Devon and Cornwall Police arrested a 28-year-old white British national in South Yorkshire on Saturday evening, July 11, 2026, on suspicion of murdering former Conservative minister Ann Widdecombe.
Counter-terrorism officers assisted in the operation, though authorities are not treating the incident as terrorism.
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Discovery and Timeline
The 78-year-old former politician was discovered dead on Thursday, July 9, at her secluded bungalow in Dartmoor, Devon, where she lived alone.
Investigators believe Widdecombe was attacked and killed roughly 24 hours prior, around midday on Wednesday, potentially after disturbing an intruder.
A 26-year-old man previously arrested on Friday has been released and is no longer part of the investigation.
Police are currently focusing on a dark VW Golf Mk4 reported to be parked suspiciously near Widdecombe's property on Wednesday morning.
Witness Accounts
An anonymous garage worker in Haytor recalled seeing the vehicle. "At around 9am I went to go and put the car in a lay-by.
[The Golf] was at the top of the lane near Ann's place," he said.
The employee noted that the driver appeared out of place for the quiet area. "He was doing up his walking boots.
He was in his late 20s, maybe early 30s. He was wearing shorts and a T-shirt," the worker added.
"It didn't look like he fitted in. You don't see many late 20s, early 30s men around here.
He was heading up in that direction [of Ann's house]," the garage employee stated.
