The family of the 28-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murdering Ann Widdecombe say they remain utterly stunned that their quiet and shy relative is now at the centre of one of Britain’s most disturbing investigations.

Widdecombe, 78, was found dead with serious injuries inside her isolated bungalow in Haytor, Devon, on Thursday, July 9. Counter-terrorism police now believe the former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokeswoman was killed in a deliberately “targeted attack”.

“There were no red flags”

Speaking publicly about the arrest, the suspect’s 73-year-old uncle described his nephew as a “gentle giant” who had always appeared polite, withdrawn and painfully shy.

“There have been no red flags at all,” he said.

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The relative reportedly struggled to reconcile the man he knew with the allegations now being investigated. He also expressed admiration for Widdecombe, remembering her as a forthright and principled politician who was never afraid to voice her beliefs.

Neighbours offered a similar description of the suspect, portraying him as a recluse who rarely left his home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. Some said he had become increasingly isolated following the death of his father.

But investigators are now examining evidence that appears to tell a much more complicated story.

A journey of almost 300 miles

CCTV footage reportedly shows a man leaving an address connected to the suspect early on Wednesday, July 8, before driving away in a red Vauxhall Corsa.

Witnesses claimed he appeared to be carrying or concealing a wooden pole. The address was approximately 270 miles from Widdecombe’s home on Dartmoor. Police have not publicly confirmed that the object was a weapon or disclosed the complete evidence linking the journey to the attack. The reported footage and police activity were described by The Independent.

Investigators believe Widdecombe was attacked at around 12.30pm that day.

Just minutes earlier, at 12.19pm, she had reportedly sent her final message to a television producer while preparing for a scheduled appearance on Channel 5. Subsequent calls and messages went unanswered.

Her body was discovered at approximately 11.40am the following day.

Counter-terrorism police uncover signs of planning

The suspect was arrested in Rotherham on July 11 on suspicion of murder. After new information emerged, he was rearrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of Counter Terrorism Policing, confirmed that investigators had found indications of planning and described Widdecombe’s death as a “targeted attack”. However, he stressed that the precise motivation had not yet been established. ITV News reported the official counter-terrorism update.

Detectives are considering whether political extremism may have played a role and whether other prominent figures associated with Reform UK could have been potential targets. That remains only a line of inquiry—not a confirmed wider plot. Police have explicitly said they are still examining the possible motive.

A family searching for answers

For the suspect’s relatives, the contrast remains almost impossible to comprehend: the quiet man they believed they knew is being questioned over a brutal and apparently planned attack on one of Britain’s best-known political figures.

Yet an arrest is not a conviction. At the latest reported stage, the 28-year-old had not been charged, and the allegations against him remained under investigation. He is legally presumed innocent unless convicted by a court.

The central mystery now extends far beyond what happened inside Widdecombe’s bungalow. Investigators must determine why she was allegedly selected, what planning preceded the attack—and whether the man described by his family as a “gentle giant” had been hiding a side of himself that nobody close to him had ever seen.