British counterterror police have taken charge of the investigation into the killing of former MP Ann Widdecombe after saying the 78-year-old was attacked deliberately at her rural home in southwest England.
A 28-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder and terror offences remains in custody under an extended Terrorism Act warrant, allowing officers to question him for up to another week.
Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, told reporters: “It is clear that this was a targeted attack.”
He said investigators were still examining whether the attack involved planning and what may have driven it. “We are still working to understand the extent of any planning or preparation, and the motivation that sits behind that attack,” Taylor said.
Widdecombe, who served in the House of Commons from 1987 to 2010 and held office as prisons minister under former Prime Minister John Major, was found dead last week at her isolated home near Haytor, on the edge of Dartmoor National Park.
Police believe she was attacked shortly after noon on Wednesday. She missed a scheduled television interview about an hour later and was found dead the following day.
Officers have not disclosed a cause of death, saying only that Widdecombe had suffered serious injuries. Taylor described the case as a “brutal attack on a 78-year-old lady in her own home.”
The suspect was arrested on Saturday in northern England, more than 320 kilometres from Haytor. Police said searches at his home found evidence of planning, but they have not released further details.
Devon and Cornwall Police initially said the killing was not believed to be terror-related and that there was nothing to suggest a political motive. The force has faced criticism since counterterror officers took over on Monday after new evidence emerged.
Widdecombe remained a recognisable figure after leaving Parliament, appearing on “Strictly Come Dancing” and “Celebrity Big Brother” after a political career marked by socially conservative views on abortion and LGBTQ+ rights.
The suspect has not been named because he has not been charged.
