Ada County Sheriff's Department: UPDATE: Prosecutors Are Considering A Homicide Charge For 19-Year-Old Nampa Man For His Role In The Sho ...

Press release from the Ada County Sheriff's Department:

2021-12-28

An Ada County prosecutor said in court Tuesday she expects to charge at 19-year-old Middleton man with a homicide for his role in the shooting death of a 48-year-old man at Hunter’s Creek Sports Complex in Star Saturday night.

Dakota Travis Honeycutt initially told investigators he watched roommate Kevin Hunt complete suicide at the park on Christmas night with a shotgun — and then left Hunt at the park and drove away without telling anyone what happened.

Honeycutt was arrested and charged with felony counts of assisting in a suicide and destruction of evidence while detectives continued to work on the case.

Detectives continued to collect evidence, which included interviewing Honeycutt.

Deputy Ada County Prosecutor Heather Reilly told a judge during Honeycutt’s arraignment on Tuesday that additional evidence collected since Monday indicates what Honeycutt initially told detectives wasn’t accurate and that her office will be charging him with a homicide.

Under Idaho law, a homicide would be charged under the murder or manslaughter statutes. Prosecutors did not say which charge they are considering.

Honeycutt is being held in the Ada County Jail. His next court appearance is set for Jan. 10.

Kevin Hunt’s body was found on a sidewalk in Hunter’s Creek Park by a citizen around 9 a.m. Sunday. Investigators quickly determined Hunt died from a gunshot wound. Hunt was by himself. His car was not at the park.

Investigators closed off the area and began an intensive search.  Investigators eventually determined Honeycutt was living at Hunt’s Nampa-area apartment and might be driving Hunt’s car.

They found Honeycutt late Sunday night, interviewed him, and eventually arrested him.

Honeycutt told investigators he drove Hunt to Hunter’s Creek Park on Saturday night, watched Hunt shoot himself around 9 p.m., left the body there, took the shotgun, and threw it in the Boise River before going back to the Nampa apartment Saturday night.

The Ada County Sheriff’s Dive Team found the shotgun in the river Monday morning.

It is unclear why the men were at Hunter’s Creek  on Saturday night, as they both lived in Nampa and do not appear to have any ties to Star. Honeycutt does appear to have some ties to the Middleton area.

This press release was produced by the Ada County Sheriff's Department. The views expressed here are the author’s own.