Ann Widdecombe — former minister, one of the most recognizable British politicians of her generation — was found dead at her home in Devon on Thursday. On Monday the case escalated hard: counter-terrorism police took over, and the 28-year-old suspect was re-arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences. Put Monday's headlines side by side and something odd happens to the nouns. * BBC: "Counter terrorism police take over investigation into Ann Widdecombe's death." CNN: "UK counter-terror police lead investigation into suspected murder of former lawmaker Ann Widdecombe." NBC re-arrested the suspect in her "killing." The Washington Post: "the suspect in Ann Widdecombe killing." One woman. One case. Three different nouns: death, murder, killing. * Notice the ladder. A "death" is what happens to everyone eventually. A "killing" means someone did it. A "murder" means someone did it deliberately, criminally. The American outlets climbed straight up the ladder. The BBC stayed on the bottom rung — a rung below the police themselves, who first arrested the suspect on suspicion of murder before Monday's terror re-arrest. * Before anyone shouts cowardice at the BBC: there's a boring, real reason, and it's called the Contempt of Court Act. The moment a suspect is arrested in the UK, the case becomes legally "active," and British publishers can be prosecuted for printing anything that might prejudice a future jury. American outlets answer to the First Amendment. British ones answer to a judge. * So this isn't the BBC being timid. It's the BBC being British. NBC can call it a killing from three and a half thousand miles away because no English courtroom will ever hold it against them — literally. * Worth filing away for next time you see a hedged London headline sitting next to a blunt New York one about the same crime. You're not reading two versions of the facts. You're reading two legal systems, wearing headlines.