Minute-by-minute timeline of Bushey murders and Kyle Clifford manhunt
The murders by Kyle Clifford of his former partner Louise Hunt, along with her mum and sister, sparked a huge manhunt which lasted nearly 24 hours.
Clifford, 26, became ‘enraged’ when his 25-year-old ex-girlfriend Louise ended their 18-month relationship – leading him to ‘carefully’ plan the July 9 murders.
He gained access to the family home by deceiving 61-year-old Carol Hunt, the wife of BBC racing commentator John Hunt, before stabbing her to death in a ‘brutal knife attack’.
After killing Carol, Clifford ‘lay in wait’ for an hour for Louise to enter the house, before restraining, raping and ultimately murdering her with a crossbow.
He then fatally shot 28-year-old Hannah Hunt when she returned to the property in the quiet cul-de-sac of Ashlyn Close in Bushey, Hertfordshire, after work.
Here is a minute-by-minute timeline of the horrific murders and the search for Clifford.
JUNE 26, 2024
Louise Hunt ends her 18-month relationship with Kyle Clifford, telling him in a message: ‘I feel like it’s been broken and I can’t ignore how I’ve been feeling or made to feel in our relationship over the course of the year.’
She has previously told friends she was planning to do this after becoming unhappy in the relationship.
JUNE 28
Clifford is captured on CCTV buying a 30m length of rope from Toolstation in Enfield.
JUNE 30
Clifford makes internet searches in relation to crossbows and visits websites where they could be purchased.
He then goes on to access pornography.
JULY 3
Clifford pays £299.95 for a Hori-Zone Komet MXT-405 crossbow, £28.95 for six bolts and £22.95 for a cocking device to be delivered to his home.
He also purchases a £219 CO2 Glock Air pistol online from The Air Gun Centre in Essex. It was not delivered before the murders and was recalled by the company when it heard about the attacks.
JULY 4
He is captured on CCTV buying two petrol cans from Halfords in Enfield. These are later found by police in the boot of Clifford’s car.
Clifford also purchases duct tape from B&Q in Enfield.
He also searches how to uncock a crossbow and fired a crossbow bolt into a tree.
Louise Hunt makes a note on her phone titled ‘When you’re sad, look’, which set out how Clifford was ‘racist’, had ‘commented he did not like transgender people’ and had used ‘belittling language’.
JULY 5
Clifford visits the gym. He also conducts research about sourcing knives.
Packaging for the knife was found at his home address, but the weapon itself was never found by police.
JULY 6
He receives an update on his purchase of an £89 Dalstrong Phantom Series 10in steel butcher’s knife.
JULY 9
9.54am: Clifford goes to a garden centre with family members.
1.07pm: Clifford leaves his home address in Enfield armed with a knife and crossbow and drives to Bushey.
1.37pm: Clifford parks in Vernon Road, Bushey, near to the Hunt’s family home.
1.39pm: He gets out of his car, walks towards Ashlyn Close and then returns to his vehicle.
It is thought he is checking to see which vehicles are parked outside the house. Three family vehicles are parked there that day.
1.48pm: He returns to his vehicle and Googles ‘horse racing today’ to see whether Louise’s father, BBC commentator John Hunt, is at home. He is not.
1.58pm: Clifford moves his car to Bushey Grove Road which is slightly closer to Ashlyn Close and parks.
2.30pm: Clifford takes a rucksack from the boot of his car, believed to contain the knife, and a white plastic bag. He walks towards Ashlyn Close.
2.32pm: He knocks on the door of the Hunts’ home. Carol is home. Louise is too, but she is inside a pod at the end of the garden where she runs her dog grooming business. No one else is home.
Carol answers the door and she and Clifford chat for several minutes at the entrance.
Clifford appears calm and there are no signs of confrontation or alarm. Clifford asks if John Hunt is home and is told he is not.
2.39pm: Clifford enters the address, under the pretence of getting a bag. Less than a minute later, Clifford pulls out the knife and murders Carol.
Screams are heard coming from the home.
3.07pm: Clifford returns to his car, collects the crossbow, which is hidden under a blanket and returns to the address.
Louise is still in the pod working, oblivious to the murder of her mum just metres away.
4.12pm: Louise enters the home where Clifford is waiting. She is restrained and gagged with the duct tape and raped.
4.13pm: A faint scream is heard shortly after Louise Hunt enters the family home.
4.13pm-6.50pm: Louise Hunt is restrained with duct tape around her ankles and her wrists and raped by Clifford.
5.37pm-5.43pm: Clifford checks Louise Hunt’s mobile phone to see who she had been in contact with and what she had been looking at on Instagram.
5.52pm: Clifford uses Louise’s phone to text John asking, ‘What time are you home?’. John replies to say it will be late.
5.57pm: Louise’s phone is used to check if unplugging a smoke detector would prevent it from sounding an alarm. There is also a search about whether alcohol is flammable.
6.50pm: Just as Hannah arrives home from work, Clifford fires the crossbow killing Louise. Hannah parks outside and enters the address.
6.52pm: Unaware of what has happened, she goes upstairs. But after discovering the murders of her mum and sister, she texts her partner to call the police, saying: ‘Call police leggy. Immediately. To mine. Now. Kyle here. POLCOE (sic) NOW. HE’S TYING US UP.’
6.54pm: Hannah is then also shot by Clifford with the crossbow. There is no evidence that she was restrained or tied up.
Clifford then leaves the address with the crossbow again concealed under a blanket and his rucksack. He seems to acknowledge neighbours of the Hunts as he calmly leaves.
6.58pm: Hannah Hunt uses Carol Hunt’s phone to dial 999 and identifies Clifford as the attacker to the call handler.
7.10pm: Emergency services attend the Hunt family home – Carol and Louise Hunt are found dead and unsuccessful resuscitation attempts are made on Hannah Hunt.
JULY 10
4.49am-5.18am: Clifford is seen in a cemetery in the Lavender Gardens area of Enfield, north London.
8.30am: Hertfordshire Constabulary announces it is investigating a triple murder in Bushey and names Kyle Clifford as the prime suspect
9am to 12.30pm: Initial searches for Clifford focus on Clifford’s family home 14 miles from the crime scene on Rendlesham Road in Enfield.
Armed police, supported by helicopters swirling overhead, swarm the home.
12.30pm: In a press conference, Chief Superintendent Jon Simpson reveals the killings are believed to have been a ‘targeted incident’.
He also reveals a crossbow was used, and possibly other weapons.
Addressing Clifford directly, he says: ‘Kyle, if you are seeing or hearing this, please make contact with the police.’
2.10pm: The BBC confirms the three victims are Carol Hunt, wife of racing commentator John Hunt, and two of their daughters, Louise and Hannah.
It is also confirmed by the Ministry of Defence that Clifford briefly served in the Armed Forces. It emerges he was in The Queen’s Dragoon Guards for a ‘short stint’ roughly two years before.
3pm: The focus of the manhunt quickly shifts to the nearby Lavender Hill Cemetery near Hilly Fields Park in Enfield.
Footage soon emerges of armed police, as well as paramedics carrying first aid kits, running towards a cordoned-off section of the park.
4.30pm: Clifford waits until the last possible moment before police close in to fire the crossbow one last time, aiming at his own chest.
Once he is detained, efforts immediately move to saving his life.
Soon after more footage emerges showing Clifford being stretchered away before he is taken to The Royal London Hospital in Mile End.
6.23pm: Hertfordshire Constabulary confirms Clifford is in custody.
He will remain under 24/7 guard throughout his extensive stay, the longest daily demand on policing in the force’s recent history.
SEPTEMBER 16
Clifford is finally fit to be interviewed by police where he says ‘sorry’ and ‘what I have done is atrocious’.
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