In memoriam - South African Professional Hunter Devlin Carton-Barber Shot and Killed

South African PH Devlin Carton-Barber Shot and Killed

I have just learned with sadness and regret about the death of Devlin Carton-Barber, Profesional hunter and game ranch manager of XOMAQUA. Devlin was a member of AH (DEVLIn XOMAQUA), I had the chance to meet him and his wife Jo-anne this year at the SCI convention, he was passionate and enthusiastic about being a PH. This is a terrible tragedy.

I would like to extend my sincere condolences to his wife Jo-anne and family.



PH Devlin Carton-Barber on the left.


Hunter dies in wife’s arms
by Anna Cox

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


Source: sundaytribune.co.za



Association shocked at hunter’s killing

The Professional Hunters' Association of SA (Phasa) expressed shock on Monday at the killing of one of its members during a robbery in White River, Mpumalanga.

“Phasa conveys its condolences to the bereaved family and expresses its sympathy to the foreign hunting clients who were with him at the time of the accident,” said Phasa CEO Adri Kitshoff in a statement.

The deceased was identified as Devlin Carton-Barber, a professional hunter and life member of Phasa. Mpumalanga police spokesman Captain Leonard Hlathi said the police were still searching for his killers.

The 27-year-old hunter was shot dead at a guest house near White River on Friday night.

He had been accompanying two US tourists who were on safari in South Africa.

“Whilst they were unpacking their belongings two men emerged from the bushes and without saying a word, fired a shot and killed him,” Hlathi said.

The two men took the wife's handbag and fled.

Hlathi said the man died at the scene. – Sapa


Source: dailynews.co.za

Sad news indeed, I know his uncle Ed. Really great at communicating with clients. Darn shame.

this is tough news and a hard loss for the family...

White river was a location that i was given for next year if we decide to spend some time in the park...

our thought and prayers go out to the family...

This brings just so much anger in me . My deepest condolences to his wife and family.

This is so sad. I met Jo-anne and Devlin's dad, Stephan in 2010 at the Wild Sheep Show. My deepest condolances go to the family.

Such tragic news for the South Africa tourism industry. Sincere condolences to the family and friends.

I am so sorry to read about the criminal murder in RSA. What a terrible, shocking situation. Please accept my condolences on the sad, unspeakable event that took place in the country so close to my heart. We know how joyful is RSA , which makes these kind of events even more horrible.

We send our most sincere condolances to the family and friends of our AH brother.

May justice and Karma catch up with those responsible !

Our sincere condolences to the families involved in this tragic senseless killing.

My sincere condolences to the family .

This makes me so sad.Such a terrible waste of a young life,so full of potential.The unbelievable trauma and heartbreak that family and loved-ones must endure.I have been there myself.But I am also very angry at the senselessness of it all,at the cowardice.What riles me the most,is that these 'things' are referred to in the news as 'men'.These are not men.Devlin was not taken by 'men'..he was murdered by 'rat-shit coward scum' and it should be reported,and remembered,as such.

Really sad, my condolences to the family.

Thoughts and prayers too the family.

My deepest sympathy and most sincere prayers for the family's tragic and senseless loss.

Very sad to hear about untimely demise of Devlin, a brilliant career & life cut short at such a young age. May The All mighty Lord give all the strength to his family and the dear one's to bear such a irreparable loss. Our deep heart felt condolences to the Family....

Sad really sad...

Monish

Our thoughts and prayers , May God bless his family and give them strength in this difficult time.
Steven

Truely sad, My condolences to the family.

What a very sad ending to this to this young man's life. This is hard to swallow and really incites the rage in those who realize that this is totally unacceptable. South Africa is on the top of the pile for murders and it will only get worse unless the thug government is stopped. The ANC condones this type of violence and if captured, these thugs will most likely "escape". A good friend of mine, had her nephew shot and killed in Ghramstown while waiting in his car at a traffic light. This kind of crap will continue until the government is forced to stop this kind of violence. While I have friends in South Africa and would never want to see them damaged, I feel that sanctions should be placed on South Africa until they enforce the laws against these savages! Enough is enough.

This is at least the second PH murdered this year. The last happened back around January-February and was the work of poachers who attacked the PH and his hunting party when they apparently came across one another.

My understanding is South Africa has extremely strict gun control. Handguns, for the most part, are banned as well as semi-autos. Yet as I understand it, the poacher killing earlier was done with AK-47s, which are completely illegal in the RSA. Nothing was mentioned herein as to the kind of weapon used, but I'm willing to bet dollars to donuts it was a handgun or some other illegal firearm.

Goes to prove banning guns doesn't make a society safe. But these kinds of incidents don't have any effect on the left's thinking.

Seems to me of all people, PHs ought to be trusted with handguns. Wonder what the result here would have been had he had a nice .41 Magnum like I own, on his hip when the confrontation took place.

BTW, we have plenty of robberies in the USA, usually in the areas with the most strict gun control. But in whatever area it is, you virtually NEVER hear about a gun store being robbed, do you? Nope! Every gun store I've been to has armed clerks. I wonder why they're never bothered. ; )

Anyway, this said, while I never knew this gentleman, my heart certainly goes out to his family and friends, and to the South African hunting community. Tragic event. Horrible loss.

The South African government is run by thugs! Zuma and Malema are both thugs that would like to do away with the white people! Malema is in charge of the ANC youth council and preaches violence all the time!