An emotional John Hunt speaks for the first time since the crossbow killings of wife Carol and daughters Hannah and Louise on BBC One tonight (June 26).
Kyle Clifford fatally stabbed Carol, 61, raped former partner Louise, 25, and then used a crossbow to shoot both her and Hannah, 28, at their family home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, in July 2024. Clifford has been sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
Tonight, BBC racing commentator John and his daughter Amy will be seen opening up about how the love of their family has helped to sustain them through their grief following their tragic loss.
Here are six of the most heartbreaking moments from their interview with Victoria Derbyshire.
John Hunt appears in BBC interview about murder of wife and daughters
In a heart-rending confession, John Hunt admits he still talks to his late wife and daughters every day, nearly a year on from their deaths
“From the moment I wake up, I say good morning to each of them,” he says.
From the moment I wake up, I say good morning to each of them.
“Sometimes I say out loud to Hannah and Louise: ‘Girls, sorry I can’t be with you, I’m with your mum at the moment.’ As I close my eyes at night, I chat to them as well. They’re very close to me all the time.”
‘How lucky we’d been’
Amy, the eldest of John and Carol’s daughters, recalls at one point during the interview how grateful she and her sisters were for the family they grew up in. She and her dad detail how the siblings had enjoyed an evening out together just two months before Hannah and Louise died.
“We were talking about how lucky we’d been as a family, to have had the parents we’ve had and the life we’ve had,” Amy says.
Illustrating the loving family dynamic, John adds about Hannah: “She came barnstorming through the door, and Carol said something like: ‘You had a lovely time?’ And she said: ‘Do you know what, Mum? We talked about how lucky we have been. We have been so lucky. We’ve not had a minute of concern or worry through the lives you’ve given us.'”
John adds: “It’s a beautiful thing to recall. It was a beautiful thing to hear at the same time.”
‘Hannah saved my life’
John demonstrates his enduring love for Louise by speaking of his “pride” at how well she treated Clifford before he killed her.
Furthermore, he believes Hannah prevented him from dying after she texted her boyfriend, who contacted police, as she died.
“I get to live,” John states. “Hannah gave me that, and I’ve got to treat it as a gift from her.”
He goes on: “Police officers of 30 years’ experience had their breath taken away by how brave she was. How she was able to think so clearly in that moment. To know what she needed to do.”
John adds: “I have said many, many times, her doing that has given me life. And I’ve used that to re-ground myself on a daily basis.”
‘No signs’
Amy and John suggest there were no clues Louise had previously suffered abuse from Clifford.
Amy reflects: “Did we have any indication that this man was capable of stabbing my mother, of tying Louise up, of raping Louise, of shooting Louise and shooting Hannah? Absolutely not.”
She adds: “He’s often been referred to as ‘crossbow killer’ and ‘crossbow maniac’ – but that takes away from the very real issue we know to be true. He was just a person, just a man… who went to the gym, had a family, had a relationship, watched TV.
“I know it sounds crass, but we often say we wish we’d had some hint that he was capable of this.”
John also says: “He never once hit her. He was in the house an awful lot in that 18 months – I never heard raised voices once.”
‘I’m so proud of her for living like that’
John is seen tearfully pausing as he reads out a transcript of a TikTok video she’d shared at the time of her break-up with Clifford.
He reads aloud: “Don’t you feel embarrassed for sticking around that long? Embarrassed? My heart is the best part about me. And who I am as a person. I will never be embarrassed for loving someone with everything in me because that is how I would want someone to love me. Yes it didn’t work out but I don’t regret loving him and how hard I loved. I’m proud of myself for realising that love is always worth giving when when it may not be received. I truly think they needed that love a lot more than I did at that time and maybe this will be the reason they never treat a person like that. So no I don’t feel embarrassed about loving someone deeply and wholeheartedly.”
Choking back tears, John contemplates the words he’s just said: “And as you can tell from my reaction now. They weren’t Louise’s words but they could well have been. And I’m so proud of her for living like that and loving like that.”
‘Finding light again’
Despite their distress, John and Amy are bravely determined to live on.
He says: “When it happened I thought: ‘How on earth am I ever going to be able to care about anything ever again?'”
John continues: “It’s fine to sit with that thought in the wreckage of what was our personal disaster. But you come to realise that, with a little bit of work, you can find some light again.”
Read more: Timeline of BBC commentator John Hunt’s family murder tragedy – from last tweet to cries for help
Standing Strong: The John and Amy Hunt interview airs on BBC One tonight, Thursday June 26, at 9pm.
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