Nampa teen faces felony charges after man with apparent gunshot wound found dead in Star
A 19-year-old Nampa man has been charged with felony counts of assisting in a suicide and destruction of evidence after a man was found dead in a Star park, according to the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.
Dakota Travis Honeycutt was arrested in Nampa early Monday morning and placed in custody in the Canyon County jail.
The man who was found dead on a sidewalk on the west side of Hunter’s Creek Park was identified as 48-year-old Kevin Hunt, according to an Ada County Coroner’s Office news release Monday.
Someone had found Hunt’s body on a sidewalk in Hunter’s Creek Park around 9 a.m. Sunday, according to the Sheriff’s Office. He was pronounced dead at 10:30 a.m. that day.
Investigators determined Hunt died from a gunshot wound. Though the investigation is ongoing, police said they believe Hunt died by shooting himself.
Investigators searched for those who may have been connected to the situation. Honeycutt, who was living at Hunt’s Nampa apartment, was arrested shortly after he was interviewed, according to the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.
Honeycutt told investigators he drove Hunt to the park Saturday night and watched Hunt shoot himself at around 9 p.m. Saturday, Star Police Chief Zachary Hessing said in an interview with reporters Monday. Honeycutt told investigators he threw the shotgun off the Star Bridge and into the Boise River, and a dive team found the gun Monday morning, Hessing said.
When Hunt’s body was found, he was by himself and his car wasn’t at the park, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Honeycutt returned to the Nampa apartment Saturday night with Hunt’s car, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Hessing said police don’t know why Honeycutt had been driving Hunt’s car after Hunt was found dead. Neither Hunt nor Honeycutt had ties to Star, Hessing said.
“It’s really strange and could be a scary event for anybody who finds (a dead body),” Hessing said. “We had somebody who is claiming that this person wanted to commit suicide, and this person assisted in helping him commit suicide. Usually we have people who try to stop that sort of thing.”
Hessing said family members reported that Hunt had been suicidal in the past. When police searched his apartment, they found a note that “alludes to” a suicide, Hessing said. The shotgun belonged to Hunt, Hessing said.
Police are analyzing evidence and working to verify “the consistency of the story that Dakota is telling us,” Hessing said.
“We’re continuing to try to find the answers to a lot of questions we have of what occurred that night,” Hessing said. “We still are not sure on some of the things that had occurred that night. Some of the things don’t make sense to us, so we’re trying to find out exactly all that.”
Honeycutt will return to Ada County to make his initial court appearance on the two felony charges later this week. Additional charges are possible.
In an interview with reporters Monday, Star Mayor Trevor Chadwick said Star doesn’t have a crime problem and encouraged residents to be kind to each other.
“If someone is struggling or having issues, help them,” Chadwick said. “Get them the help. Don’t be afraid to stand up and speak up.”
The Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline is available 24/7 for people who feel suicidal or people who are concerned about a loved one and need resources or guidance: (208) 398-4357, by call or text, and online at www.idahosuicideprevention.org.
This story was originally published December 27, 2021 at 12:58 PM.
