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A man suspected of murdering his wife and two daughters near Bedford has been urged by police to hand himself in after fleeing to Zimbabwe.
Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, ۴۲, known as Zandile, and Natalie, ۱۵, and Nala, five, were found dead in their £۱.۳m detached house in Carnoustie Drive, Great Denham. Police forced entry to the house on Monday after receiving reports the family had not been seen for days.
Bedfordshire police named the only suspect as Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, ۴۵, who is also known as Mark, and released a CCTV image of him on Saturday at Heathrow airport as he left the country for Zimbabwe.
In a direct appeal to Tshuma, DI Lee Martin, the detective leading the murder investigation, urged him to surrender to the authorities before the police catch him in an international manhunt.
He said: “Mark, I am now speaking to you directly. Unthinkable harm has been caused to those around you. Three innocent people have lost their lives in the worst possible circumstances, leaving your relatives and friends devastated. We are throwing the full weight of the law behind this investigation.”
Martin added: “Criminal investigations know no borders. We are actively working with national and international agencies to pursue every available line of inquiry to track you down and we will find you. So please, do the right thing, come forward and hand yourself in to local authorities.”
Police said Tshuma was travelling on a UK passport and is a British citizen of Zimbabwean heritage.
He is listed on Companies House as the director of Nexus Trove Holdings, a property business with assets worth more than £۱m. It made profits of more than £۴۸,۰۰۰ in ۲۰۲۴, according to its most recent filings.
Martin said his teams were investigating a number of lines of inquiry as part of a “fast-paced complex investigation”.
He added: “Our thoughts are still very much with Zandile, Natalie and Nala, as well as all of those who loved and knew them, at this extremely difficult time.”
Several police vehicles were outside the home on Wednesday as detectives gathered forensic evidence.
Carnoustie Drive is an upmarket development of large detached houses next to a golf course. According to Rightmove, the property was bought for £۱,۲۷۰,۰۰۰ in May ۲۰۲۴, and has a swimming pool, four bedrooms and four bathrooms.
The property’s driveway was cordoned off and bunches of flowers were laid on a hedge outside the house.
A woman who was among five people who laid flowers outside the house said: “We’re really sorry to lose her. She was such a gracious mother.”
Another resident, who did not wish to be named, expressed shock that the incident took place in “such a nice and safe area”.
Zandile Tshuma was an associate director at London-based Forensic Risk Alliance (FRA), where she specialised in fraud detection, anti-money laundering and regulatory compliance.
She worked with a number of international clients including in financial services, manufacturing, aerospace, and the oil & gas sector. FRA’s website said she provided data analytics to “support complex multinational investigations and mitigate financial crime risk”.
A spokesperson for FRA said they could not comment.
Zandile Tshuma previously worked at KPMG where she helped banks and energy firms detect and monitor high-risk traders’ communications.
Police are appealing for anyone with information. On Tuesday assistant chief constable John Murphy said: “I would ask anyone who may have information about this incident, or who may have heard or seen any suspicious activity in Carnoustie Drive, particularly on Friday and Saturday, to please come forward to police as soon as possible. Any information, no matter how small, could help our investigation.”
He added: “I would also ask people to be mindful of the privacy of the victims and avoid speculating about what might have happened.”
