Meghan Markle's Father Removed Ankle Monitor Before Tampa Arrest

Federal authorities confirmed on Tuesday that Thomas Markle, the 82-year-old father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, removed his electronic ankle monitor just days after his arrest. The device was cut off at 1:45 a.m. Friday, according to Bill Essayli, the first federal assistant U.S. attorney. Markle was taken into custody shortly after the removal and remains in federal custody in Tampa, Florida, awaiting a court hearing.

The arrest followed a search of storage units in the Los Angeles area. Investigators seized approximately 78 items, including slides, photographic negatives, and books containing alleged images of child sexual abuse material. Essayli stated that the search resulted from information gathered after a half-brother of the Duchess reportedly found a collection of such images while clearing out Markle's former residence in the Philippines.

The timeline of the case began last week when Markle was transported by ambulance from an adult care facility in Lakeland. Within hours, a judge approved his release on the condition of electronic monitoring. The judge also ordered a mental capacity evaluation to determine if Markle is fit to stand trial. A report on that assessment is due by November 20.

Markle had lived in the Philippines earlier this year when he suffered a stroke and subsequently had his left leg amputated. The medical issues forced his return to the United States. His rental of two California storage units dates back to 2008.

Meghan Markle, who is an American actress and U.S. citizen, spoke recently about the allegations. She said she was deeply distressed by the findings at her father's former home. She revealed that in 2019, a letter containing concerning accusations against him was sent to London police. "The letter contained concerning and troubling accusations against my father, and I was assured that it was being investigated," she said.

Meghan also addressed the distance between herself and her father. She stated that the decision to limit his contact with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, was made to protect them. The couple married at Windsor Castle in 2018. The initial reports of the storage unit contents were first shared by the British tabloid The Sun.

The federal court in Tampa now holds the 82-year-old defendant. The next scheduled step is the court hearing where the judge will review the status of the case and the upcoming mental capacity report.