Thomas Markle, the 82-year-old father of Meghan Markle, cut off his electronic ankle monitor early Tuesday and was ordered back into custody — and on the same day, a new mugshot of him was released after a Florida judge denied bail.
Tuesday, when, per De Telegraaf, authorities say he cut the bracelet off. By that same afternoon he was back in court — and back behind bars.
Court documents show Markle had hoped to be released on bail at Tuesday’s hearing. The judge refused, ruling that by tampering with the monitoring device he had disqualified himself from conditional release, the BBC reported. He was ordered to be held pending trial, though the court noted it could later be reviewed whether he may be released under strict conditions in house arrest.
„zieke leugens”
That is how Markle describes the allegations against him, according to the Daily Mail.
Markle returns to custody after cutting ankle monitor
- Markle cut his ankle monitor off around 1:45 a.m. Tuesday, was denied bail that day, and is back in custody pending trial, De Telegraaf and the BBC report.
- A court-appointed expert is due to deliver a report on Markle’s mental state on November 20, per De Telegraaf.
How the case unraveled, country by country
Markle was arrested by the FBI in a Florida care home, Beau Monde reported.
Beau Monde reported that agents seized roughly 78 items — slides, film negatives, and books — and that, according to the statement filed with the complaint, a witness has identified Markle on at least two photos with underage girls. Investigators believe some of the material may be decades old.
The investigation in the Philippines began after Markle’s son, Thomas Markle Jr., says he found the material while going through boxes his father left behind in Cebu, where the elder Markle lived until this spring.
Thomas Markle Jr. told The Sun that when he found this material, he was filled with horror and had no choice but to report his father.
Police chief Jose Melencio Nartatez jr. has urged caution regarding conclusions.
Meghan protects children from her father
Meghan has been estranged from her father since 2018. When the first allegations surfaced in late October, she said she was deeply shaken.
She stated in October, as quoted by Beau Monde, that she hoped it was now clear — despite the distortions in certain media over the years — that her distance from her father and her choice to keep him from having contact with their children had only one reason: to protect them.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed in October that it received a letter in 2019 containing “disturbing allegations” against Markle; the information went to Meghan and Harry’s office but not to other forces. The Met has self-referred its handling of that letter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, Weekend Online reported.
What happens before the trial
U.S. attorney Spencer Kuvin told British media that you cannot simply storm into a dementia care facility for an interrogation.
Prosecutor Bill Essayli, who announced the ankle monitor removal on X, stated, per Nieuws.nl: We request the court revoke his release and take him into custody pending trial, and we will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law.
| Development | Date | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| FBI arrest, Florida care home | Last month | ~78 items seized from two L.A.-area storage units |
| Storage unit search, Baja California | Tuesday | After anonymous tip; computer equipment removed |
| Mental state expert report due | November 20, 2026 | Per De Telegraaf |
The next date that matters is November 20.
