Man arrested on suspicion of killing three women in UK crossbow attack

By CNN Newsource

Published July 12, 2024 4:18 AM

By Catherine Nicholls, CNN

(CNN) — The man suspected of murdering three women in a crossbow attack in southern England has been arrested, British police say.

Kyle Clifford, 26, was found by officers in Enfield, north London, on Wednesday following an extensive manhunt. He was in serious condition in hospital, then arrested on Thursday, police said.

“A man has now been arrested in connection with a triple murder which happened on Tuesday evening,” Hertfordshire Constabulary said Friday.

Carol Hunt, 61, the wife of BBC horse racing commentator, John Hunt, and their daughters, Hannah Hunt, 28, and Louise Hunt, 25, were named as the victims of the attack.

The three were found seriously injured at a house in the town of Bushey and later died in hospital. A crossbow was recovered as part of the investigation, which police believe was used in a “targeted incident.”

Detective Superintendent Rob Hall, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said Friday: “Our thoughts remain with the victims’ family at this tragic time.”

“The investigation is moving at pace and as a result, we have now arrested a man. Enquiries are continuing at this time,” he added.

The killings of the three women rocked Britain, where mass murders are infrequent but violence against women and girls has been officially labeled as a national threat.

A woman is killed by a man every three days in the UK and one in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, said earlier this year.

Tributes have also been flooding for the Hunt family, including from an array of BBC journalists. BBC Sport presenter Mark Chapman said: “John Hunt is our colleague, and our friend, not just to the current 5 Live Sport team, but to all of those who have worked here with him over the past 20 years.”

Dan Walker, who used to host the BBC show Football Focus, posted on X that: “John Hunt is one of the best and his life was ripped apart yesterday.”

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) said in a statement that its thoughts are with Hunt, his family, and friends. “It is impossible to comprehend the horror that has been inflicted upon them by this dreadful event,” Julie Harrington, the BHA chief executive, said.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Sana Noor Haq contributed reporting.