Police have arrested a second man, aged 28, in connection with the death of former Conservative MP and Strictly Come Dancing contestant Ann Widdecombe, who was found dead at her home in Dartmoor on Thursday, July 9. The suspect, a white British national, was taken into custody on Friday evening at an address in South Yorkshire, Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed.
Widdecombe, 78, was discovered in a pool of blood in her kitchen after she failed to respond to messages and missed a scheduled television interview. A post-mortem examination revealed she had sustained serious head injuries, and detectives believe the attack occurred around 12:30pm on Wednesday, July 8, approximately 24 hours before her body was found.
Previous suspect released
A 26-year-old man arrested on Friday at an address in Newton Abbot, near Widdecombe’s home, was released from custody on Saturday. Police stated he is no longer a suspect in the investigation. Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said: “Our priority remains identifying those responsible and ensuring that all available evidence is thoroughly examined.” The force has been supported by Counter Terrorism Policing North East and South Yorkshire Police, but officials stress there is no indication the incident is terrorism-related.
Timeline of events
Widdecombe was scheduled to appear on Channel 5’s Matt Allwright show at 1pm on Wednesday. Earlier that morning, she had been interviewed on TalkTV about the Clacton by-election. WhatsApp messages show she exchanged texts with a producer from 12:14pm for five minutes, confirming receipt of a Zoom link after technical issues. However, when asked to join the call at 12:48pm, the message went unread. The producer attempted to call her twice and sent a follow-up message asking: “Hi Ann, is everything okay?” When Widdecombe failed to respond, the production team contacted her agent on Wednesday and again on Thursday.
Concern escalated when Widdecombe did not answer further calls. Her body was discovered by carers at around 11:40am on Thursday after the ambulance service was alerted. Police launched a murder investigation that evening, describing the scene as “extremely concerning.”
Community reaction
Neighbors expressed shock at the killing in the quiet rural area. Susan Coysh, a neighbor, told the BBC: “I’m shocked. In this lovely setting where we live… I can’t see why anybody would want to hurt her… it hasn’t sunk in yet.” She last saw Widdecombe at a petrol station ten days ago. Another neighbor, Peter Cornthwaite, said he saw a white man in hiking clothes arrive in a van in the early hours of Wednesday. Widdecombe’s home, called Widdecombe’s Rest, was not known to have security or a secure garden.
Investigation ongoing
Police are continuing to search for a suspect described as a white male. Assistant Chief Constable Longman said investigators remain “open-minded” about the motive but noted it is “too early to comment further.” Outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urged against speculation, stating: “It’s really important we remain vigilant. I’m not going to speculate about this particular case.” Widdecombe’s management, Cloud9 Management, said they are “absolutely devastated” and urged anyone with information to contact Devon and Cornwall Police.
