The murder of three female runners in Kenya: Dark Side Of Glory

Dark Side of Glory, is a true crime documentary series that tells the stories behind shocking cases of murder in the world of sport. 

The first episode, The Durban Axe Murderer: The Rugby Killer, is a jaw-dropping  76-minute feature documentary which follows Joseph Ntshongwana, who played for South Africa at U21 level and for the Blue Bulls between 1998 and 2001. Ten years later, he was arrested for killing four men with an axe, and wounding two others. Joseph claimed to be avenging the gang rape and subsequent HIV infection of his daughter – but police found he had no children…

“There’s a saying that goes, ‘He couldn’t hurt a fly,’” says his former Blue Bulls teammate, Springbok winger McNeil Hendricks. “It’s hard to believe that Joseph Ntshongwana, as we knew him, had chopped people’s heads off.”

Other interviews include captain Rico Naidoo, colonels Jason McGray and Ze-Ev Krein, detective Marius Van Der Looy, and former South African Police Service head profiler Dr Gérard Labuschagne, as well as senior state advocate Nadira Moosa, psychiatrist ​​Dr Zuber Moola, rugby journalist Brenden Nel, and key witnesses, among others. 

“I felt it was crucial to ensure that the testimonies of the victims and witnesses in The Durban Axe Murderer were heard,” says Perretta. “Fikile Mkhwanazi, the partner of murder victim Paulus Hlongwa, sharing her story was particularly powerful.” 

The second episode, Death in the Heartlands, is an 86 minute feature documentary which investigates the murder of three female runners in Kenya in 2021: Edith Muthoni, a day later Agnes Tirop, and six months later Damaris Muthee Mutua. All had allegedly been killed by the men closest to them – their partners or coaches. 

Two of the murders happened in the elite running community of Iten, known as the Home of Champions. Tirop, an Olympian and two-time World Athletic Championship medalist, was found stabbed to death in her home there – soon after clinching a 10 000m world record in Germany. She would have been a favourite at the upcoming Paris Olympics. 

“The culture of elite sport is that we celebrate tunnel vision in order to pursue our goal. But then we become highly vulnerable,” says Yale academic Dr Yetsa Tuakli-Wosornu.

Other interviews include Directorate of Criminal Investigation inspector Andolo Munga; coach Joseph Cheromei; Agnes’ family and neighbours; and Olympian Viola Cheptoo Lagat, who co-founded Tirop’s Angels to stand in unity against gender-based violence. 

“Death in the Heartlands exposes the harsh challenges young, especially female, athletes face and celebrates the resilience and courage of the women who have organised to challenge the culture and system around elite running in Kenya,” says Perretta. 

“Dark Side of Glory puts the spotlight on the real voices behind these cases, from the relentless Durban police team that brought Joseph Ntshongwana to justice, to the courageous friends and families of Agnes Tirop, Edith Muthoni, and Damaris Muthee, who exposed the exploitation of female athletes,” says Perretta. “These are raw, powerful, and shocking stories.”