Family died from head wounds after alleged murder
The coroner opens an inquest after the family were found dead at home.
A mother and her two daughters, found deceased in their home on July 7, succumbed to head wounds, an inquest has revealed. The victims, Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, and her children Natalie, 15, and Nala, five, are believed to have been murdered by the children's father.
Authorities discovered the bodies in a residence in Great Denham, near Bedford. Coroner Emma Whitting formally opened and subsequently adjourned the inquest into their deaths during a hearing held in Ampthill, Bedfordshire, on Tuesday.
Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, 45, Nothabo's husband, was apprehended in South Africa earlier this month. UK prosecutors have since authorized murder charges against him.
Statements from the coroner's officers indicated that the mother's cause of death was "head injuries," while the daughters died from "blunt force head injuries." The inquest has been adjourned to an unspecified future date.
Police entered the family's home on Carnoustie Drive in Great Denham in the early hours of July 7. Sam Silk from the coroner's office stated that Nothabo's cousin contacted Bedfordshire Police on July 6, expressing concern for the family's well-being. The cousin reported that she typically spoke with Nothabo daily but had not heard from her for several days.
Investigations revealed that the children had not attended school that day. Initial welfare checks by police at an associated address found it vacant. Officers then proceeded to the family home on Carnoustie Drive, where they discovered the bodies.
In a related development, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has initiated an investigation into the "contact" police officers had with the mother and her children prior to their deaths. A spokesperson for the watchdog confirmed that Bedfordshire Police made a "mandatory referral" to the IOPC on July 7. Additionally, a "voluntary conduct referral concerning a police constable" was received on July 8.
Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma was arrested in Johannesburg on July 10 on an unlicensed firearms charge, after having left the UK. He later appeared in court in South Africa, accused of illegally possessing firearms. South African courts will now determine if a British extradition request meets the legal criteria for his transfer back to the UK, where prosecutors have authorized three murder charges.