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Caroline von Rantzau. (Foto: We Will Not Be Silenced about Hunters/Facebook)
The family of Caroline von Rantzau (26) broke the silence about her death after she was found dead on the Leeuwfontein Safaris hunting farm in Limpopo earlier this month.
Von Rantzau’s body was discovered on the farm on June 1, one day after the body of her friend, Arno Koën (44), was found on the same property.
According to a statement issued by the family’s legal representatives in South Africa and Germany on Monday, both deaths are currently being investigated as suspected suicide and there is no indication of crime or malicious action.
The family confirmed that Koën allegedly took his own life on May 31 and that Von Rantzau died the following day on the same farm.
“No crime is suspected and the family is cooperating fully with the South African police authorities,” the statement said.
The family is apparently still waiting for the results of the post-mortem examinations and the final findings of the police investigation. No further comments will be made in the meantime.
Police have since confirmed that two inquests have been launched.
According to the police, the first incident took place on May 31 on the farm Leeuwfontein in the Bulge River area. Koën, the family’s financial manager, was apparently found dead with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the chest.
Tributes for Koën have since poured in on social media. Friends, acquaintances and members of the wider community expressed their shock and sadness and described him as “someone who made a lasting impression on the lives of many people”.
The second incident occurred the next morning, June 1. The body of Von Rantzau was then discovered on the same farm.
The circumstances of both deaths are still under investigation.
Police confiscated a licensed rifle and a pistol as part of the investigation. Maj. Gen. Masingi, deputy provincial commissioner for crime investigations in Limpopo, also visited the scene to supervise the investigation.
“Post-mortem investigations have yet to be completed to determine the exact cause of the deaths,” said Masingi.
The police emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and that details about investigation methods cannot be disclosed at this stage.