Ann Widdecombe’s final text messages have been revealed after she had been scheduled to appear on a TV show the day before her body was found.
The former Tory prisons minister’s body was found in her kitchen by a carer at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor on Thursday at around 11:40am, having sustained ‘serious injuries’.
However, on Wednesday, Widdecombe was due to be a guest, via video call from her remote bungalow, on Channel 5‘s Matt Allwright show at 1pm. She had already been interviewed on TalkTV that morning, discussing the Clacton by-election.
A researcher on the show spoke to the 78-year-old on the phone earlier that day to set up an interview, according to ITV News.
Following their call, the pair exchanged messages shortly after midday before her last message was received at 12:19pm. These messages have since been shared with police.
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Newly released screenshots of her WhatsApp texts show that Widdecombe was communicating with a producer for five minutes from 12:14pm.
The crew member was sending her a Zoom link, which Widdecombe had trouble receiving.
After offering him an email address to send it to, he wrote: ‘Just sent to this address, let me know if you’ve got it’.
Widdecombe then sent her final message. It read: ‘Received! Panic over!!’
‘Amazing! Let me know if there’s any issues’, the producer responded in a message that ITV images prove was read, as it had two blue ticks.
At 12:48pm, the producer messaged again, asking Widdecombe to join the Zoom call, but the text was not opened.
After this, a phone call was made to her, which was not answered.
At 12:55pm, the producer asked: ‘Hi Ann is everything okay?’ before attempting to call two more times.
When the programme began airing, Allwright informed viewers at 1:27pm that Widdecombe was meant to appear, but she had failed to show up.
Concerns were then raised by the team about the uncharacteristic lack of response by Widdecombe, who was a regular on the show.
They contacted her agent later on Wednesday and followed up again on Thursday.
A source told The Sun: ‘It was very strange that Ann wasn’t on. Nobody could understand it.
‘She was usually very keen to be on, and she is popular with viewers. The producers couldn’t get a hold of her.
‘They tried multiple times on the phone and on text, but she wasn’t reading messages or responding.
‘Obviously, there was not much they could do except tell her agent she had not appeared and was not picking up calls.
‘There was some fear that she’d had a medical incident, or maybe needed someone to check on her, but nobody thought she might be dead.
‘The mood when everyone found out was very sad.’
Writing on social media, Dan Walker, who is a presenter on Channel 5 News, said this weekend: ‘Really sad news about Ann Widdecombe. Horrible to think about what she went through.
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‘To clarify something we said on the programme tonight… Ann was due to appear on 5 Daytime on Wednesday afternoon but stopped responding to messages and didn’t turn up for the show.
‘The team contacted her agent to ask them to check in on her. This information has been passed to police as it’s part of the investigation.’
On Friday, Devon and Cornwall Police said that a white British national had been arrested at an address in Newton Abbot, Devon, close to where Widdecombe lived at her property named Widdecombe’s Rest.
Earlier today, it was revealed that the 26-year-old man had been released from custody and is no longer part of the investigation. The manhunt continues.
Meanwhile, with her local community in shock and mourning, flowers have been laid at Dartmoor National Park.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was photographed there this morning, telling reporters: ‘There are no words that I can utter that somebody who’s committed this act of barbarity against an innocent 78-year-old lady who wouldn’t harm a fly.’
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He added that he hopes anyone involved in her death can be apprehended ‘quickly’ but refused to speculate about whether her alleged murder was ‘politically motivated’.
Farage, 62, did, however, weigh in on one working theory that Widdecombe’s death was the result of a lunchtime burglary gone wrong. He said this makes ‘no sense’ to him.
‘A car went onto the drive at approximately 12:25-12:30 on Wednesday,’ claimed Farage before referring to her Channel 5 no-show.
‘She had done one interview in the morning… She was due to do another one at 1pm.’
‘So if you were a burglar, would you literally drive your car onto someone’s drive?’, he continued, believing that a motive was ‘there from the very start’.
‘We will do anything we can to support the police,’ Farage also declared, revealing that he has talked to the chief constable of Devon and Cornwall Police twice.
The Reform Party, for which Widdecombe was a spokeswoman in her final position, has also been through Widdecombe’s emails and any emails sent about her in an attempt to identify potential threats or connections.
Police are still urging anyone with information to come forward, particularly those with CCTV from the area. A heightened authoritative presence remains outside Widdecombe’s property as forensic examinations and interviews are ongoing.
Former Conservative politician Ann Widdecombe’s death was announced by her management on the morning of Friday, July 10.
Their statement read: ‘It is with great sadness that today we announce the death of the Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe, DSG.
‘We send our deepest condolences to Ann’s family and friends. We ask that the family’s wish not to be contacted at this sad time is respected.’
Then, on Friday evening, it was confirmed that an investigation had been launched into possible foul play after the ex-MP’s body was found ‘covered in blood from sustaining a serious head wound’ at her Dartmoor home in Devon on Thursday.
Devon and Cornwall Police said in a statement: ‘Police officers were called to an address at Haytor by the ambulance service at around 11:40am on Thursday, 9 July.
‘Sadly, 78-year-old Miss Widdecombe was located deceased within the property. She had sustained serious injuries.
‘Her next-of-kin have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.
‘Detectives from the Force Major Crime Investigation Team have launched a murder investigation and are conducting extensive enquiries into the circumstances surrounding Miss Widdecombe’s death.’
A manhunt for a white male was launched as the investigation began moving at a ‘significant pace’.
During a media conference on Friday evening, Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman confirmed that a 26-year-old male suspect, a white British national, is now in custody after being arrested at an address in Newton Abbot, a short drive away from Widdecombe’s residence.
He added in an evening press conference that while police presence is heightened in the area where Widdecombe lived and while the force has ‘consulted counter-terrorism policing’, the death of the ex-Strictly star is not being treated as terror-related.
Longman explained that investigators remain ‘open-minded’, but it is ‘too early to comment further’ on whether the suspect was known to the victim.
Asked whether the incident could have had political motivations, he repeated his prior response, adding: ‘At this time, I have got no information to believe that that is a politically motivated crime.’
Similarly, outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it is vital to ‘rise above any political differences’.
Asked whether he believes Widdecombe’s possible murder could have been politically motivated, he responded: ‘It’s really important we remain vigilant. I’m not going to speculate about this particular case.’
Following the news of the murder investigation, Cloud9 Management said they are ‘absolutely devastated’ after ‘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. We implore anyone who may have relevant information to contact Devon and Cornwall Police.’
Susan Coysh, Widdecombe’s neighbour, told the BBC: ‘I’m shocked. In this lovely setting where we live…’
‘I can’t see why anybody would want to hurt her… it hasn’t sunk in yet, actually,’ she said, describing Widdecombe as ‘a character and a lovely lady’.
She last saw Widdecombe at a petrol station 10 days ago. While ‘approachable’, she typically ‘kept to herself’.
Other neighbours said that Widdecombe had withdrawn from the local community in recent years.
Next door neighbour Peter Cornthwaite said Widdecombe was not known to have security or a secure garden at her home, called Widdecombe’s Rest. He referred to the area as ‘very quiet’, telling The Sun there is little crime.
He added that he saw a van arrive in the early hours of the morning on the day Widdecombe died.
The white man was dressed in hiking clothes.
The 26-year-old man arrested on Friday was released from custody on Saturday morning. Police confirmed he is no longer part of the investigation.
As the manhunt continues, Mr Longman said: ‘Our priority remains identifying those responsible and ensuring that all available evidence is thoroughly examined.’
It has come to light that Widdecombe was attacked 24 hours before she was found, officers believe.
Devon and Cornwall Police said: ‘We believe the attack took place on Wednesday, 8 July, at around 12:30pm.
‘Our enquiries are moving at pace for a suspect who is believed to be a white male.’
Their theory ties in with the revelation that Widdecombe stopped responding to text messages at 12:19pm.
She had been due to appear via Zoom on a Channel 5 show, but did not show. One producer repeatedly messaged her, asking if she was ‘OK’ and trying to call her, but the WhatsApps went unopened and unanswered.
A second suspect, a 28-year-old British national, was arrested on suspicion of the murder of Ann Widdecombe in South Yorkshire on Friday evening, July 11.
Longman confirmed that the force is not looking for a second suspect, and there is no risk to the wider public.
MORE: Former Sky reporter Adam Boulton issues apology after backlash to Ann Widdecombe ‘spinster’ rant
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