British prosecutors have formally charged a 28-year-old man with murder in connection with the death of Ann Widdecombe, a former member of Parliament and well-known reality television personality.
Joshua Kerry was charged Monday following more than a week behind bars after initially being held on suspicion of murder and terrorism-related offenses. Prosecutors say police are still working to determine his motive, and investigators have not ruled out a political or terrorist connection.
Widdecombe, who was 78 years old, had been a significant figure in British politics for many years. Her death sent shockwaves through the country’s political community. She was recognized as a direct and outspoken voice who held socially conservative positions, including opposition to abortion and expanded LGBTQ+ rights.
Authorities believe Widdecombe was attacked on July 8. That afternoon, she failed to show up for a previously scheduled television interview, and her body was discovered the following day at her secluded home in a rural village in southwest England.
Police have not revealed how she died, stating only that she suffered what they described as “serious injuries” in what they characterized as a deliberate and brutal attack.
Kerry was taken into custody on July 11 in South Yorkshire county in northern England — more than 200 miles, or roughly 320 kilometers, from the village of Haytor on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, where Widdecombe’s body was discovered.
He remains in custody and is expected to appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday. While Kerry was initially arrested solely on suspicion of murder, investigators uncovered new evidence during his detention that led to a second arrest on suspicion of committing, preparing, or instigating acts of terrorism.
Widdecombe served in the House of Commons from 1987 to 2010, holding several positions including prisons minister during Prime Minister John Major’s Conservative government in the 1990s.
After leaving Parliament, she gained a new wave of public recognition through appearances on the reality programs “Strictly Come Dancing” and “Celebrity Big Brother.”
In her later years, she joined the Brexit Party and briefly held a seat in the European Parliament before the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union in 2020. More recently, she had become a familiar face as a spokesperson for the anti-immigration Reform UK party.
Her killing has reignited discussions about the safety of politicians in the United Kingdom. Security measures for elected officials had already been strengthened over the past decade following the murders of two sitting members of Parliament — Labour lawmaker Jo Cox, who was shot and stabbed in 2016 by a far-right extremist, and Conservative David Amess, who was stabbed in 2021 by an attacker motivated by the Islamic State group.
