Del. State Police Charge MD Man in Ellendale Shooting

(DELAWARE) – The Delaware State Police arrested 74-year-old Walter Moorhead, of Salisbury, Maryland, on manslaughter and related charges after he fatally shot a woman Friday evening in Ellendale.

On September 18, 2026, at approximately 7:40 p.m., troopers responded to an open field near South Old State Road, north of East Robbins Road, for a report of a woman who had been shot. Responding troopers provided life-saving medical care before the victim was taken to an area hospital.

The victim, a 39-year-old woman from Georgetown, Delaware, was pronounced dead at the hospital. Her name is being withheld until her family is notified.

Troopers at the scene contacted Moorhead and determined that he had fired the shot that struck the victim. Moorhead was taken into custody, and the Delaware State Police Homicide Unit took over the case.

The preliminary investigation revealed that the victim was walking through the field with a man and two children while Moorhead was hunting deer from a ground blind. Moorhead believed he saw a deer and fired his rifle, striking the victim.

Moorhead was taken to Troop 4 where he was charged with the below listed offenses, arraigned by the Justice of the Peace Court, and was released after posting a $43,000 cash bond.