Ex-soldier Kyle Clifford, 26, has been convicted of raping his former girlfriend prior to killing her, her sister, and their mother in a planned crossbow shooting. The gruesome crime was committed on July 9, 2024, at their house in Bushey, Hertfordshire.
Clifford, angry after being dumped, shot dead Louise Hunt, 25, and her sister Hannah Hunt, 28, with a crossbow and stabbed their mother Carol Hunt, 61. The victims were the wife and daughters of BBC racing commentator John Hunt. Cambridge Crown Court was told Clifford planned the attack meticulously after Louise broke off their 18-month relationship on June 26.
The murders were referred to as a “final act of spite” by prosecutor Alison Morgan KC, who said Clifford wanted to exert control over Louise by raping and killing her and her family. Enfield, north London, man Clifford had pleaded guilty to the murders and the other charges, but not the rape of Louise. But after deliberating for 45 minutes, a jury found him guilty of raping Louise.
Evidence indicated Clifford had been looking up murder weapons and watching violent pornography in the days after the breakup. He bought a crossbow, an air pistol, a butcher’s knife, duct tape, and petrol to use to carry out his attack. Less than 24 hours prior to the murders, he also looked up content by misogynistic influencer Andrew Tate.
After reading and writing, Clifford was the target of a massive manhunt. Clifford was later discovered hurt in an Enfield cemetery after a failed suicide attempt using the crossbow. He is paralyzed from the waist down.
Judge Justice Bennathan verified that Clifford will be sentenced to life when he is sentenced on Tuesday, praising the Hunt family for their dignity throughout the trial.
