"He couldn’t hurt a fly. It’s hard to believe that he had committed such horrific acts.” Picture: Showmax
Did you hear about the Blue Bulls rugby player who turned into an axe murderer?
And did you hear about the Kenyan world record holder who could have been the Olympic favourite if she hadn’t been murdered?
Dark Side of Glory is a true crime documentary series exploring shocking murder cases within the world of sports.
The docuseries was directed by Arianna Perretta, who won Best Documentary at the 2023 Broadcast Digital Awards for The Footballer, His Wife and the Crash and was nominated for a 2024 True Crime Award for Football Fraudster.
The first episode, The Durban Axe Murderer: The Rugby Killer, is a compelling 76-minute documentary that delves into the story of Joseph Ntshongwana, a former South African U21 and Blue Bulls rugby player from 1998 to 2001.
A decade later, he was arrested for the brutal killing of four men with an axe and injuring two others. Ntshongwana claimed he was avenging his daughter’s gang rape and HIV infection, but investigations revealed he had no children.
Former Blue Bulls teammate McNeil Hendricks reflects, “There’s a saying that goes, ‘He couldn’t hurt a fly.’ It’s hard to believe that Joseph Ntshongwana, as we knew him, had committed such horrific acts.”
The episode features interviews with individuals such as Captain Rico Naidoo, Colonels Jason McGray and Ze-Ev Krein, Detective Marius Van Der Looy, former Head Profiler at the South African Police Service Dr Gérard Labuschagne, Senior State advocate Nadira Moosa, psychiatrist Dr Zuber Moola, rugby journalist Brenden Nel, and other key witnesses.
Perretta emphasises, “It was vital to ensure the voices of the victims and witnesses were heard. Fikile Mkhwanazi, partner of murder victim Paulus Hlongwa, sharing her experience was especially impactful.”
The second episode, Death in the Heartlands, delves into the tragic murders of three female runners in Kenya in 2021: Edith Muthoni, followed a day later by Agnes Tirop, and six months later by Damaris Muthee Mutua. All three women were allegedly killed by those closest to them, including their partners or coaches.
Two of these murders occurred in Iten, Kenya’s renowned elite running hub, where Tirop, an Olympian and two-time World Athletic Championship medalist, was found stabbed to death in her home shortly after setting a 10,000m world record in Germany. She was expected to be a top contender at the Paris Olympics.
Dr Yetsa Tuakli-Wosornu from Yale University remarks, “The culture of elite sport often celebrates tunnel vision to achieve goals, but this leaves athletes highly vulnerable.”
The documentary features interviews with Inspector Andolo Munga from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation, coach Joseph Cheromei, Agnes’ family and neighbors, and Olympian Viola Cheptoo Lagat, who co-founded Tirop’s Angels to combat gender-based violence.
Perretta noted that the episode reveals the severe challenges faced by young female athletes and honors the bravery of those who have mobilised to challenge the systemic issues within Kenya’s elite running community.”
Perretta also highlighted that the series brings attention to the real voices behind these cases, from the dedicated Durban police team that secured justice in the case of Ntshongwana, to the brave friends and families of Muthoni, Tirop, and Muthee who exposed the exploitation of female athletes. “These stories are raw, powerful, and shocking.”
*Both episodes are available on Showmax
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