A man has been arrested on suspicion of the crossbow murders of a woman and her two daughters in Bushey.
Kyle Clifford, 26, from Enfield in north London, was arrested on Thursday evening on suspicion of three counts of murder.
Carol Hunt, 61, the wife of BBC 5 Live commentator John Hunt, and two of their daughters, Hannah, 28, and Louise, 25, were found fatally injured at a house in the quiet cul-de-sac of Ashlyn Close in Bushey, Hertfordshire, just after 7pm on Tuesday.
Clifford was found injured in north London on Wednesday afternoon. Hertfordshire Police said the arrested man remained in a serious condition in hospital on Friday.
Detective Superintendent Rob Hall, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: “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.”
Friends of the three victims have paid tribute to them, describing them as “beautiful souls” and “the loveliest, gentlest family”, while Bushey residents have laid flowers near the crime scene.
Alex Klein, the grieving boyfriend of victim Hannah Hunt, paid tribute to her on Friday as “the love of my life”.
He shared a smiling photo of him together with Hannah, writing: “RIP the love of my life, I will never forget you, stolen from me too soon. The brightest light in my life. My brave queen for life. Until we meet again... I love you Hansy."
Lea Holloway, 60, a childhood friend of Carol Hunt, described the mother-of-three as a “beautiful person”.
“This is the stuff nightmares are made of,” she said, outside a vigil in Bushey on Thursday.
“They were a lovely family and (the daughters) were lovely girls. They were making their way through life and their lives have been taken too soon. It’s the thing of nightmares.
“I feel for their eldest daughter and John (Hunt). I can’t imagine what it would be like.”
In a post on Facebook, Hannah Hunt’s colleagues at The Anti-Ageing Clinic in Radlett, Hertfordshire, said she was “a fantastic therapist and clients loved her”.
“We send our condolences and prayers to her Dad, sister and family,” the post said.
Hannah’s younger sister Louise has was an animal lover who ran a successful dog grooming business.
Heartbroken clients of Groom and Glow - which Louise launched in 2020, aged 21, and is understood to have run from a building in the back garden of the home she lived at with her parents - have shared their grief on Facebook.
“There are no words to describe what’s happened,” wrote Meg James. She described Louise as “a beautiful girl inside and out” who “always showed kindness and love.
“Our dog TedBoy adored you and so did every pup/dog that came to your salon,” she wrote.
Vina Bharadia said the news of Louise’s death was “hard to bear”. “You were an absolute angel and our little Dash adored you,” they wrote. “RIP you beautiful girl with your mum and sister. Thoughts and prayers are with your dad”.
Messages of condolence have also poured out to Mr Hunt and his surviving daughter, from friends and figures from across the racing and broadcasting worlds.
The BBC described the deaths of Mr Hunt’s wife and two daughters as “utterly devastating” in a note to 5 Live staff.
A minute’s silence was held for the family during the July Festival at Newmarket Racecourse in Suffolk on Thursday.
Neighbour Su Kehinde, 60, who laid flowers at a makeshift tribute near the crime scene on Wednesday, said: “They were the loveliest, gentlest family.
“They were the meekest human beings. They did not deserve this. They were beautiful souls.”
The Independent Office for Police Conduct said it received a mandatory referral from the Metropolitan Police after Clifford was found by officers with serious injuries in Enfield, but was satisfied no investigation was needed.
