Peter Roy Barber

Peter Roy Barber (1927 – 11 December 1980), known as the Laughing Killer, was an English-born South African serial killer who murdered two mistresses and a twelve-year-old girl in Pinetown, near Durban, between 1973 and 1979. He was additionally suspected of murdering another mistress but was acquitted of that crime since her body was never found.

Convicted and sentenced to death for his confirmed crimes, Barber later confessed to all four murders in an attempt to have his sentence commuted. This was unsuccessful, and he was executed in 1980.

Early life Little is known of Peter Roy Barber's early life. Born in 1927 in Hastings, Sussex, he joined the Royal Air Force in 1946, where he served as a batman. Sometime in the 1950s, Barber married a woman, but the union fell through and he moved to Newbury. He opened a bakery business in Kingsclere called Sundriesman, but the venture proved unsuccessful and he was declared bankrupt in December 1955.

Murders In December 1973, Barber returned home and found that somebody had apparently tampered with his personal papers. He then paid one of his workers £1 to dispose of the drums, which the man didit is suspected they were left at a nearby rubbish dump, but they were never found.

Arrest and confessions Around March 1979, Barber phoned Lt. Louis du Toit, a friend in the local detachment of the South African Police (SAP), saying that he wanted to buy a wreath and coffin for Majola's funeral. Despite searching the rubbish dump, the drums in which their bodies were supposedly stuffed were never found.

Trial and sentence Barber's trial began on September 10, 1979, with Deputy Attorney General of Natal Hendrik Klem serving as prosecutor, while Peter Combrinck handled Barber's defence.

Imprisonment and execution Following his conviction, Barber was transferred to the Pretoria Central Prison's death row to await execution. Despite multiple attempts on behalf of the British government to have his sentence commuted, all of his appeals were denied. In an attempt to have his sentence commuted, Barber admitted responsibility for killing Ndlovu, but this was considered insufficient for a reduction.

On December 11, 1980, Barber was hanged at the Pretoria Central Prison.