Police investigating the death of Ann Widdecombe have revealed that the former politician may have been dead for nearly 24 hours before her body was discovered. Officers are working on the assumption that the 78-year-old was attacked at approximately 12:30 PM on Wednesday, with her body found at her bungalow in Haytor, Devon, by the ambulance service at 11:40 AM on Thursday.
Arrest and Release of Suspect
A 26-year-old man arrested in Newton Abbot on Friday in connection with the investigation was released without charge early on Saturday and is no longer part of the inquiry. Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman of Devon and Cornwall Police stated that Widdecombe's death is being treated as suspicious, but the force does not believe there is a wider risk to the public. He said: "Our inquiries are moving at pace for a suspect who is believed to be a white male."
Longman appealed for anyone with information to come forward, emphasizing that the priority remains identifying those responsible and thoroughly examining all evidence. He added: "I would ask people not to speculate about what might have happened, particularly on social media. This is not only potentially harmful to our investigation but also deeply distressing for family and friends of Miss Widdecombe."
Timeline of Last Movements
The Guardian understands that police have pieced together Widdecombe's last movements with help from television producers. Widdecombe made her last television appearance on TalkTV shortly after 8 AM on Wednesday, where she praised Nigel Farage's decision to trigger a by-election in Clacton. She then spoke to a researcher from Channel 5's Matt Allwright show before a scheduled interview at 1 PM. Her last message to the staff member was sent at 12:19 PM, and at 12:48 PM, the researcher requested she join a Zoom link but received no response. Channel 5 executives contacted her agent after follow-up messages went unanswered, as it was uncharacteristic for Widdecombe not to respond.
Public and Community Reactions
Tributes continued to pour in on Saturday. Her driver, Peter Horrell, described her as a "great lady" who was "very comical" and "down to earth." He noted she seemed happy living alone and had not expressed concerns for her safety. Neighbour Christine Maloney expressed shock, saying: "It shouldn't have happened, it's horrific. Everyone knows that's her house, perhaps that's the problem?" Another resident, Alison Gilbert, recalled: "She was a nice woman, really nice woman, and she had a great sense of humour. Everyone saw her as quite an opinionated politician, but to us she was just a person in the community."
Gyles Brandreth, a former MP and Oxford contemporary, said: "We met when we were both 19 and remained friends because she was fun and kind, even when you disagreed with her fiercely." Widdecombe, an outspoken Catholic convert who opposed abortion and same-sex marriage, retired from the Commons in 2010 after 23 years as MP for Maidstone. She later appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, reaching the semi-finals, and defected to the Brexit party in 2019, becoming an MEP before joining Reform UK as immigration and justice spokesperson.
