What happened to Ann Widdecombe as police launch murder probe and suspect released

A 26-year-old man arrested on suspicion of Ann Widdecombe’s murder has been released and is no longer part of the investigation, police said, amid a deepening investigation into the former Tory minister’s shocking death at her Dartmoor home.

Devon and Cornwall police appealed for assistance in the investigation, while assistant chief constable Matt Longman said: “Our murder investigation is still in its early stages but is progressing at a significant pace. We are using all necessary resources to find out exactly what happened.”

Ambulance workers called police to the home of a 78-year-old woman in rural southwest England, where she was found dead after suffering serious injuries on Thursday morning. Detectives launched a murder investigation and began forensic examinations of the home.

A cordon remained in place Saturday and a large police presence was expected in the area as detectives went house to house to talk to neighbors and review security cameras. While praise poured in from politicians and celebrities, civil servants backed the former Conservative minister’s next of kin.

Here’s what we know about what happened to Ann Widdecombe:

Who was the suspect arrested and released by the police?

A 26-year-old white British national was arrested at an address in Newton Abbot on Friday on suspicion of the murder of Ann Widdecombe.

The Devonshire town is about nine miles (15 km) from Widdecombe’s home in rural southwestern England.

Devon and Cornwall Police launched a manhunt in the afternoon, just over a day after Ms Widdecombe was found dead and the suspect was located at her home in Haytor by the ambulance service.

Police did not release the man’s name or identity and said he was released from custody on Saturday.

What did the police say about the murder investigation?

Devon and Cornwall police said on Friday afternoon they were treating the death as a homicide.

They said Ms Widdecombe was found at her home with “serious injuries” and appealed for anyone with any helpful information to appeal. come forward.

ACC Longman told reporters there was currently “no information” that the murder of Ann Widdecombe was a “politically motivated crime”. He also stated that the death was not considered a terrorist incident.

A neighbor said he thought Ms Widdecombe’s gardener, who came every Thursday morning, found the politician, who was declared dead, allegedly suffering from head injuries.

Others suggested that her friend and babysitter, who was believed to live nearby, found her at the house.

How did friends and politicians react?

Praise poured in from across the political spectrum, with reformist UK leader Nigel Farage describing her as “an absolute force of nature” and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch describing her as “a feisty woman who is great fun and speaks her mind”.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it was a “huge loss” and stressed it was important to “overcome any political differences” and focus on catching Ms Widdecombe’s killer.

“Ann was an outstanding politician who had many achievements over many years and this is a very, very big loss,” he told reporters in Chequers.

Mr Farage said he was “deeply, deeply saddened” by the nature of her death and that the nation was “a much, much poorer place without her”.

“Reform England is certainly a much worse place without him. I was expecting to see him at Clacton in the next few days. Unfortunately that will not happen,” he said.

Strictly Come Dancing’s Anton Du Beke said he was “devastated” to hear of Ann Widdecombe’s death. The pair worked together on the BBC One dance show in 2010.

“He became a true friend. He was fun. He was optimistic. He was positive. He was supportive. We had an incredible time together and remained firm friends.”

A spokesman for Andy Burnham said: “Andy’s deepest condolences and thoughts are with Ann’s family today, who are in incredibly distressing circumstances. Ann has given a lifetime of public service and it is absolutely right that the police use all their resources to investigate this as quickly as possible.”

Who was Ann Widdecombe?

Ms Widdecombe was known for her outspoken and socially conservative views, first as a junior minister in Conservative prime minister John Major’s 1992-1997 government and later as the immigration and justice spokesperson for Nigel Farage’s populist Reform UK.

Throughout his political career, he opposed abortion and opposed equalizing the age of consent for homosexual and heterosexual relationships.

He also advocated the policy of chaining pregnant prisoners at birth to prevent them escaping, and viewed single mothers as poor role models, but was unusual among Conservative MPs in opposing the hunting of foxes with hounds.

Widdecombe said he had never had sex or been in love and converted to Catholicism partly to protest the Church of England’s ordination of women as priests.

After leaving Parliament, he appeared in the TV talent competition Strictly Come Dancing in 2010. Despite criticism from the jury, it was popular with viewers. He later said that the decision to feature same-sex couples on the program was incompatible with family audiences.

Mr Farage said he “played a decisive role in getting Brexit over the line”.