LONDON (AP) — A 26-year-old man arrested in connection with the death of former British Member of Parliament Ann Widdecombe has been released by police and is no longer considered a suspect in the case.
Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed the release Saturday, stating that “detectives continue to carry out numerous enquiries as part of the ongoing investigation and we remain committed to establishing the full circumstances surrounding the incident.”
Widdecombe, 78, was discovered dead Thursday inside her secluded rural residence on the outskirts of Dartmoor National Park in southwest England. The man had been taken into custody Friday in a nearby town located several miles from the scene.
Authorities have since clarified that the killing is not believed to be an act of terrorism, and investigators have found no evidence suggesting the death was connected to Widdecombe’s political background.
The news sent a wave of grief and shock through British political circles. Widdecombe had served as a lawmaker in the House of Commons from 1987 to 2010 and held the position of prisons minister during Prime Minister John Major’s Conservative government in the 1990s.
After stepping away from Parliament, Widdecombe became a familiar face on British television, appearing as a contestant on the reality programs “Strictly Come Dancing” and “Celebrity Big Brother.”
In her later years, she aligned herself with the Brexit Party and took on a spokeswoman role for the anti-immigration Reform UK party.
