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Home > News > Jan. 10 UPDATE: Prosecutors charge 19-year-old Nampa man with 1st degree murder in connection with shooting death at Star park

Jan. 10 UPDATE: Prosecutors charge 19-year-old Nampa man with 1st degree murder in connection with shooting death at Star park

Ada County prosecutors have charged a 19-year-old Nampa man with first degree murder for his role in the shooting death of a 48-year-old man at Hunter’s Creek Sports Complex in Star on Dec. 25.

Dakota Travis Honeycutt is also charged with felony counts of grand theft and destruction of evidence in connection with the case.

Honeycutt was originally charged with a felony count of assisting in a suicide, but prosecutors changed the charge Monday after investigators collected more evidence in the case that showed Honeycutt planned the killing and did it with a shotgun that wasn’t his.

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 while detectives continued to work on the case.

Detectives continued to collect evidence, which included interviewing Honeycutt.

Kevin Hunt’s body was found on a sidewalk in Hunter’s Creek Park by a citizen around 9 a.m. Dec. 26. 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 the night of Dec. 26, interviewed him, and eventually arrested him.

Honeycutt told investigators he drove Hunt to Hunter’s Creek Park on Dec.25,  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 later that night.

The Ada County Sheriff’s Dive Team found the shotgun in the river the morning of Dec. 27. Investigators determined a short time later Honeycutt actually did the shooting.

It is unclear why the men were at Hunter’s Creek Park, 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.

Honeycutt is set to make his next court appearance on Jan. 31.