BBC Racing commentator John Hunt has spoken out after his wife and two daughters were killed in a crossbow attack.
In a heartfelt message shared by his friend and fellow commentator Matt Chapman, Hunt urged people to “make the most of every day.” Chapman revealed Hunt’s words: “He told me, ‘Matty, you never know when it’s going to be the last day you see your family.’
The message was very clear: make the most of every day because you just don’t know.”
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Chapman added, “Family means more to some than others and for John, his family unit was something he absolutely adored.” The tragic incident occurred last Tuesday when Carol Hunt, 61, and the couple’s daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28, were allegedly tied up and fatally shot with a crossbow at their home in Bushey, Hertfordshire.
Following a major manhunt, police captured Kyle Clifford at a cemetery in Enfield, north London, on Thursday. Clifford, 26, a former soldier and ex-boyfriend of Louise, was arrested on suspicion of the triple murder. He remains hospitalized with suspected self-inflicted injuries.
A fundraiser for John’s family has raised over £28,000. Chapman noted that John’s “biggest desire” is to ensure surviving daughter Amy has “no money worries for the rest of her life.” He acknowledged that while financial support won’t alleviate their grief, it “might help them have an easier life.”
John, 58, and Amy, who lives in Birmingham, previously expressed their profound grief in a statement: “The devastation that we are experiencing cannot be put into words. We would like to thank people for their kind messages and support, which have provided great comfort.
As you can imagine, this is an extremely difficult time for us, and we need time and space to come to terms with what has happened and start the grieving process. We ask that our privacy and that of our wider family and relations be respected at this time.”
Detective Superintendent Rob Hall from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit commented on the arrest: “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.”
Last Tuesday evening, neighbors heard disturbing screams on the quiet residential street. One of the victims managed to call the police, while another sent a desperate text to her partner urging them to dial 999. Contrary to some reports, John Hunt was informed of the tragedy as he returned from work at Lingfield Park, rather than discovering the scene himself.
Armed police quickly responded, finding the bodies of the three women inside the home. The ensuing manhunt included releasing footage of a man carrying a large weapon.
Hertfordshire Police took the unusual step of publicly identifying and picturing the suspect as the search intensified, cautioning that Clifford, a former Queen’s Dragoon Guards member, might still be armed.
Clifford was eventually found in a cemetery near his home in Enfield, bringing a tragic chapter to a close but leaving a family and community in mourning.
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