Crossbow killings suspect found after attack on BBC sport commentator’s wife and daughters

By Benjamin Brown, Louis Mian and Eve Brennan, CNN

London (CNN) — A suspect wanted in connection with the triple killings of the wife and two daughters of a BBC sport commentator was found by British police Wednesday following a manhunt.

The search for Kyle Clifford, 26, began on Tuesday evening when police were called to a house in Bushey, Hertfordshire, where they found three seriously injured women.

Carol Hunt, 61, wife of BBC horse racing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters, Hannah Hunt, 28, and Louise Hunt, 25, later died from their wounds, according to statements Wednesday from police and Britain’s public broadcaster.

A crossbow is believed to have been used in the “targeted incident,” police said, adding that other weapons may also have been used.

Clifford, who police warned may have been armed with a crossbow, was found in Enfield, North London on Wednesday afternoon, Hertfordshire Police said in a statement.

“A man wanted in connection with a triple murder in Bushey has been traced to a location in North London. Following an extensive search, Kyle Clifford, aged 26, was found in the Enfield area by officers this afternoon (Wednesday, July 10),” the statement said.

“At this stage, we believe the suspect was known to the victims.” The suspect is hospitalized in a serious condition and is yet to speak with officers, police said in an update Thursday.

Clifford left the British army in 2022 after a short period of service, a source in the British defense ministry told CNN. He joined the forces in 2019 and served in the Household Cavalry, his former military boss told CNN.

The killings sent shock waves through Britain, where mass murders are rare but violence against women has been labeled a national threat by the government.

A woman is killed by a man every three days in the United Kingdom 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.

“Entrenched patriarchy at almost every level of society, combined with a rise in misogyny that permeates the physical and online world, is denying thousands of women and girls across the UK the right to live in safety, free from fear and violence,” Alsalem said in February.

‘Utterly devastating’

The BBC described the women’s killings as “utterly devastating” in a statement to staff. The broadcaster said it would give Hunt “all the support we can” as part of a note sent to BBC Radio 5 Live staff.

“The news today about John Hunt’s family is utterly devastating,” it said. “Our thoughts are with John and his family at this incredibly difficult time and we will provide him with all the support we can.”

British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper expressed her condolences following the killings.

“The loss of three women’s lives in Bushey last night is truly shocking. My thoughts are with the family and friends of those who have been killed and with the community,” Cooper wrote on X Wednesday.

“I am being kept fully updated. I urge people to support Hertfordshire Police with any information about this case.”

A neighbor of the women said she “would see them every day passing by and they would say good morning,” according to PA Media.

“It’s really sad what’s happened, very shocking,” she added.

In Britain, it is legal for a person to buy or own a crossbow if they are over 18, though anyone who carries one in public without a reasonable excuse can face imprisonment. In February, the previous government launched an eight-week review of the rules and the possibility of introducing a licensing scheme.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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CNN’s Eve Brennan contributed reporting.