Thomas Markle jailed again after cutting ankle monitor, 1:45 a.m
Thomas Markle, the father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is back in federal custody in Tampa, Florida, after authorities said he cut off his ankle monitor. A federal judge then revoked his pretrial release and ordered him held without bond.
Markle, 82, appeared in federal court in Tampa on Tuesday, 10 November 2026. Judge Lindsay S. Griffin ruled that he had violated the conditions of his release. The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Markle removed the monitor early that morning, and he was arrested again.
Judge cites unsuitable housing in revoking release
In the order revoking his release, Griffin described Markle’s housing situation as “untenable.” He wrote that “based on the lack of suitable housing, no condition or combination of conditions would reasonably assure the safety of any other person or the community and the defendant’s appearance in court.” Griffin also ordered a medical evaluation for Markle and said he “must receive all necessary and prescribed medication unless discontinued by a physician.” Markle, who has denied possessing images of child sex abuse, had been placed under house detention with a location monitoring device after an earlier court appearance.
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Key dates in the Markle case
- 6 November 2026: Markle appeared in federal court in Tampa after his arrest, entered no plea and was released to home detention with electronic monitoring.
- 1:45 a.m. on 10 November 2026: time at which the DOJ says Markle cut the ankle monitor.
- Afternoon of 10 November 2026: Griffin revoked his pretrial release, and he was held without bond.
- Up to 20 years: maximum federal prison sentence for the charge of possessing indecent images of children, if convicted.
FBI seized about 78 items from Los Angeles storage units
The case began when FBI agents, acting on warrants, searched storage units in Los Angeles registered to Markle. He had rented the units since 2008, and the DOJ said the last payment was made in October of this year. Agents seized about 78 items, including film negatives, slides and books that they allege contained child sex abuse material. Markle was charged with one count of possessing indecent images of children. FBI director Kash Patel said Markle “allegedly targeted innocent children and sought to steal their innocence through his criminal actions.” Markle has called the allegations “sick lies.”
Bill Essayli says release conditions are court orders
Bill Essayli, the federal prosecutor for the Central District of California, wrote on X that “release conditions are court orders, not suggestions.” He added that “we will continue to prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law.”
Read also: Meghan Markle's father is arrested again in the US after breaking his electronic ankle monitor
Meghan says she was deeply distressed by the allegations
Meghan confirmed the existence of a letter she received in 2019 with concerns about her father, which she sent to the Metropolitan Police in London. In an earlier statement, she said: “I am deeply distressed… my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed.” She said she had largely cut off contact with her father and did “not allow him to have contact with our children.”
Markle’s trial date and next steps not yet confirmed
It is not known when Markle will be tried or what the next step in the case will be, beyond the medical evaluation. Markle’s representatives have not responded to requests for comment, and it is not confirmed whether he has spoken publicly since his release was revoked. Reports have also not independently confirmed that Philippine police obtained a warrant to search Markle’s devices.
