Authorities in Britain have cleared a 26-year-old man who was detained following the death of Ann Widdecombe, announcing that he is no longer considered part of the murder inquiry, according to The New York Times.
Widdecombe's body had been found at her Haytor, Devon residence on Thursday, with authorities describing her as having "sustained serious injuries." Devon and Cornwall Police took the man — who also lived in Devon — into custody the following day in Newton Abbot, according to The Times.
With his release, the investigation has no named suspect. In a public statement, Devon and Cornwall Police Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman described the probe as fast-moving despite being newly opened, and urged anyone with potentially relevant knowledge to contact investigators, according to The Times. "Our priority remains identifying those responsible and ensuring that all available evidence is thoroughly examined," Longman said.
Investigators had ruled out both terrorism and political motivation as factors behind the killing — a distinction that carried weight given that Britain has experienced two deadly assaults on sitting lawmakers over the past ten years, according to The New York Times.
Widdecombe, who was 78, had spent more than twenty years in the House of Commons before stepping down in 2010, and during that time served in a ministerial role under Conservative Prime Minister John Major. Her public profile endured well after her parliamentary career ended — she took part in the British edition of "Dancing With the Stars" and went on to represent the Reform U.K. party of Nigel Farage as a spokeswoman.
According to The Times, Prime Minister Keir Starmer reacted to the news by calling it "really shocking" and praising Widdecombe as a "distinguished politician."
