately 7:40 p.m. and provided emergency medical care before Soto was transported. A preliminary investigation by the agency’s Homicide Unit determined that Moorhead fired the shot that hit the victim. Police noted that Moorhead was hunting from a ground blind and that he reported believing the movement he saw was a deer. The investigation also identified the location of the shooting and the composition of the victim’s party at the time of the incident.
Legal Proceedings
Following the investigation, Moorhead was arrested at the scene and later arraigned before the Justice of the Peace Court. He faces a felony charge of manslaughter, a felony charge of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and three counts of first-degree reckless endangering. After posting a cash bond of $43,000, Moorhead was released pending further court action.
Official Statements & Responses
Delaware State Police released a statement confirming the charges and the circumstances of the shooting. The agency asked anyone with additional information to contact Detective M. Csapo at 302-741-2729 or to reach out through Delaware Crime Stoppers. Police also provided a link to their Facebook page for private tips, emphasizing the ongoing nature of the investigation.
