BBC Five Live racing commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters have been revealed as the victims of a deadly crossbow attack at their home.
Mother Carol, 61, and daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28, were found fatally injured at their £800,000 detached home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, last night.
Police sources said the three women were tied up before being shot in a ‘targeted attack’ that may have also included ‘other weapons’.
A huge manhunt is underway to find suspect Kyle Clifford, 26, who is the ex-boyfriend of John’s daughter Louise.
Helicopters were seen circling the Hilly Fields area of Enfield, north London, on Wednesday afternoon before police raided an empty property in the area.
They then turned their sights on a nearby primary school which has gone into lockdown after locating the suspect’s car.
The force warned Clifford may still be armed and is dangerous. The public have been urged not to approach him and call 999.
Victim Louise Hunt is the ex-girlfriend of crossbow suspect Kyle Clifford
Hannah Hunt, sister of Louise and daughter of John, also died after being shot with a crossbow at the family’s £800,000 home
Carol Hunt, who was married to BBC horse racing commentator John Hunt (pictured together), was found fatally injured along with her two daughters at her home last night
John with his wife Carol, who was found with fatal injuries at their £800,000 detached house in Bushey, Hertfordshire last night
Carol Hunt (pictured) and her two daughters were tied up before being shot with a crossbow, MailOnline understands
A huge manhunt is underway to find suspect Kyle Clifford, 26, who is the ex-boyfriend of John’s daughter Louise
Police stand at a cordon in front and blue tent which has been erected outside a property in Bushey, Hertfordshire following the deaths of three women
Two armed police officers stand guard at the scene on a street in Bushey where three women, believed to be related, were discovered with serious injuries
Police have said they have launched a manhunt for Clifford
Clifford, from Enfield, north London, used to work as a security guard, it has been reported.
This morning, the usually quiet cul-de-sac was swarming with armed police and forensic officers as the triple murder investigation continued.
Louise’s father John was working at Lingfield Park race course yesterday before returning home to discover the horror that had unfolded.
Shocked neighbours said Louise ran a dog grooming business called Groom and Glow from the detached house in a cul-de-sac.
Local resident William Nourallah paid tribute to the ‘beautiful young girl’.
He said: ‘She was a gorgeous girl. She really was a young, hardworking girl. I met the mum once or twice because she opened the door for me. I met the father
‘She was happy every time I saw her. We would have a laugh and a joke. She was a beautiful young girl. It’s a waste of a life.’
Another neighbour Glyn Nicholas, 77, said that Louise had been left upset at breaking up with a boyfriend and crashed her car last week as a result.
A blue and white forensic tent has been erected in the front garden of one of the homes in the cul-de-sac in Bushey
Forensics outside a home in Ashlyn Close, Bushey, where three women were found ‘murdered’
He said: ‘Louise was a very nice girl. She ran a dog grooming business from the house.
‘I heard that she split from a boyfriend last week and was very upset about it. So much so that she was driving home at some point last week and drove into a wooden telegraph pole not far from the house.
‘Another dog groomer – who is a friend of Louise’s – told me that her car door had caved in because of the crash.
‘Who the boyfriend was, I don’t know I never saw him. I believe Hannah, Louise’s sister, was also killed along with their mother Carol.
‘I didn’t know Hannah too well but Carol was very quaint, a nice, polite and quiet lady. She was at home a lot of the time.
‘Her husband John is a BBC radio commentator. He commentates on horse racing mostly. I believe he may have been at Lingfield racecourse yesterday.
‘This is such an awful incident, the whole community is in shock.’
A neighbour, who lives on the ‘serene and quiet road’ and did not want to be named, said they were a ‘friendly family’.
‘We would see them every day passing by and they would say ‘good morning’,’ she said. ‘It’s really sad what’s happened, very shocking.’
A paramedic can be seen talking into his radio at the crime scene while a police officer stands guard at one of the houses
Police in Ashlyn Close, Bushey, Hertfordshire, where three women, who police believe to be related, died last night
A police car is seen parked up outside a police cordon in Ashlyn Close, Bushey
The Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is being kept ‘fully updated’ on the killings of the three women who were found in Bushey, Hertfordshire, and has urged anyone with information about the case to contact police.
The Labour MP said in a post on X, formerly Twitter: ‘The loss of three women’s lives in Bushey last night is truly shocking. My thoughts are with the family & friends of those who have been killed & with the community.
‘I am being kept fully updated. I urge people to support (Hertfordshire Police) with any information about this case.’
An aerial view of the scene of the suspected triple murder in Bushey, Hertfordshire
Two officers stand outside a police cordon at the scene of a triple murder in Ashlyn Close
A lone police officers patrols the road at the scene of a triple murder in Ashlyn Close
In a statement released this morning Detective Superintendent Rob Hall from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit said: ‘This is an incredibly difficult incident for the victims’ family and we would ask that their privacy is respected as they come to terms with what has happened.
‘Whilst we are still in the early stages of this investigation, we are actively seeking Kyle Clifford who we believe could be in the areas of Hertfordshire or North London.
‘Given the serious nature of the incident, I would ask anyone who knows where he is to contact police immediately. If you believe you see him, please do not approach him and dial 999 straight away.
‘He may still be in possession of a weapon.
Several police cars can also been seen parked on the road. One resident claimed 11 police cars, an armed response unit, 4 ambulances and a fire engine descended on the scene last night
An officer stands next to a police a car outside the scene of a triple murder in Ashlyn Close, Bushey
A police officer walks down the road at the site of a triple murder in Bushey on Wednesday
‘Our enquires will continue over the coming days to ascertain the full circumstances of what happened but I would also like to take this opportunity appeal to anyone who was in the area around Ashlyn Close from around lunchtime on Tuesday until 7pm, and believes they may have seen anything that could assist the investigation, to contact us.
‘This incident will of course be of concern to local residents. Officers from the Neighbourhood Policing Team will be in the area today so please do speak to them if you need to.’
An East of England Ambulance Service spokesperson said: ‘We were called around 7pm on Tuesday July 9 to a property in Ashlyn Close in Bushey.
‘Three ambulances, a rapid response vehicle, an ambulance officer vehicle, the Hazardous Area Response Team, the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance and London Air Ambulance were sent to the scene.
‘Sadly, despite the team’s best efforts, three women were pronounced dead at the scene.’
