British prosecutors announced Monday that a 28-year-old man has been charged in connection with the killing of former government minister Ann Widdecombe, who was discovered dead at her home in rural southwest England on July 9.
Widdecombe, 78, had been a well-known figure in British politics and was an active member of Nigel Farage’s populist Reform UK party at the time of her death. Authorities said she had suffered serious injuries when she was found at her home. She had left parliament in 2010.
The suspect, identified as Joshua Kerry — a white British national from northern England — has been formally charged with her murder, according to Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service. He is scheduled to appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on Tuesday.
Frank Ferguson, Chief Crown Prosecutor of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, addressed the investigation in a statement: “Police enquiries into the defendant’s motives are ongoing, including a potential political or terrorist connection.”
Law enforcement had previously indicated they believed Widdecombe was deliberately targeted.
Throughout her career, Widdecombe was recognized for holding socially conservative positions. She served as a junior minister during Conservative Prime Minister John Major’s government from 1992 to 1997, and more recently acted as a spokesperson on immigration and justice for Reform UK.
A convert to Catholicism — a decision she made partly in opposition to the Church of England’s decision to ordain women as priests — Widdecombe was also known for her stances against abortion and against equalizing the age of consent for homosexual and heterosexual relationships.
