LONDON - After an hours-long manhunt following the murder of three woman with a crossbow, authorities with the Hertfordshire Police force in England have detained 26-year-old Kyle Clifford as their main suspect.
CBS News' partner network BBC News has confirmed that the victims of this violence act were the wife and two adult daughters of John Hunt, a commentator on the network's horse racing radio channel, BBC Racing. According to a statement from the Hertfordshire Police force, officers were called to a property in Bushey, northwest of London, at approximately 7:00 p.m. (2:00 p.m. Eastern time) on Tuesday, July 9th.
Upon arriving on scene, they found three women with serious injuries. First responders were sent to the scene, however, all three of the women were pronounced dead at the scene. The BBC reported that around 6:30 p.m. local time (1:30 p.m. Eastern time) on Wednesday, July 10th, Clifford had been found by officers in Enfield, in north London, where he lived.
Clifford was taking into custody without further incident. Police confirmed that no shots were fired during the apprehension of the suspect. He sustained unspecified injuries and received medical treatment. BBC cited Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins as saying that the investigation was "moving at pace" and that nobody else was being considered a suspect in the crime.
Prior to his arrest, police had issued an appeal for information on Clifford's whereabouts, advising people not to approach him as he may have still be in "possession of a weapon."
According to Hertfordshire Police Chief Superintendent Jon Simpson, the attack at the Hunt's residence was carried out with a crossbow, adding that other weapons may have been used. As of this writing, police have not confirmed whether Clifford was known to the Hunt family, but did say that the attacked appears to have been targeted. Some British media outlets reported that he was an ex-boyfriend of one of the daughters.
British media outlets said that John Hunt, a former police officer who has worked for the BBC for several years, came home to find his wife, Carol, 61, and two daughters, 25 and 28, seriously wounded after the attack allegedly carried out by Clifford. Britain's Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, the top government official in charge of law enforcement, said in a post on social media that she was being kept "fully updated" on the case.
She said, "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."
Local city councilor Laurence Brass told BBC News, "We're very shocked. We're not used to this in this area. It's a very typical, leafy Bushey suburb ... and suddenly we're told there are three murders. We had a helicopter landing at the top of my road last night. Police were all over the place. So, I'm concerned for residents, who I think are a little bit traumatized by what's going on here."
According to NPR, John Hunt's voice is known to millions through his coverage of the world famous Grand National and The Derby. A colleague of Hunt's and BBC 5 Live's lead presenter Mark Chapman struggled to hold back the tears as he expressed everyone's shock and pain saying, "John Hunt is our colleague and our friend, not just to the current 5 Live sport team, but to all of those who've worked here with him over the past 20 years, and also to all of you who have enjoyed his superb commentaries.
So, on behalf of everyone connected to 5 Live Sport, our love and thoughts and support are with John and his family."
It is important to note that crossbows are legal to own in the U.K. and no license or registration is required. However, it is illegal to carry a crossbow in public without a reasonable excuse.
CBS News' partner network BBC News has confirmed that the victims of this violence act were the wife and two adult daughters of John Hunt, a commentator on the network's horse racing radio channel, BBC Racing. According to a statement from the Hertfordshire Police force, officers were called to a property in Bushey, northwest of London, at approximately 7:00 p.m. (2:00 p.m. Eastern time) on Tuesday, July 9th.
Upon arriving on scene, they found three women with serious injuries. First responders were sent to the scene, however, all three of the women were pronounced dead at the scene. The BBC reported that around 6:30 p.m. local time (1:30 p.m. Eastern time) on Wednesday, July 10th, Clifford had been found by officers in Enfield, in north London, where he lived.
Clifford was taking into custody without further incident. Police confirmed that no shots were fired during the apprehension of the suspect. He sustained unspecified injuries and received medical treatment. BBC cited Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins as saying that the investigation was "moving at pace" and that nobody else was being considered a suspect in the crime.
Prior to his arrest, police had issued an appeal for information on Clifford's whereabouts, advising people not to approach him as he may have still be in "possession of a weapon."
According to Hertfordshire Police Chief Superintendent Jon Simpson, the attack at the Hunt's residence was carried out with a crossbow, adding that other weapons may have been used. As of this writing, police have not confirmed whether Clifford was known to the Hunt family, but did say that the attacked appears to have been targeted. Some British media outlets reported that he was an ex-boyfriend of one of the daughters.
British media outlets said that John Hunt, a former police officer who has worked for the BBC for several years, came home to find his wife, Carol, 61, and two daughters, 25 and 28, seriously wounded after the attack allegedly carried out by Clifford. Britain's Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, the top government official in charge of law enforcement, said in a post on social media that she was being kept "fully updated" on the case.
She said, "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."
Local city councilor Laurence Brass told BBC News, "We're very shocked. We're not used to this in this area. It's a very typical, leafy Bushey suburb ... and suddenly we're told there are three murders. We had a helicopter landing at the top of my road last night. Police were all over the place. So, I'm concerned for residents, who I think are a little bit traumatized by what's going on here."
According to NPR, John Hunt's voice is known to millions through his coverage of the world famous Grand National and The Derby. A colleague of Hunt's and BBC 5 Live's lead presenter Mark Chapman struggled to hold back the tears as he expressed everyone's shock and pain saying, "John Hunt is our colleague and our friend, not just to the current 5 Live sport team, but to all of those who've worked here with him over the past 20 years, and also to all of you who have enjoyed his superb commentaries.
So, on behalf of everyone connected to 5 Live Sport, our love and thoughts and support are with John and his family."
It is important to note that crossbows are legal to own in the U.K. and no license or registration is required. However, it is illegal to carry a crossbow in public without a reasonable excuse.
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