The final text messages exchanged by former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe may pinpoint the time of her death, according to a conversation with a Channel 5 television producer. Widdecombe was engaged in a WhatsApp conversation regarding her scheduled appearance on the "Matt Allwright" show on Wednesday afternoon when her replies abruptly ceased.
The exchange, shared with ITV News, shows regular communication between Widdecombe and the producer between 12:14 p.m. and 12:19 p.m. on Wednesday. Widdecombe's last message, sent at 12:19 p.m., read: "Received! Panic over!!"
While Widdecombe's phone registered a read receipt for a response sent at 12:19 p.m., she did not read subsequent messages. The first follow-up message was sent at 12:48 p.m., followed by unanswered calls. By 12:55 p.m., the producer sent a message asking, "Hi Ann is everything ok?"
Live on air at 1:27 p.m., host Matt Allwright confirmed Widdecombe was a scheduled guest who had not arrived. The show's production team attempted to contact her agent later that day and again on Thursday. All relevant WhatsApp messages have been provided to the police.
Devon and Cornwall Police stated on Saturday that they believe Widdecombe was attacked around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The former prisons minister was discovered at her home in Haytor, Dartmoor, on Thursday around 11:40 a.m. with serious injuries.
A 26-year-old man initially arrested on suspicion of murder has since been released from custody and is no longer part of the investigation. Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said on Saturday that detectives were pursuing lines of inquiry for a suspect believed to be a white male and urged the public not to speculate.
Earlier on Wednesday morning, Widdecombe had appeared on TalkTV to discuss the Clacton by-election. Separately, police are seeking a driver who was reported to be behaving suspiciously near Widdecombe's home in the hours before her death. A garage manager in Haytor alerted authorities after a colleague observed a dark VW Golf Mk4 parked in an unusual spot around 9 a.m. on Wednesday. The driver, described as being in his late 20s or early 30s, was reportedly seen preparing for a walk near Widdecombe's property.
Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party, who visited the scene and laid flowers, suggested the killing was premeditated, ruling out a burglary gone wrong. He noted that a car was seen on Widdecombe's driveway around the time police estimate the attack occurred, questioning why a burglar would drive onto a property.