SK man charged with killing uncle

A 28-year-old South Kitsap man remains in Kitsap County Jail after being charged last week in the death of his uncle, the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office reported.

Darrell Neal Hunsaker, 28, was already in custody last week for allegedly driving with a suspended license, assault, and escape when the Kitsap County Prosecutor’s Office charged him with manslaughter in an incident that occurred July 7.

According to the report, deputies responded to a home on the 4000 block of Castlewood Drive after a caller reported a domestic dispute between the suspect and his 32-year-old girlfriend.

When deputies arrived, the victim was on-scene but the suspect had fled. While deputies interviewed the woman, Hunsaker’s 54-year-old uncle, Ray Hunsaker, who lived in a trailer next-door, came over to talk to the deputies.

According to the report, the elder Hunsaker, who appeared intoxicated, told the deputies that he was worried his nephew might be interested in “suicide by cop,” and asked them not to shoot him.

The deputies left the residence without locating the suspect, but later that night responded again after receiving a call that he had returned. Hunsaker was then placed under arrest and booked into Kitsap County Jail under a no-bail hold for escaping from community custody.

The victim was also arrested for obstructing justice.

The following Monday, someone called 911 to report that Ray Hunsaker had been passed out for the past two days with “liquid coming out of his mouth.”

Medical personnel arrived and transferred him to Harrison Medical Center, then later airlifted him to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with a head injury.

The next day, a caller to Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound reported that Darrell Hunsaker had beaten up his uncle after police responded to his home July 7. The caller said that Ray Hunsaker remained in a coma and was in grave condition.

After confirming that Ray Hunsaker was the suspect’s uncle, Sheriff’s Office detectives contacted Harborview Medical Center and learned that he had died earlier that day. They then contacted the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, which informed them that Ray Hunsaker had died from a head injury, which was consistent with a fall onto the back of the head.

According to the report, the medical examiner further explained to deputies that he had only seen such an injury when a person falls from a standing

position and strikes the back of his head on a hard surface, such as slipping on ice and hitting their head on a sidewalk.

The doctor also noted Ray Hunsaker had a black eye on his left side, under which was a skull fracture. He was not able to determine if the fracture was caused by the fall or by being hit before the fall. However, he did say that the victim would not have been able to walk or talk afterward, and was most likely unconscious.

The detectives then contacted Darrell Hunsaker again in jail. He said he had confronted his uncle after deputies visited his home for “running his mouth when police were next door.” He said he “slapped (his uncle) in his mouth,” and the older man fell against a door before crumpling to the floor.

He said his uncle fell asleep and he left, telling a neighbor that his uncle was passed out on the floor, and that “when he wakes up tell him that this is what he gets for running his mouth to the police!”

When deputies spoke to that witness — a 64-year-old man — he told them that he came over to the house after hearing a commotion in the garage, where he found Ray Hunsaker lying unconscious on the concrete floor. He said he then carried the victim to his trailer and laid him on his bed.

Sheriff’s Office Spokesman Deputy Scott Wilson said probable cause was determined by July 12 to arrest Hunsaker for assaulting his uncle, but his office decided to coordinate charges with the prosecutor’s office since the suspect would be remaining in custody on a no-bail hold.

Hunsaker pleaded not guilty to the charge of second-degree manslaughter in the death of his uncle at his arraignment in Kitsap County Superior Court last week.

His next court date is Aug. 29 at 9 a.m.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.