Police Release Man Held in UK Lawmaker's Killing

UPDATE Jul 11, 2026 12:36 PM CDT

British police on Saturday released a 26-year-old man they'd arrested as a suspect in the killing of former politician Ann Widdecombe, saying he's no longer under investigation. Investigators now believe she was attacked in her home around 12:30pm Wednesday, a day before her body was discovered in her home, the AP reports. Devon and Cornwall Police said detectives are working "at a significant pace" to find the killer and don't believe there is a risk to the public.

Jul 10, 2026 12:09 PM CDT

The death of a former Conservative lawmaker at her home near a small English village was murder and a suspect is now in custody, police say. Hours after the death of 78-year-old Ann Widdecombe was announced Friday morning, with no mention of foul play, police said a murder investigation had been launched, the Telegraph reports. At around 6pm, police said a 26-year-old suspect, described as a "white British national," had been arrested, reports the BBC. Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman told reporters that he has no information at this time to believe it is a politically motivated crime, but investigators are staying "open-minded."

• Devon and Cornwall officers were called to the 78-year-old's home late Thursday morning, where she was found dead with what police described as serious injuries, reports LBC.
• "Our murder inquiry is in its early stages but moving at a significant pace," Detective Chief Inspector Ilona Rosson said earlier Friday. "We are deploying all of the necessary resources to find out exactly what has happened and to locate the person responsible, who we believe to be a white male." Rosson described Widdecombe's death as an "extremely tragic incident."

The home, in Devon on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, is "in a remote rural area close to the small village of Haytor Vale," with few other properties nearby, per the BBC. Earlier Friday, detectives appealed for witnesses and any CCTV, doorbell, or dashcam footage from the area. Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised Widdecombe as a "distinguished politician" and said the investigation was "really shocking news," the Guardian reports. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she was "stunned" by the news. "I don't understand how someone could do something so horrific to an elderly person," she said. "It is one thing when someone dies but to know they have been murdered in this horrible way is just awful."

Widdecombe, a prominent Brexit campaigner known for her uncompromising views on issues like abortion and the death penalty, was a Conservative MP from 1987 to 2010. In later years, she joined the Brexit Party, now Reform UK, and served as the party's immigration and justice spokesperson. She became a familiar TV presence after leaving Parliament, appearing on shows including Celebrity Big Brother and Strictly Come Dancing, the British version of Dancing With the Stars.