ann widdecombe haytor devon assistant chief constable matt

Police ‘open minded’ about motive for Ann Widdecombe murder after suspect, 28, arrested

Multiple follow-up calls go unanswered 1.25pm - Ms Widdecombe fails to join a Zoom meeting for her interview Wednesday evening - Producers tell Ms Widdecombe’s…

Reliability 63 · high7 h agoJuly 12, 2026

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4 sources2 independent voices

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Summary

Multiple follow-up calls go unanswered 1.25pm - Ms Widdecombe fails to join a Zoom meeting for her interview Wednesday evening - Producers tell Ms Widdecombe’s agent they lost contact with her Thursday Morning - The alarm is raised by a friend who was unable to contact Ms Widdecombe 11.40am - Ms Widdecombe's body is discovered Friday 6.30am - Her agent shares the news of her death, but makes no mention of the circumstances Reports emerge that police were investigating her death, and later that she had been murdered 5.47pm - Devon and Cornwall police announce they have arrested a 26-year-old man on suspicion of murder Saturday 6.30am - Police say the suspect has been released from custody and removed from the investigation 11.36pm - Police say they have arrested a 28-year-old man in South Yorkshire - 270 miles from Ms Widdecombe’s home. Police were searching an address in Rotherham on Sunday where they arrested a man on suspicion of Ann Widdecombe's murder Forensic officers were seen heading into the house, after it was confirmed there is no evidence to suggest the murder was politically motivated Ann Widdecombe was killed in her home on Wednesday last week and discovered 24 hours later Timeline of Ann Widdecombe's death Wednesday 8am - Ms Widdecombe appears on TalkTV via video link from her bungalow in Haytor, Devon 9am - A garage manager in Haytor alerts police to a suspicious VW Gold parked in a 'strange place' near Ms Widdecombe’s home 12:14pm - Ms Widdecombe in a WhatsApp conversation with a Channel 5 News researcher, ahead of a scheduled appearance 12:19pm - Ms Widdecombe sends her last text. A well-placed source told The Mail on Sunday that Ms Widdecombe's family 'don't want her death hijacked for political purposes', adding that they were 'very uneasy' about Mr Farage visiting the scene.

Furthermore, 'Miss Widdecombe’s family have been informed of the update and continue to be supported by specialist officers. Police officers were called to an address at Haytor by the ambulance service at around 11.40am on Thursday 9 July. Newly released text exchanges between Ms Widdecome and a Channel 5 producer show she was responding to messages until 12:19pm, when she abruptly went silent and missed a remote interview.

Factual coreconfirmed by several independent voices

Multiple follow-up calls go unanswered 1.25pm - Ms Widdecombe fails to join a Zoom meeting for her interview Wednesday evening - Producers tell Ms Widdecombe’s agent they lost contact with her Thursday Morning - The alarm is raised by a friend who was unable to contact Ms Widdecombe 11.40am - Ms Widdecombe's body is discovered Friday 6.30am - Her agent shares the news of her death, but makes no mention of the circumstances Reports emerge that police were investigating her death, and later that she had been murdered 5.47pm - Devon and Cornwall police announce they have arrested a 26-year-old man on suspicion of murder Saturday 6.30am - Police say the suspect has been released from custody and removed from the investigation 11.36pm - Police say they have arrested a 28-year-old man in South Yorkshire - 270 miles from Ms Widdecombe’s home.
reliability low1/3 sources
Police were searching an address in Rotherham on Sunday where they arrested a man on suspicion of Ann Widdecombe's murder Forensic officers were seen heading into the house, after it was confirmed there is no evidence to suggest the murder was politically motivated Ann Widdecombe was killed in her home on Wednesday last week and discovered 24 hours later Timeline of Ann Widdecombe's death Wednesday 8am - Ms Widdecombe appears on TalkTV via video link from her bungalow in Haytor, Devon 9am - A garage manager in Haytor alerts police to a suspicious VW Gold parked in a 'strange place' near Ms Widdecombe’s home 12:14pm - Ms Widdecombe in a WhatsApp conversation with a Channel 5 News researcher, ahead of a scheduled appearance 12:19pm - Ms Widdecombe sends her last text.
reliability low1/3 sources
A well-placed source told The Mail on Sunday that Ms Widdecombe's family 'don't want her death hijacked for political purposes', adding that they were 'very uneasy' about Mr Farage visiting the scene.
reliability low1/3 sources
'Miss Widdecombe’s family have been informed of the update and continue to be supported by specialist officers.
reliability low1/3 sources

Reported detailssecondary facts, each attributed to its source

Police officers were called to an address at Haytor by the ambulance service at around 11.40am on Thursday 9 July.
according to Daily Mirror - News
Newly released text exchanges between Ms Widdecome and a Channel 5 producer show she was responding to messages until 12:19pm, when she abruptly went silent and missed a remote interview.
according to The Independent - UK News
The statement said: “We are absolutely devastated by this news following a very traumatic and upsetting 24 hours. “We fully support the police in their investigations and we reiterate the family’s desire not to be contacted at this difficult time.
according to Daily Mirror - News
The Mail on Sunday claimed this included 24-hour protection for the party’s eight members of parliament and home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf.
according to The Independent - UK News
Then, at 11.40am, her gardener made the gut-wrenching discovery.
according to Daily Mail +1
For five minutes from 12.14pm, she was responding swiftly to WhatsApp messages from one of the programme's researchers, who was setting her up with a Zoom link.
according to Daily Mail +1