A mother and her two children, found dead in a house in Great Denham, near Bedford, died from head injuries, an inquest has heard. Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, and her daughters Natalie, 15, and Nala, five, were discovered by police on 7 July.
Coroner Emma Whitting opened and adjourned an inquest into their deaths at a hearing in Ampthill, Bedfordshire, on Tuesday. Statements from the coroner's officers confirmed Nothabo died from "head injuries" and her daughters from "blunt force head injuries".
Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, 45, Nothabo's husband, was arrested in South Africa earlier this month. UK prosecutors have authorised murder charges against him, and South African courts will determine if a British extradition request meets legal requirements.
Bedfordshire Police were contacted on 6 July by a cousin concerned for the family's welfare. Officers found the bodies at the family home on Carnoustie Drive in the early hours of 7 July.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an investigation into police contact with the family before their deaths. A mandatory referral was made by Bedfordshire Police to the IOPC on 7 July, followed by a voluntary conduct referral concerning a police constable on 8 July.