On a summer morning in Klamath Falls, Oregon, the body of 22-year-old Kameron Kevin Stewart was discovered. It was Thursday, June 9, 2016, at approximately 6 a.m. in the 3000 block of Cannon Avenue. Stewart, a male resident of Klamath Falls, had been fatally shot. The discovery marked the beginning of a homicide investigation in what was a notably violent period for Klamath County, with a dozen homicides reported between December 2015 and January 2017.
The investigation into Stewart's death led authorities to identify two individuals of interest. The primary suspect was 32-year-old Daryl Dean Hatchard. Another individual, Lisa Kay Kosten, was also named by police in connection with the deadly shooting, though the specifics of her alleged involvement were not publicly detailed. Hatchard was subsequently arrested and charged with the murder of Kameron Stewart. Initially, he entered a plea of not guilty to the charges brought against him.
As the case progressed through the legal system, it concluded not with a jury trial, but with a plea agreement. Just ten days before his murder trial was scheduled to commence, Daryl Hatchard accepted a deal. He pleaded guilty to the lesser charges of manslaughter and unlawful use of a weapon. The shooting had taken place at Hatchard's home, and it was expected that at least two witnesses who were present at the time of the incident would have testified had the case gone to trial. As a result of his guilty plea, Hatchard was sentenced to a prison term of 10 to 25 years for his role in the death of Kameron Kevin Stewart.
