Sky Sports commentator John Hunt said he and his family are “devastated” over the murders of his wife and two daughters.
Carol Hunt, 61, Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28, were killed in a crossbow attack at a house in Ashlyn Close, in Bushey, Hertfordshire, this week.
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In a statement, the BBC and Sky Sports racing commentator and daughter and sister Amy said: “The devastation that we are experiencing cannot be put into words.
“We would like to thank people for their kind messages and for the support we have received in recent days. These have provided great comfort to us for which we are very grateful.
“As you can imagine, this is an extremely difficult time for us, and we need time and space to come to terms with what has happened and start the grieving process.
“While this is happening, we would ask that our privacy and that of our wider family and relations be respected at this time. Thank you.”
It comes after the man suspected of killing the three women in Hertfordshire was arrested.
Kyle Clifford, 26, was detained by police on Wednesday afternoon.
He has been treated for injuries in hospital since then but was only arrested today on suspicion of the murders.
Sky News pictures showed him being stretchered out of Lavender Hill Cemetery in Enfield. He remains in a serious condition.
Hertfordshire Police say a crossbow has been recovered as part of the investigation. They also believe other weapons could have been used in the killings.
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Earlier this week, Sky Sports Racing said in a statement: “Everyone at Sky Sports Racing is deeply saddened by the tragic deaths in Hertfordshire and our thoughts are with our colleague John Hunt, his family and friends at this awful time.”
A note sent to BBC 5 Live staff also described the news as “utterly devastating”.
It read: “Our thoughts are with John and his family at this incredibly difficult time and we will provide him with all the support we can.”
