Ann Widdecombe lay dead for nearly 24 hours before her body was discovered, police have revealed.
A manhunt is still ongoing for the former MP and MEP's killer - but they have had a full day to put distance between themselves and the horrific scene. As forensic teams continued combing Ms Widdecome's Devon home today, police confirmed she had sustained "serious injuries" and they had firmed up a time of death.
Devon and Cornwall Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said: “Our priority remains identifying those responsible and ensuring that all available evidence is thoroughly examined. We believe the attack took place on Wednesday 8 July at around 12.30pm.”
A 26-year-old man originally arrested on suspicion of murder was released and police said he was no longer part of the investigation. The force said they remained "open-minded" about the probe, and had no information to believe Ms Widdecombe's death was politically motivated.
Detectives are continuing to piece together the events surrounding the politician's sudden death, with mystery over her movements after she failed to show for a scheduled TV engagement on Wednesday morning but then apparently sent a message later regarding another appearance.
Concerns were raised when she failed to respond to follow-up messages, ultimately leading to the discovery of the 78-year-old's body at her home in Haytor. Police are trying to establish what took place in the 29 minutes between Ms Widdecome's final contact and the later message to her which went unanswered.
The long-time Tory switched allegiance to the Brexit Party in 2019, and then to Reform UK. She had lived alone since retiring as the MP for Maidstone and The Weald in 2010.
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