BBC man’s wife and daughters ‘were tied up and held hostage before being executed’
The victims of an ‘unprecedented’ crossbow triple killing may have been held captive for hours before they died, it has emerged.
Carol Hunt, 61, wife of BBC racing commentator John Hunt, and two of their daughters, Hannah, 28, and Louise, 25, were tied up and executed at their home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, on Tuesday.
Detectives are waiting to quiz sole suspect Kyle Clifford, who remains in a ‘serious condition’ in hospital with self-inflicted injuries after he was found in a cemetery in Enfield on Wednesday.
Clifford, 26, is believed to have undergone emergency surgery for a chest wound and is being treated under police guard at a London hospital.
He is thought to have been in the area around the victims’ home for up to seven hours before they were killed, although it is unknown how long he spent inside, the Guardian reports.
Investigators are speaking to neighbours and sifting through doorbell camera footage to try and piece together what happened before racing expert Mr Hunt arrived home to a scene of carnage.
Footage shows a black-clad figure arriving at the quiet cul-de-sac shortly after midday on Tuesday, parking close to an alleyway leading to the family home.
He was seen carrying just a bag, with reports suggesting he may have assembled the three-foot crossbow at the scene after subduing the three women.
Police sources said each of the victims bore ligature marks on their wrists and faces, along with knee injuries suggesting they had been bound at one stage, according to an earlier Guardian report.
When the same male was later spotted leaving the scene shortly before 7pm he was carrying a large object resembling a crossbow underneath a sheet.
Hertfordshire Police said a crossbow has since been recovered as part of the investigation.
Providing an update on the investigation yesterday, Detective Superintendent Rob Hall said: ‘This was an unprecedented attack and we are determined to understand the full circumstances of what happened that evening and the events leading up to it.
‘This investigation, as I’m sure people can imagine, will take time.
‘We are still appealing for anyone with information in relation to the incident on Tuesday evening in Bushey and activity in Enfield yesterday that could assist us to please contact police directly.’
On Thursday, further searches took place at a house linked to Clifford’s brother, Bradley Clifford, who was jailed for life with a minimum term of 23 years for the murder of moped passenger Soban Khan in 2018.
Officers were seen at the address in Rendlesham Road, Enfield, north London, in relation to the deaths.
Police staff wearing gloves and face masks were seen outside the property, which was first searched on Wednesday.
Search officers appeared to retrieve two computer hard drives and two document bags from the address.
During the hunt for Clifford, who is understood to have left the Army in 2022 after a short stint, the force said they believed he may have been armed with a crossbow and warned people not to approach him.
He was believed to have been known to the victims.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is urgently considering whether tougher crossbow laws are needed in the wake of the killings.
She will look at the findings of a Home Office review carried out earlier this year.
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