ELLENDALE, Del. - A Salisbury man charged with manslaughter after he allegedly shot a woman who he mistook as a deer in Sussex County, Del., has waived his preliminary hearing, sending his case to Delaware Superior Court.
Walter Moorhead was arrested earlier this month after police say he fatally shot Santos Maria Chilel Soto in an open field in Ellendale. Moorhead was hunting deer from a ground blind on Sept. 18, according to police, and says he saw a deer and shot at it. Chilel Soto, 39, from Georgetown, was fatally struck.
According to court documents obtained by WBOC, police recovered a rifle equipped with a scope at the scene. Moorhead, 74, acknowledged that Chilel Soto's fatal injury was a result of him firing his rifle, authorities say.
Chilel Soto's family said they were taking a walk in the field that night to avoid busy traffic on the roadway.
On Friday, Sept. 25, Moorhead waived his preliminary hearing. His case will now move to be heard in Superior Court.
Dozens of people gathered at the courthouse in Georgetown on Friday calling for justice in Chilel Soto's death and to show support for the woman's family.
