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From George Maponga in Masvingo

A 32- year-old woman from Neshuro, in Mwenezi, south of Masvingo allegedly axed her husband and daughter to death before committing suicide following a row over the upkeep of her in-laws.

Florence Nhotito of Paringira Village in the Makurirofa area of Neshuro on Saturday allegedly killed her husband Simbarashe Butete and daughter Leander (3), in cold blood before hanging herself from a tree, about 3km from her matrimonial homestead.

Stunned villagers found Simbarashe and his daughter Leander’s bodies lying in a pools of blood in their bedroom with an axe stuck in each head.

Masvingo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa confirmed the murder and suicide cases saying bodies of the trio were taken to Neshuro District Hospital.

Inspector Dhewa said investigations were ongoing to establish the actual circumstances leading to the grisly murders and suicide.

“Police managed to recover both axes that were stuck in the first deceased (Simbarashe) and the second deceased (Leander)’s heads. The suspect, who is now deceased, was found hanging in a tree about 3km from her home and the bodies of the trio are awaiting post-mortem,” said Inspector Dhewa.

According to facts gleaned by the police on Saturday morning, Simbarashe allegedly had a heated dispute with his wife over the upkeep of the former’s parents who stayed about 100 metres from their matrimonial home.

Its is not clear what precipitated the dispute but it erupted in the presence of their eight year-old son.

Florence allegedly then asked the son to go and fetch some firewood while she remained behind with the other two deceased.

After a while, Florence allegedly left her home and passed through a neighbour’s house where she told a juvenile girl that she had murdered her hubby and daughter and that she was going to kill herself.

The girl alerted other villagers about the murder.

Villagers ganged up and tried to apprehend Florence but she outpaced them and vanished into the bush.

They then went to Simbarashe’s homestead and found his lifeless body and that of his daughter lying in a pool of blood in the house.

Two axes were stuck on the pair’s heads which also had deep axe cuts and the back and on the left and right side. A further search by villagers led to the discovery of Florence’s body hanging on a tree branch on the outskirts of the village.

A report was made to the police who came and took the bodies to the mortuary.