Nampa man who said death was a suicide is sentenced for murder. Here’s his prison term
Dakota Honeycutt, 20, of Nampa, has been sentenced to at least 15 years in prison for killing a 48-year-old Idaho man in late 2021.
Honeycutt’s 35-year sentence, handed down by 4th District Judge Nancy Baskin, included 15 years fixed, meaning he won’t be eligible for parole until 2038, according to a news release from the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office. The state had recommended a sentence of 45 years total with 18 years fixed.
Kevin Hunt, of Nampa, was found dead by a gunshot wound on the morning of Dec. 26, 2021, at a park in Star, according to the release. Ada County sheriff’s detectives interviewed Honeycutt after finding him driving the victim’s vehicle, and he initially told detectives that he watched Hunt commit suicide, according to previous Statesman reporting.
An investigation, however, determined that was not true. Honeycutt pulled the trigger of the gun that killed Hunt and then threw it into the Boise River, where it was found by a law enforcement dive team, officials said.
Honeycutt was originally charged with first-degree murder, but in February he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder as part of a plea deal.
“I extend my condolences to Mr. Hunt’s family and friends,” said Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts in the release. “Thank you to the Ada County Sheriff’s Office for their thorough work on this investigation, which allowed my team to ensure justice was served in this case.”
This story was originally published May 2, 2023 at 4:00 AM.
