UK Police Search for Man Accused of Killing Family and Fleeing to Zimbabwe

UK police are on the hunt for a man who is suspected of killing his wife and two young daughters. He reportedly fled Britain for Zimbabwe.

Investigators are asking the suspect to turn himself in. They remind him that the “criminal investigation knows no borders.”

The man, Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, 42, is a British citizen of Zimbabwean descent. He is also known as Mark. Bedfordshire Police named him on Wednesday as the suspect in the murders of Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, and their two daughters, Natalie, 15, and Nala, five.

Police discovered the bodies of the mother and children on Monday. They forced their way into a house on Carnoustie Drive in Great Denham, Bedfordshire.

Authorities have released CCTV footage of Tshuma. He is believed to have left the UK from Heathrow Airport on Saturday, using his British passport.

The police website states, “Officers from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit launched a murder investigation on Tuesday (7 July) after the bodies of a woman and two children were discovered at a property in Great Denham.

“Although formal identification has yet to take place, police believe them to be his wife and two daughters.”

Detective Inspector Lee Martin made a direct appeal to the suspect. He said:

“We have been carrying out numerous lines of inquiry as part of this fast-paced investigation. We know that Mark Tshuma left the country on Saturday and is now believed to be in Zimbabwe.

“And we are urgently working to find and apprehend him, and would appeal to him directly to hand himself in.

“Mark, unthinkable harm has been caused to those around you, and this has left your relatives and friends utterly devastated.

“Criminal investigation knows no borders. We are actively working with national and international agencies to pursue every available line of inquiry to track you down. Please do the right thing, come forward and hand yourself in to local authorities.

“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.”

Assistant Chief Constable John Murphy shared his thoughts on the tragedy under Operation Snowdrift. He said: “This is a deeply distressing incident in which a mother and her two children are believed to have been murdered.

“Our thoughts are first and foremost with all those affected. We recognize that this will cause concern in the local community and beyond.

“We are committing all necessary resources to establish exactly what has happened and to find the person responsible.

“As a result of inquiries undertaken so far, we have identified a suspect, who was known to all three victims, and who we believe has since left the country.

“While there is nothing to suggest there is any wider risk to the public, we will be increasing the police presence in and around the area to support the investigation and provide reassurance to residents.”

In Great Denham, four police cars were seen outside the house on Tuesday evening. The driveway remained blocked off.

Shocked neighbors gathered near the family home to pay their respects. They left flowers on a nearby hedge.

One person laying flowers said they were “really sorry to lose her,” adding, “She was such a gracious mother.”

Another local expressed disbelief, saying they were shocked that this could happen in “such a nice and safe area.”

Bedfordshire Police are asking anyone who saw anything suspicious on Carnoustie Drive on Friday or Saturday to contact them. They also want anyone with more information to reach out and quote Operation Snowdrift.