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By News24 Wire

Wire Service


Suncoast Beach bodies: Police now suspect murder-suicide

Two people who were found dead near popular Suncoast Beach in Durban last week could have been killed in a murder suicide, new police evidence suggests.


Police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker confirmed that post-mortem examinations were conducted on Chatsworth mother of three, Fathima Muhammad, 50, and 24-year-old Kresen Chandiah, also from the same area.

Initially, a double murder case was opened, but the investigation has now changed.

“Police are now investigating an inquest as well as a murder. This is as a result of evidence gathered during the course of the investigation as well as the post-mortem that was conducted last week,” Naicker said.

The two were found dead on the dunes of Suncoast Beach last week, much to the shock of local residents.

The busy beach is a popular tourist destination which hundreds of thousands flock to at this time of the year.

Police previously stated that they were investigating two charges of murder.

Naicker said police were alerted to the deaths at around 16:00 last Monday.

There were little signs of theft with just Muhammad’s cellphone missing.

Social media was abuzz when news of the deaths broke.

Pictures of the scene, which showed the bloody remains of the two, went viral.

The picture showed a knife in Chandiah’s abdomen as he lay dead in the sand next to Muhammad.

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