BBC racing commentator John Hunt with wife Carol, and their two daughters Hannah and Louise (right)
BBC racing commentator John Hunt with wife Carol (left), and their two daughters Hannah and Louise (right) (Picture: PA)

The wife and two daughters of a BBC racing correspondent have been named as the victims of a triple crossbow attack in Hertfordshire.

Carol Hunt, 61, the wife of racing commentator John Hunt, was found dead at her home in Bushey, near Watford, alongside the couple’s daughter’s Hannah, 28, and Louise, 25 on Tuesday, July 10.

Reports say the three women were held hostage for hours inside their home before they died. They were later found with severe injuries.

Police launched a manhunt for Kyle Clifford, 26, from the Enfield area, following the attack. He was later found injured in a cemetery in North London and is currently being treated in hospital.

Follow our live blog for latest news on the Bushey crossbow attack

Hertfordshire Police said: ‘Following an extensive search, Kyle Clifford, aged 26, was found in the Enfield area by officers this afternoon.

‘He is receiving medical treatment having been found with injuries. No shots were fired by police.

‘At this stage, we believe the suspect was known to the victims.’

The BBC confirmed Mr Hunt’s family were killed in the attack, and described their deaths as ‘utterly devastating’.

The timeline of the triple murder in Bushey

Tuesday evening

6.30pm: A neighbour, who did not wish to be named, claimed they heard a woman screaming which ‘sounded shrill’.

7pm: Police and ambulance arrived on the scene after it is thought the husband and father of the victims, John Hunt, raised the alarm returning home from work.

7.30pm: The area is ordered into lockdown as police carry out their search for the suspect throughout the night.

Wednesday

10am: Police name Kyle Clifford as the suspect as they issue for an appeal for information to help find him.

11.30am: Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has asked to be kept ‘fully updated’ on the killings.

12.30pm: Hertfordshire Police confirm the ages of the victims in a press conference, and believe other weapons alongside a cross bow may have been used.

1pm: Victims are named as Carol, 61, Hannah, 28, and Louise Hunt, 25, the wife and two daughters of BBC Five Live racing commentator John Hunt.

3.30pm: Armed police are pictured in Enfield as the manhunt continues.

6.25pm: Police confirm they found Clifford in Enfield in the afternoon with injuries. They also said they believed he was known to the victims.

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Police launched a search for Kyle Clifford, 26, yesterday (Picture: Hertfordshire Police/SWNS)
Police launched a search for Kyle Clifford, 26, yesterday (Picture: Hertfordshire Police/SWNS)
John Hunt BBC racing commentator - dad
John Hunt with his wife Carol

A note sent to BBC 5 Live staff read: ‘The news today about John Hunt’s family is utterly devastating.

‘Our thoughts are with John and his family at this incredibly difficult time and we will provide him with all the support we can.’

Detectives say the women were targeted with a crossbow and other weapons.

Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit said: ‘This continues to be an incredibly difficult time for the victims’ family and we would ask that their privacy is respected as they come to terms with what has happened.

‘This investigation is moving at pace and formal identification of the victims is yet to take place.

***AWAITING ID*** Bushey murder victims Sister Hannah Hunt https://www.facebook.com/hannah.hunt.102?locale=en_GB
Hannah Hunt (Picture: Facebook)
***AWAITING ID*** Bushey murder victims Louise Hunt: https://www.facebook.com/louisehunt99/friends?locale=en_GB
Louise Hunt (Picture: Facebook)

Up Next

Armed police use bolt cutters to gain access to the Enfield Council, Cooks Hole Allotment site in Enfield, as the hunt Kyle Clifford (26), the suspect in a triple murder case continues. July 10, 2024. Release date ? July 10, 2024. Detectives investigating a triple murder which occurred in Bushey, Hertfordshire, yesterday evening (Tuesday 9 July) are actively seeking a man who is wanted in connection with the incident. Police were called to a property in Ashlyn Close just before 7pm. Officers attended alongside the ambulance service and on arrival, found three women with serious injuries. Sadly, despite their best efforts, the women, who are believed to be related, died a short time later at the scene. Police have since been searching throughout the night for 26-year-old Kyle Clifford from the Enfield area who is wanted in connection with the incident.
Armed police in Enfield (Picture: James Linsell Clark/SWNS)

‘Following extensive enquiries, the suspect has been located and nobody else is being sought in connection with the investigation at this time.

‘We have had an overwhelming number of calls and would like to express our gratitude to the members of the public who have contacted us.

‘We would still appeal for anyone with information or footage to please contact police directly and refrain from commenting on social media as this could affect the progress of the case.’

A friend of Louise Hunt has said she was ‘always a positive person’ and that he could not think of ‘anything bad to say about her’.

He told BBC News: ‘I knew Louise back from school days and she was really sweet, very kind, always a positive person.

‘I can’t think of anything bad to say about her – a really lovely person all round, a super hardworking person.

Mr Hunt’s fellow BBC racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght has spoken about his reaction to the tragedy.

He said: ‘There are no words. Like everyone else I feel numb and sick on John’s behalf at such incomprehensible evil.’

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