UK police find suspect after wife, daughters of BBC journalist killed

Police say that suspect is located and receiving medical treatment for his injuries and that police did not fire any shots.

Police at the scene in Ashlyn Close, Bushey, Hertfordshire
Police at the scene where three women were killed in Ashlyn Close, Bushey, Hertfordshire, the United Kingdom [James Manning/PA Images via Getty Images]

British police say they have found the man suspected of killing the wife and two daughters of a well-known BBC radio commentator near London in an attack involving a crossbow.

Hertfordshire Police said in a statement on Wednesday that 26-year-old Kyle Clifford was found in the Enfield area of north London, near his home, and that he is receiving medical treatment for his injuries. Police did not say how those injuries happened but said they had not fired any shots.

The BBC said on Wednesday that the women killed were the family of its main radio racing commentator, John Hunt – his 61-year-old wife Carol Hunt and their daughters Louise and Hannah, aged 25 and 28 respectively.

“Following extensive inquiries, the suspect has been located and nobody else is being sought in connection with the investigation at this time,” said Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit.

“This continues to be an incredibly difficult time for the victims’ family and we would ask that their privacy is respected as they come to terms with what has happened,” she added.

Jenkins said the investigation is moving “at pace” and that formal identification of the victims is yet to take place. She also said that the “premature” naming of the victims “caused great upset”.

Earlier on Wednesday, Chief Superintendent Jon Simpson called the incident “horrific”, telling reporters a crossbow and possibly other weapons were believed to have been involved.

John Hunt is BBC radio’s main horse-racing commentator, his voice known to millions through his coverage of the world-famous Grand National and the Derby.

British media reported that he found the bodies early Tuesday evening after returning home from reporting at Lingfield Park racecourse, which is just south of London.

Police did not say if Clifford, who is from London, is connected to the women.

Crossbows are legal in the United Kingdom and no licence is required to own one.

Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies

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