John Hunt has opened up about the murder of his wife, Carol, and two of his daughters, Louise and Hannah, as he and his surviving daughter, Amy, explained how they cope with their grief.
Speaking with Victoria Derbyshire in his first interview since the killings, John shared: "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."
John and Amy chose to speak out in order to make sure that their family members weren't just remembered because of their murders. "I want to breathe life back into my mum, Hannah and Louise as fully-rounded people," Amy told the BBC.
© Getty ImagesThe pair also wanted to address some of the inaccuracies around the reporting of the murders of their late family members. Some of the claims revolved around the nature of Louise's relationship with Kyle Clifford and the line that John had been the one to find his family's bodies.
John said the case had been "completely misrepresented in the media and on social media". Amy, meanwhile, stated that she found out what her sister Hannah's final words were due to a newspaper headline.
© Alamy Stock PhotoReflecting on how he continued to live, John said: "When it happened I thought, 'how on earth am I ever going to be able to care about anything ever again'? 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."
He also shared his belief that Hannah had ultimately saved his own life, managing to call 999 after being attacked, explaining the situation and revealing the perpetrator.
When asked if Hannah had saved his life, he replied: "That's what I believe. I said it in court and I said many, many times, her doing that has given me life. And I've used that to re-ground myself on a daily basis."
The murders
Carol, Hannah and Louise were all murdered on 9 July 2024 by Louise's ex-boyfriend, Kyle Clifford. Kyle had gained access to the property by arriving under the pretence of returning some of Louise's belongings.
Upon entering the house, he stabbed Carol to death, waiting in the property for Louise to re-enter the home where he tied her up, raped her and eventually killed her with a crossbow. When Hannah returned home, he tied her up and shot her with a crossbow before leaving.
© John Hunt/XAt a trial, Kyle initially denied all the charges, before pleading guilty to three charges of murder, false imprisonment and possessing an offensive weapon. He pleaded not guilty to the rape charge, but was found guilty on 11 March 2025. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Both John and Amy have said they didn't believe Kyle had been abusive before killing their family members. In the interview, Amy said that when Louise broke up with Kyle "there was absolutely evidence that he had turned out not to be a nice person".
She added: "But I want to put it very bluntly now. 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."
Watch Standing Strong: The John and Amy Hunt Interview tonight at 9pm on BBC One and on BBC iPlayer.
