A mother and her two children found dead at their home in Bedfordshire died from blunt-force trauma, a post-mortem examination has found.
Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, known as Zandile, and her daughters Natalie, 15, and Nala, five, were discovered at their £1.3 million detached home in Great Denham, near Bedford, on July 6.
They were found after concerns were raised when they had not been seen for several days.
Bedfordshire Police said on Monday that blunt-force trauma had been recorded as the cause of death, as Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, who is suspected of killing his wife and daughters, appeared in court in South Africa.
He was remanded in custody after appearing at Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court.
Tshuma was arrested following “an intensive operation involving the SAPS Interpol National Central Bureau, Crime Intelligence and the Organised Crime Investigation Unit”, the South African Police Service (Saps) said in a statement on X on Friday.
Saps said the suspect, a British citizen of Zimbabwean heritage who goes by Mark, was traced and arrested “through swift operational coordination and intelligence-led policing”.
The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced that it had authorised three murder charges against the 45-year-old.
Work has begun to return him to the UK, Bedfordshire Police previously said.
Detective Inspector Lee Martin, senior investigating officer, said: “This case has attracted a huge amount of media coverage and we aware of international reports circulating which contain some speculation about this case.
“With three murder charges authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service, proceedings around this case remain active and we are not able to provide any further detail at this stage.
“We continue to work with the CPS and international partners as the case progresses.”
The South African Police Service said Tshuma was traced and arrested “through swift operational co-ordination and intelligence-led policing”.
