Santos Maria Chilel Soto, 39, was walking with a man and two children when police say the hunter fired from a ground blind.
ELLENDALE, Del. — A 74-year-old Maryland hunter has been charged with manslaughter after Delaware State Police said he fatally shot a woman while hunting deer, telling investigators he believed he was firing at a deer in an open field.
Police identified the woman as Santos Maria Chilel Soto, 39, of Georgetown, Delaware. The shooting happened at about 7:40 p.m. Sept. 18 near South Old State Road, north of East Robbins Road in Ellendale. Troopers said Soto was walking through the field with a man and two children when she was struck. Responding troopers provided emergency medical care before she was taken to an area hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Investigators said Walter Moorhead, of Salisbury, Maryland, was hunting deer from a ground blind when the shooting occurred. According to the preliminary investigation, Moorhead believed he saw a deer and fired his rifle. Police said they determined at the scene that Moorhead had fired the shot that struck Soto and took him into custody. The Delaware State Police Homicide Unit then assumed responsibility for the investigation.
Moorhead was taken to Delaware State Police Troop 4 and charged with felony manslaughter, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and three counts of first-degree reckless endangering. He was arraigned by a Justice of the Peace Court and later released after posting a $43,000 cash bond, police said. The charges are allegations, and Moorhead is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Police have not publicly described what Moorhead could see from the blind, the distance between him and Soto, the lighting conditions at the moment he fired or other details that could help explain how the mistaken identification occurred. Authorities also have not released the identities of the man and two children who were walking with Soto. The investigation remains focused on the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
ABC News reported that attempts to reach Moorhead for comment over the weekend were unsuccessful and that it was unclear whether he had retained an attorney. No plea or final court disposition had been reported in the sources reviewed. Police have not announced additional criminal charges since their initial statement.
The timing of the shooting also raises questions about the hunting rules in effect that evening. Delaware’s published 2026-27 deer-season schedule lists statewide archery and crossbow seasons beginning Sept. 1, while the general firearm deer season does not begin until Nov. 13. State police said Moorhead fired a rifle but did not list a separate hunting-season offense among the charges announced after his arrest. Authorities have not publicly explained whether hunting-regulation issues are part of the continuing investigation.
Delaware State Police initially withheld Soto’s name while relatives were being notified. The agency identified her publicly Sept. 20. A local report by WMDT, citing a fundraising page created after her death, said Soto was the mother of five children. Police have not released additional biographical information about her.
The case is being investigated by the Delaware State Police Homicide Unit. Authorities have asked people with information about the shooting to contact investigators as they continue examining the events that led to Soto’s death. No final finding beyond the criminal charges and preliminary account of the shooting had been announced as of Tuesday.
Author note: Last updated September 22, 2026.