STAR, Idaho — A 19-year-old who was arrested after a body was found in Hunter’s Creek Sports Park in Star told police that he watched the victim him shoot himself, but did not harm him.
Dakota Travis Honeycutt of Nampa is charged with felony counts of assisting a suicide and destruction of evidence.
A 48-year-old Nampa man was found shot to death on a sidewalk in the park by a passer-by at around 9 a.m. Sunday morning. No one else was around the body, according to the Ada County Sheriff's Office, and the dead man's car was not at the park.
Investigators learned Honeycutt, the 48-year-old's roommate, may have been driving his car.
In an interview Sunday night, Honeycutt told detectives that he drove the victim to Hunter’s Creek Park on Saturday night, and watched him shoot himself at around 9 p.m, according to the sheriff's office. Honeycutt said he left the body on the sidewalk, took the gun, and disposed of it before heading back to their apartment.
Star Police later found the gun in the area where Honeycutt said he had left it.
Investigators say it is not clear why the men were at Hunter's Creek Park. Neither appears to have any ties to Star.
Under Idaho law, a person can be guilty of felony assisting suicide if they knowingly provide the physical means or participate in a physical act by which another person ends his or her life. The charge is punishable by up to five years in prison.
Honeycutt was booked into the Canyon County Jail early Monday morning, and will be brought back to Ada County to face charges.
Additional charges are possible. He is scheduled to appear in court later this week.
Star Mayor Trevor Chadwickj asked residents to join him in praying for Hunt's family, even as he stressed that violent crime is a rarity in Star.
"We continue to work to provide a safe environment for our citizens. We have security measures in place in our public areas and recently approved the hiring of two additional Star police officers and an Administrative Assistant dedicated solely to our police department," the mayor wrote in a statement. "Star is and will remain a safe community for people to live in and raise their families thanks to the tireless efforts of our police force. Statistics provided by the Sheriff’s Office show that crime rates in Star are not increasing in proportion to the exponential population growth."
If you or someone you know needs help, the Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline is available 24 hours a day at (208) 398-4357 or (800) 273-8255.
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