On a summer day just shy of his favorite holiday, the Fourth of July, 17-year-old Robert Mayhew Nelson, a Caucasian male, lost his life. On July 3, 2021, in a residence just outside the city limits of Leavenworth, Kansas, Robert was found deceased from a gunshot wound. Born on August 5, 2003, in Overland Park, Kansas, he was an active and inquisitive teenager with a deep love for the outdoors.
Friends and family remember him as a natural-born fisherman who also enjoyed swimming, kayaking, and skateboarding. When not outside, he could be found gaming and spending time with loved ones. He had been looking forward to traveling, buying his first car, and moving into his own apartment.
The initial investigation into Robert's death quickly led to an arrest. On the same night of the incident, authorities took his 25-year-old half-brother, Cody S. Huninghake, into custody. Huninghake was subsequently charged with first-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting. He made his first court appearance on July 6, 2021, setting in motion a legal process that would bring more questions than answers to the grieving family and community.
The case proceeded to trial, where Huninghake maintained that the shooting was a tragic accident. He testified that the shotgun discharged unintentionally when he lost his balance and fell against a wall. In February 2022, a Leavenworth County jury considered the evidence presented and ultimately found Cody Huninghake not guilty of his half-brother's murder. Following the verdict, he was released from the Leavenworth County Jail, leaving a community to grapple with the sorrowful end of a young life.
