WATCH: Dramatic Body Cam shows Murder Suspect Resist Arrest, Forcing Officers to Use Force in Heart-Pounding KwaZulu-Natal Takedown

SHAKASKRAAL, KZN – Newly released body camera footage from Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) documents the intense moment a male suspect, wanted for a brutal murder, emerges from hiding in an attempt to escape custody.

The video, labeled as BodyCam Footage No. 103, shows the suspect suddenly rising from beneath a large stack of clothing on a bedroom floor, just meters away from an officer preparing to inspect a nearby cupboard. Officers had already secured the room by blocking both doors following the peaceful arrest of the suspect's wife. Additional RUSA personnel were stationed outside the windows of the five-bedroom residence to prevent any escape. The home, housing ten other individuals who exhibited suspicious behavior, was under surveillance using binoculars, confirming the male suspect remained inside.

In the footage, the suspect resists arrest upon discovery, leading officers to force him to the ground and restrain him physically.

This arrest stems from one of 27 tip-offs received by RUSA regarding the location of the 34-year-old couple accused in the slaying of 33-year-old Doctor William Mputhi. The murder took place on Saturday afternoon in Shakas Head, KZN, where the suspects allegedly slashed and stabbed Mputhi using a gardening tool, then escaped with their three-year-old child.

Mputhi, originally from QwaQwa in the Free State, had been residing in Shakashead with his six-year-old daughter since his wife's passing in 2020. He ran a construction firm called Mr Cladding, serving clients in regions like Ballito, Morningside, Umhlanga, and La Lucia.

The incident reportedly arose from a dispute over a R750 loan borrowed by the tenants—Mputhi's guarantor role led to an assault by a loan shark earlier that day, prompting him to confront the female suspect. Her husband then joined, and the pair attacked Mputhi in front of his child, inflicting wounds to his stomach, chest, and rib cage.

Identified as 34-year-old Mevendran Reddy and his wife, surnamed Pillay, the suspects had relocated to the area four months prior. Reddy worked for a towing service in Shakaskraal, while Pillay hailed from Richards Bay. Their social media profiles were deactivated post-incident.

RUSA officers located the pair in a fenced five-bedroom property in Shakas Head, a known area for criminal activity, where they were amassing funds to abscond. Eight officers encircled the site, sealing off roads and paths before entry. The female suspect was apprehended while holding her child, followed by the male's discovery and restraint.

The couple remains in custody at SAPS Umhlali under case number 347/08/2025 for murder.