Former British MP and reality TV star Anne Widdecombe was killed in a “targeted attack“, and the motive is still being established, the British police's counter-terrorism unit said, quoted by the Associated Press, BTA reported.
A 28-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder and terrorism offences remains in custody, but the investigation is ongoing.
“It is clear that this was a targeted attack“, Lawrence Taylor, head of the National Counter-Terrorism Police, told reporters. “We are still trying to establish the extent of the planning and preparation of the attack, as well as the motives that are behind this attack.“
The death of 78-year-old Widdecombe, a former member of parliament, has rocked British politics, where she was an influential figure for decades.
The Counter Terrorism Unit took over the investigation yesterday after new evidence emerged. Devon and Cornwall Police initially believed the killing was not terrorism-related, adding that there was no indication it was politically motivated.
Authorities said Widdecombe was likely attacked on Wednesday afternoon. She failed to turn up for a scheduled television interview that afternoon and was found dead the next day at her home in a village in southwest England.
Police did not give a cause of death, saying only that her body bore “severe injuries” injuries“.
The suspect was arrested in northern England on suspicion of murder. After new evidence was discovered, he was also charged with preparing, committing or inciting acts of terrorism. His name has not been released as he has not yet been charged.
The murder has reignited debate about security measures for politicians, which have been tightened over the past decade after two murders of MPs during that period.
In 2016, Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed by a far-right extremist, and Conservative David Ames was stabbed in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the terrorist group “Islamic State“.