Mother of five killed in Delaware, hunter says he mistook her for a deer

A 39-year-old woman and mother of five was shot and killed in Delaware, USA, by a hunter who claims he mistook her for a deer.

The victim was Santos Maria Chilel Soto, a resident of Georgetown. The tragedy occurred on Friday evening, September 18, in the Ellendale area.

At around 7:40 p.m., the 39-year-old was walking through a field with a man and two children. At that moment, 74-year-old Walter Moorhead, from Salisbury, Maryland, was in the same area and shot her dead. He told authorities that he had mistaken the victim for a deer.

Moorhead is charged with manslaughter, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment. He was released after posting $43,000 bail.

Reports by American media said Soto was originally from Guatemala and leaves behind five children. Following her death, an online fundraising campaign was launched to cover funeral expenses and transport her body to Guatemala.