Hunter dies in wife’s arms
Professional game hunter Devlin Carton-Barber has been shot and killed in front of his wife while taking two American tourists on safari near the Kruger National Park.
Devlin and Jo-anne, who lived in Fourways, north of Joburg, booked into the Glory Hill Country Manor in White River, on the edge of the Kruger Park, with the tourists.
After they had checked in, Devlin went to the bathroom, and while there he heard a noise.
When he investigated, he was confronted by a man threatening to shoot Jo-anne. When he tried to protect her, he was shot.
Devlin died in his wife’s arms.
The intruder then escaped with Jo-anne’s handbag, which had no money in it – “not even a R1 coin”, as a relative put it.
The tourists were in another room and did not see the shooting. However, they immediately cut short their safari visit to South Africa.
Devlin’s uncle, Ed Carton-Barber, explained that because there was no accommodation in the park, the couple and the tourists had booked into the lodge.
He said more American clients arrived on Sunday, and the family, who run a tourist safari and game hunting business, had informed them of the murder and gave them the choice of cancelling their tour.
“We handed them over to another company. We have not yet heard whether they decided to stay or go, but this is bad news for South Africa.
“The tourists who were with Devlin are going to go back to the States. It is not good for South African tourism.”
Carton-Barber was educated at Christian Brothers’ College in Boksburg. He studied game ranging management at the Tshwane University of Technology and was working on a postgraduate degree in conservation when he was murdered.
“Devlin was an exceptional young man and brought joy and light into everyone’s lives,” his uncle said.
“His passing is bringing unspeakable grief to the family and friends. I am not over-dramatising, but his memory will live on forever.”
He found it sad that his nephew was supposed to go to Texas to do his postgraduate degree in March, but that the plan had fallen through at the last minute.
Ed said he had heard that there had been a number of attacks on tourists in the area.
However, White River police commissioner Wessie van der Westhuizen denied this.
“This is the first murder we have heard of in a long time in the White River area,” he said, adding that they were working on leads, but no arrests had been made.
Linda Godley who runs the guesthouse, referred The Star to the police. - The Star
