A Salisbury man is facing manslaughter charges in Delaware after police said he fatally shot a woman he mistook for a deer.
Walter Moorhead, 74, was hunting deer from a ground blind in Ellendale on Friday evening, said Delaware State Police. The woman, whom police on Sunday identified as Santos Maria Chilel Soto, of Georgetown, Delaware, was walking through an open field with a man and two children when Moorhead fired his rifle.
Delaware State Police responded to the field near South Old State Road around 7:40 p.m. Emergency responders provided medical care to Soto, police said, but she was pronounced dead at a hospital. Soto was 39.
Besides manslaughter, Moorhead is also charged with possession of a firearm and three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, according to police. He was released after posting a $43,000 cash bond.
Moorhead couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Monday morning.
Delaware State Police’s Homicide Unit is investigating. Anyone with information should contact Detective M. Csapo by calling (302) 741-2729. People can also contact Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333.



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