UK counter-terrorism police take over investigation into suspected murder of Ann Widdecombe; suspect rearrested on terrorism charges

Ann Widdecombe was found dead at her isolated rural home in the village of Haytor, on the edge of Dartmoor National Park in southwest England, on Thursday. Police said she had sustained "serious injuries" but did not disclose a cause of death. She was last seen publicly in a televised interview on TalkTV on Wednesday morning; concern was raised when she failed to appear for a scheduled TV interview that afternoon.

Devon and Cornwall Police had initially stated there was no information to suggest the killing was an act of terrorism or politically motivated. That assessment changed on Monday, when the head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, Laurence Taylor, announced that "new information and evidence" had led counter-terrorism police to take the lead. "We are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry to establish the motivation for this attack," Taylor said. The suspect, who has not been named as he has not been charged, was rearrested Monday on suspicion of commission, preparation, or instigation of acts of terrorism.

Widdecombe had been a Conservative Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2010 and served as prisons minister in Prime Minister John Major's government. She later became a prominent media figure through appearances on reality television shows including "Strictly Come Dancing" and "Celebrity Big Brother." In 2019 she was elected to the European Parliament as a member of the Brexit Party, led by Nigel Farage, and most recently served as an immigration spokesperson for Reform UK, the Brexit Party's successor organisation.