Disturbing new claims about Ann Widdecombe’s death say the 78-year-old was found “in a pool of blood” in her Dartmoor bungalow with severe blunt-force head injuries
New disturbing claims around Ann Widdecombe’s death have unveiled gruesome details of the injuries she suffered and the scene inside her home. The 78-year-old ex-Tory minister was reportedly discovered covered in blood inside her Dartmoor bungalow.
In an update, police reportedly said she suffered severe blunt-force head injuries after being attacked. Investigators also believe CCTV captured her suspected killer. Police say the most shocking detail about Widdecombe’s injuries is that she was found “in a pool of blood” after suffering catastrophic head wounds, consistent with being repeatedly struck with a blunt object.
The level of violence has unsettled investigators and the public, with the politician attacked inside her own kitchen.
A source close to Widdecombe’s family said there is a heartbreaking belief she may have spent her final moments in “abject terror”. Security concerns were raised after she failed to appear for a scheduled television engagement.
A gardener and a neighbour are understood to have gone to the property to check on her welfare, where they made the grim discovery, The Daily Telegraph reported. Detectives are also focusing on the apparent lack of forced entry or obvious disturbance.
That, they believe, could suggest she was taken by surprise. Or, she went into the kitchen after hearing what she assumed was a routine noise, the BBC reported. Devon and Cornwall Police are reportedly treating the case as an active hunt for a dangerous offender after the original suspect was fully cleared and released.
This comes after a 26-year-old British man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after Widdecombe died late on Thursday (July 9), the Daily Star previously reported. Reports emerged throughout Friday (July 10) that the death was being treated as suspicious and cops later confirmed they had launched murder probe.
Police said they are looking for a suspect they described as a “white male”. Devon and Cornwall Police say that their officers were called to an address in Haytor in Dartmoor by the ambulance service at around 11.40am on Thursday.
In a statement, they said: “Sadly, 78-year-old Miss Widdecombe was located deceased within the property. She had sustained serious injuries.”
Police confirmed that her next of kin have been informed and that they are being fully supported by specially trained officers. Detectives from the Force Major Crime Investigation Team say they have launched a murder investigation, adding that they are “conducting extensive enquiries into the circumstances surrounding Miss Widdecombe’s death”.
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