BEDFORD, United Kingdom — British police have launched an urgent international manhunt for a father suspected of murdering his wife and two young daughters, who is believed to have fled the country to Zimbabwe.
Bedfordshire Police named the suspect as Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, 45, a British citizen of Zimbabwean heritage who also goes by the name Mark. He is believed to have left the United Kingdom on July 4 through London Heathrow Airport using his British passport.
The bodies of his wife, Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, known as Zandile, and their daughters, Natalie, 15, and Nala, five, were discovered on July 6 at the family’s £1.3 million home in the affluent Great Denham area of Bedfordshire. Police forced entry into the property on Carnoustie Drive after concerns were raised that they had not been seen for several days.
Formal identification of the victims is yet to take place, but police believe they are the suspect’s wife and children.
Detective Inspector Lee Martin, leading the investigation under Operation Snowdrift, issued a direct plea to Tshuma: “We know that Mark Tshuma left the country on Saturday and is now believed to be in Zimbabwe. We are urgently working to find and apprehend him, and would appeal to him directly to hand himself in. Criminal investigation knows no borders.”
Martin added: “Unthinkable harm has been caused to those around you, and this has left your relatives and friends utterly devastated. Please do the right thing, come forward and hand yourself in to local authorities.”
Police have released a CCTV image of the suspect as part of the manhunt and are collaborating with national and international agencies to track him down.
Assistant Chief Constable John Murphy described the case as “a deeply distressing incident” and said police are committing all necessary resources to establish exactly what happened. “There is nothing to suggest there is any wider risk to the public,” he said, while confirming increased patrols in the area.
Tshuma is believed to have fled to Zimbabwe, which does not have an extradition treaty with the United Kingdom. This legal barrier could complicate efforts to bring him back to Britain to face trial.
According to Companies House records, Tshuma ran a property business, Nexus Trove Holdings, from his home address. The business had just over £1 million in assets at the end of 2024 and made a profit of £48,277 that year. The property, a four-bedroom house with a swimming pool, was purchased for £1.27 million in May 2024.
Residents of Great Denham expressed shock over the tragedy. One local described the killings as “unimaginable” in what is considered a peaceful and close-knit community. Flowers have been placed outside the cordoned-off property as neighbours mourn the victims.
Police have appealed for anyone with information about suspicious activity on Carnoustie Drive on Friday or Saturday to contact Bedfordshire Police and quote Operation Snowdrift. For now, the search for Tshuma continues across international borders.
