Hunter Mistakenly Kills Woman, Believing She Was a Deer
WHO:
NY Post - Santos Maria Chilel Soto was a "beloved aunt" and a mother of five children.
NBC News - Walter Moorhead, a 74-year-old man from Salisbury, Maryland, has been charged in the incident.
NBC News - The victim was identified as Santos Maria Chilel Soto, a 39-year-old woman from Georgetown, Delaware.
WHAT:
Fox News - A GoFundMe page has raised approximately $12,000 to help cover funeral services and the cost of sending Santos Maria Chilel Soto's body to Guatemala.
NBC News - Walter Moorhead has been charged with three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment in addition to manslaughter and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
NY Post - A GoFundMe has been established to raise money to send Chilel Soto's body back to Guatemala.
CBS News - A man shot and killed a woman after mistaking her for a deer.
NBC News - Moorhead has been charged with manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
NBC News - Moorhead was released on a $43,000 cash bond.
WHERE:
NBC News - The incident occurred in an open field in the town of Ellendale, Delaware.
WHEN:
NBC News - The shooting occurred at approximately 7:40 p.m. on a Friday.
NBC News - The woman was pronounced dead at a hospital after being transported there.
WHY:
NBC News - Moorhead believed he saw a deer and fired his rifle, striking Chilel Soto.
HOW:
NBC News - Walter Moorhead was allegedly hunting from a camouflaged shelter known as a “ground blind” when he fired the shot that struck Chilel Soto.
NBC News - Chilel Soto was walking in the field with a man and two children when she was shot.
NBC News - Moorhead was allegedly hunting from a camouflaged shelter known as a “ground blind” when he fired the shot.
(UPDATED September 22, 2026 02:06 UTC)
A GoFundMe page has successfully raised around $12,000 to assist with funeral services and the transportation of Santos Maria Chilel Soto's body back to Guatemala. Meanwhile, Walter Moorhead faces serious charges, including three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, manslaughter, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Authorities allege that Moorhead was hunting from a camouflaged shelter, known as a “ground blind,” when he fired the shot that tragically struck Chilel Soto.
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(UPDATED September 21, 2026 15:01 UTC)
Maria Chilel Soto, described as a "beloved aunt" and mother of five, tragically lost her life while walking in a field with a man and two children when she was shot. In response to her passing, a GoFundMe has been set up to help raise funds to send her body back to Guatemala. The community is coming together to support her family during this difficult time.
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(UPDATED September 21, 2026 13:59 UTC)
In a tragic incident in Ellendale, Delaware, a 74-year-old man named Walter Moorhead has been charged with manslaughter after mistaking a 39-year-old woman, Santos Maria Chilel Soto, for a deer and fatally shooting her. Moorhead, who was reportedly hunting from a camouflaged shelter at the time, has also been charged with reckless endangerment and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and he has been released on a $43,000 cash bond. The shooting occurred around 7:40 p.m. on a Friday, and the victim was pronounced dead after being transported to a hospital.