LONDON — British police said Friday that they have arrested a 26-year-old man on suspicion of killing two sisters and their mother in a crossbow attack.
In a statement Friday, Hertfordshire Police said that they arrested the suspect on Thursday evening. He remains in a serious condition in a hospital.
Police previously said that Kyle Clifford was captured on Wednesday in a cemetery near his home in Enfield, around 15 miles (24 kilometers) from the scene of the crimes, following a near day-long manhunt. Officers who found Clifford recovered a crossbow and took him away on a stretcher from Lavender Hill Cemetery with undisclosed injuries. Police said no shots had been fired.
The three women — the family of a well-known BBC radio commentator —- were found with serious injuries at their home in the quiet residential neighborhood of Bushey, northeast of the capital, on Tuesday evening. Police and ambulance crews tried to save Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Hannah, 28, and Louise, 25, but they were pronounced dead at the scene.
“Our thoughts remain with the victims’ family at this tragic time,” said Detective Superintendent Rob Hall, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit.
The women were the wife and two of the three daughters of John Hunt, a well-known horse racing commentator for BBC 5 Live, the corporation’s news and sports radio channel. His voice is known to millions through his coverage of the world famous Grand National and The Derby.
At a memorial service on Thursday at St. James’ Church nearby, shocked friends and neighbors expressed their sympathies for John Hunt and his one remaining daughter. Others laid flowers near the scene of the attack, which remained cordoned off.
“We grew up together and were pregnant at the same time,” said Lea Holloway, who had known Carol Hunt since she was 16. “This is the stuff nightmares are made of … I can’t imagine what it would be like.”
In a post on Facebook, Hannah Hunt’s colleagues at The Anti-Ageing Clinic nearby said it was with “deep regret and sadness” that they learned of the “horrific murder on Tuesday night of our skin therapist Hannah.”
Others remembered Louise Hunt through her work as a dog groomer. “RIP Louise. Reggie says thank you for making him look so handsome,” said one card accompanying a floral tribute left near the crime scene.
Police have not yet said how or whether Clifford was connected to the women, but said they believed the attack was targeted. British media reported that Clifford was an ex-boyfriend of one of the victims.
As well as searching Clifford’s house, police were also seen at a house linked to his brother, Bradley Clifford, who was jailed for life with a minimum term of 23 years for the murder of moped passenger Soban Khan in 2018.
People in Britain do not need a license to own a crossbow, but it is illegal to carry one in public without a reasonable excuse.
Keir Starmer, the Labour prime minister who took office last week, relayed his condolences and said the government is looking at tightening the legislation on crossbows.
“In relation to crossbows, the home secretary has announced that she will will look at the legislation and we will, but there’s no getting away from just how awful this incident was,” Starmer told the BBC while at a NATO meeting in Washington.
The weapon has been used in several high-profile crimes in recent years.
In December 2021 a would-be assailant carrying a loaded crossbow broke into Windsor Castle seeking to kill Queen Elizabeth II. Jaswant Singh Chail pleaded guilty to a treason charge and was sentenced last year to nine years in prison.
A shocking and tragic incident has unfolded near London, as British police have arrested a man on suspicion of the crossbow murders of three women. The suspect, whose identity has not been released, was taken into custody following a series of gruesome killings that have left the community in shock and disbelief.
The first victim was discovered in a wooded area just outside of London, her body bearing multiple wounds consistent with a crossbow attack. As investigators combed the scene for evidence, two more bodies were found in close proximity, both also showing signs of being killed by a crossbow.
The motive behind these brutal murders remains unclear, but authorities are working tirelessly to piece together the events leading up to the killings. The suspect is currently being held for questioning, and police are urging anyone with information to come forward to assist in their investigation.
The use of a crossbow as the murder weapon has added an eerie and unsettling element to this already horrific crime. Crossbows are not commonly used in violent crimes, making this case particularly unusual and disturbing.
The impact of these murders has reverberated throughout the community, leaving residents fearful and on edge. The senseless loss of three lives has left many questioning how such a tragedy could occur in their quiet corner of the world.
As the investigation continues, authorities are working diligently to bring justice to the victims and their families. The arrest of the suspect is a significant step forward in this process, but there is still much work to be done to uncover the full truth behind these heinous crimes.
In times like these, it is important for communities to come together in support of one another and to stand united against violence and senseless acts of cruelty. The victims of these murders deserve justice, and it is up to law enforcement and the community at large to ensure that those responsible are held accountable for their actions.
As more details emerge in this tragic case, it serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of coming together in times of crisis. Our thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones during this difficult time, and we can only hope that justice will be served for those who have been so brutally taken from us.
