Devon and Cornwall Police faced criticism after initially stating the killing was not considered terror-related and there were no indications of political motives.
British counterterrorism officials announced Tuesday that former politician and reality TV figure Ann Widdecombe was fatally attacked in a “targeted assault,” although the reason behind the attack remains under investigation.
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A 28-year-old man, detained on charges related to murder and terrorism, remains held on an extended Terrorism Act warrant permitting police to question him for up to a week more.
“It is evident this was a deliberate attack,” Lawrence Taylor, National Counter Terrorism Policing’s head, told the press.
“Investigations continue into the extent of any planning involved and the motives driving this assault.”
The passing of Widdecombe, aged 78 and former parliamentarian, shocked the UK political community, known for her outspoken social conservatism and opposition to abortion and LGBTQ+ rights advancement.
Counterterrorism authorities assumed control of the case Monday following the discovery of new evidence. The Devon and Cornwall Police were criticized for their initial claim that the murder did not appear terrorism-related and showed no signs of political motivation.
Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall, defended the force on Tuesday, highlighting that ongoing investigations often evolve with emerging evidence.
Authorities estimate Widdecombe was attacked shortly after noon on Wednesday. She missed a scheduled television interview about an hour later and was discovered deceased the next day at her remote home in a southwest England village.
Police withheld the official cause of death but reported she had suffered “serious injuries.” Taylor described the event as a “violent assault on a 78-year-old woman within her residence.”
The suspect was arrested Saturday in northern England, over 320 kilometres from Haytor village near Dartmoor National Park, where Widdecombe was found dead.
Law enforcement conducted thorough searches at the suspect’s residence, and Taylor mentioned evidence pointing to premeditation, though he withheld further specifics.
Initially detained on suspicion of murder, new developments during custody led to a rearrest on terrorism-related charges encompassing planning, execution, or incitement of terrorist acts.
The suspect remains unnamed as formal charges have not been filed.
Widdecombe served in the House of Commons from 1987 until 2010, including holding the role of prisons minister under Prime Minister John Major’s Conservative administration in the 1990s.
After her parliamentary career, she gained public attention as a contestant on reality programs such as “Strictly Come Dancing” and “Celebrity Big Brother.”
In later years, she affiliated with the Brexit Party, briefly holding a seat in the European Parliament before the UK officially exited the EU in 2020. More recently, she became involved with the anti-immigration Reform UK party and appeared frequently as a media representative.
This murder has intensified worries regarding politician security, which has seen enhancement over the last ten years following the killings of two MPs.
Jo Cox, a Labour MP, was shot and stabbed in 2016 by a far-right extremist, while Conservative MP David Amess was fatally stabbed in 2021 by an assailant motivated by Islamic State ideologies.
Additional sources • AP