A convicted felon will serve just five years in prison for trespassing and killing a hunter who was in the process of field-dressing a buck he shot on opening day of Michigan’s 2018 deer season.

David Michael Barber, 45, was sentenced Monday. He received a sentence of 3 years on one charge of involuntary manslaughter; two years for being a felon in possession of a firearm; and 4 days for trespassing. The four days of prison time for the trespassing conviction was eliminated for time served. He had faced a maximum of 15 years on the manslaughter charge. 

According to the Michigan DNR, Justin Beutel, 38, was hunting on family land on opening day of Michigan’s 2018 deer season. He had just shot a buck, recovered it, and then sent photos of the deer to family and friends. After taking a photo of himself with the deer, Beutel started field-dressing the buck. He was then was shot and killed by Barber, who was just 55 yards away.

According to court records, Barber said he did not see Beutel and thought he was shooting at a deer. The investigative report said that after crossing a road and walking past “No Trespassing” signs, he crested a hill, saw what he thought was a deer, and shot.

After shooting, Barber approached the area and found Beutel slumped over the deer that he was field-dressing. Published reports said the two men did not know each other, but the investigative report said Barber was originally hunting a neighboring property that day and that he walked past the “No Trespassing” signs and onto the property belonging to Beutel’s family. 

It took a 12-person jury three days to return the guilty verdicts in Michigan’s 13th Circuit Court in Antrim County. The shooting occurred on Nov. 15, 2018, at approximately 1 p.m. on a hunting property that’s about 20 miles northeast of Traverse City.

—  —  —  —  —  —