Michigan hunter gets 5 years in prison for accidental death of hunter

BELLAIRE, Mich. (AP) – A Michigan hunter convicted of killing another hunter on the first day of the 2018 deer season was sentenced Monday to at least five years in prison.

David Barber of Gaylord was sentenced for involuntary manslaughter and a gun offense, about a month after a jury convicted him in Antrim County.

Investigators said Barber believed he had shot a deer but instead struck Justin Beutel who was found slumped over a deer, 55 yards (50.2 meters) away. Beutel, 38, of Midland County had sent a photo of himself and his buck to family just before his death.

The men didn’t know each other. Barber, 46, will be eligible for parole after five years in prison.