Former politician and reality TV contestant Ann Widdecombe was killed in a \u201ctargeted attack,\u201d though the motivation remains to be under investigation, British counterterror police said Tuesday.<\/p>\n
A 28-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder and terror crimes stays in custody on an prolonged detention warrant under the Terrorism Act that permits police to query him for up to a different week.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is obvious that this was a targeted attack,\u201d Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing told reporters. \u201cWe’re still working to know the extent of any planning or preparation, and the motivation that sits behind that attack.\u201d<\/p>\n
The death of Widdecombe, 78, a former member of Parliament, shocked the British political establishment, where she was long known for blunt-spoken socially conservative views opposing abortion and the expansion of LGBTQ+ rights.<\/p>\n
Counterterror police took over the investigation Monday after recent evidence was discovered. Devon and Cornwall Police have been criticized for originally saying the killing was not believed to be a terror-related crime and there was nothing to suggest it was politically motivated.<\/p>\n
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Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez defended her agency Tuesday, saying recent information often changes the character of a fast-paced investigation.<\/p>\n
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Police imagine Widdecombe was attacked on Wednesday just past noon. She failed to indicate up for a scheduled TV interview about an hour later and was found dead the subsequent day in her isolated rural home in a village in southwest England.<\/p>\n
Police didn’t disclose a reason behind death, saying only that she had sustained \u201cserious injuries.\u201d Taylor called it a \u201cbrutal attack on a 78-year-old lady in her own residence.\u201d<\/p>\n
The suspect was arrested Saturday in South Yorkshire county in northern England, greater than 200 miles (320 kilometers) from the village of Haytor on the sting of Dartmoor National Park, where Widdecombe died.<\/p>\n
Police have conducted extensive searches at his home and Taylor said they found evidence of planning, but he declined to supply details.<\/p>\n
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