India, July 11 -- Ann Widdecombe sent her final known message at 12:19 p.m. on Wednesday, just 40 minutes before she was due to appear on Channel 5's Matt Allwright show, according to a detailed timeline reconstructed from broadcaster records and police statements, a message that has taken on chilling significance now that detectives believe she was attacked roughly ten minutes later.

Devon and Cornwall Police said in a weekend update that they believe the 78-year-old former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokeswoman was attacked at around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, nearly 24 hours before she was discovered dead at her home in the Dartmoor village of Haytor on Thursday morning.

Her death is now the subject of a formal murder investig...