A 20-year-old Nampa man who shot and killed his 48-year-old roommate on Christmas Day 2021 could spend the next 35 years in prison.
Dakota Travis Honeycutt can ask for parole after serving 15 years.
Fourth District Judge Nancy Baskin sentenced Honeycutt Monday.
Honeycutt pleaded guilty to second-degree murder earlier this year in connection with the 2021 shooting death of Kevin Hunt at Hunter’s Creek Sports Complex in Star.
Honeycutt was originally charged with first-degree murder but pleaded to the second-degree charge as part of an agreement with Ada County prosecutors.
Honeycutt initially told investigators he watched roommate Hunt complete suicide at the park on Christmas night 2021 with a shotgun — and then left Hunt at the park and drove away without telling anyone what happened.
Kevin Hunt’s body was found on a sidewalk in the park by a citizen around 9 a.m. Dec. 26, 2021.
Investigators quickly determined Hunt died from a gunshot wound. Hunt was by himself. His car was not at the park.
Star Police 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 that night, interviewed him, and arrested him.
Honeycutt told investigators he threw the shotgun in the Boise River after the shooting.
The Ada County Sheriff’s Dive Team found the shotgun in the river the morning of Dec. 27, 2021.
It remains unclear why the men were at Hunter’s Creek Park, as they both lived in Nampa and did not appear to have any direct ties to Star.