German Heiress Found Dead at South African Safari Lodge

Millionaire German heiress shot dead at luxury South African safari lodge.

Caroline von Rantzau, 26, the heiress to a million-dollar German shipping firm, DAL, was mysteriously found dead at her family's luxury safari lodge in the Limpopo province in northern South Africa -- a day after her friend, the family's financial manager, was killed. German newspaper Bild reported that gunshots were heard on the property on June 1 and von Rantzau was found suffering from a gunshot wound. Police believe von Rantzau was shot by a . 357 caliber hunting rifle, the same weapon that her father, Dr Eberhart von Rantzau, had in his gun cabinet, the outlet reported. On May 31, the family estate’s financial manager, Arno Koën, was found dead on the property. The 44-year-old employee was killed by a 9mm gunshot. “The results of the autopsy will give investigators information about the actual causes of death and will determine whether investigations will be launched against other persons,” South African Police Services spokeswoman Malesela Ledwaba told the outlet.

Mystery deepens as von Rantzau's death was initially called an accident

The mystery around the two murders deepened as initial reports claimed that the shipping company claimed von Rantzau had been killed in a car accident. Bild reported that Koën, a mentor and foster father to von Rantzau, was in charge of the bookings and finances at the estate. Von Rantzau had begun to build an impressive real estate portfolio of her own, having just purchased two properties in the sprawling, untamed lands of the South African province, near the Mozambique border. She spent her time caring for the animals at the family estate, where antelope, horses, wildebeast, impalas, mongoose, monitors and birds live, according to the website. DAL, which sold its container liner business to Hapag-Lloyd in 2022, is a leading brand in chemical tankers across Europe, the company said. Dr Eberhart von Rantzau is part of the third generation of family ownership of the company founded by John T Essberger in 1924. Authorities have yet to explain exactly what unfolded – and no suspects have been identified. However, no others are currently under investigation.