Piers Morgan has voiced confusion over the timeline of events surrounding Ann Widdecombe's murder. The former Conservative minister, 78, was found dead at her home in Haytor, Dartmoor at around 11:40am on Thursday, July 9, having sustained serious injuries. A 26-year-old man was initially arrested on suspicion of murder but was later released, with Devon and Cornwall Police confirming he was no longer part of the investigation. On Saturday, July 11, police announced the arrest of a 28-year-old white British man in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, believed to have driven almost 300 miles to Widdecombe's home with a wooden stick on the morning of her death.
Morgan Questions the Case
Morgan, 61, took to X to express his confusion: "None of this Ann Widdecombe story makes any sense." His statement came as police worked to piece together the events leading up to the murder. Devon and Cornwall Police Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said detectives remain "open-minded" about the motive, noting there is no evidence to suggest the murder was politically motivated or terrorism-related. "At this point, there is still no information to suggest that this is a terrorism-related incident, and at this point we are not looking at anyone else in connection with this murder," Longman stated. "Detectives remain open-minded about the potential motive. At this stage there is nothing to suggest it was politically motivated."
Timeline of Events
Concerns about Widdecombe's welfare arose when she failed to appear on Matt Allwright's show at 1pm on Wednesday, July 8. ITV News reported that Widdecombe had spoken to a researcher on the Channel 5 show that same day to set up an interview, exchanging messages just after 12pm. Her last message was received at 12:19pm on Wednesday. The researcher messaged again at 12:48pm requesting she join the Zoom link for the interview, but Widdecombe did not reply. Subsequent voice calls and messages went unanswered. Her body was found "covered in blood" nearly 24 hours later, at around 11:40am on Thursday. By Friday, July 10, police announced that Widdecombe had likely been killed and launched a murder investigation. The 28-year-old suspect was arrested at an address in South Yorkshire, approximately 270 miles (430km) from Widdecombe's Devon property.
