AOL News : Twists and Turns Abound in Mysterious Death of MI6 Spy Gareth Williams

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Twists and Turns Abound in Mysterious Death of MI6 Spy Gareth Williams

Dana Chivvis | Contributor, AOL News Surge Desk | August 27, 2010

(Aug. 27) -- UPDATE, 1:39 p.m. EDT -- Yet another twist in the mysterious death of MI6 agent Gareth Williams. The Times of London, which originally reported that bondage equipment and sadomasochism toys were found in Williams' London flat, has now backtracked, reporting that senior detectives investigating Williams' death "have questioned luird claims about the man's sex life."

Earlier today, the Times reported on the sex paraphernalia and said that authorities had uncovered evidence that might link Williams to a male escort. The report was "thought to have come from security sources," leading the newspaper to suggest the claims were made as part of a smear campaign. [Surge Desk disclaimer: the fact that the newspaper doesn't seem to know who its sources were makes us somewhat suspicious of the report altogether.]

Though earlier accounts said Williams had been fatally stabbed, a post-mortem examination did not determine a precise cause, but did rule out stabbing and gunshot and found no immediate signs of strangulation, according to the London Telegraph.

Police have not classified Williams' death as a murder. Scotland Yard is now running tests to see if he had been drinking or taking drugs.

Williams, 30, has been described as a quiet math genius with a passion for bicycling. But one childhood friend told the London Evening Standard that he was also a poor judge of character. There were no signs of forced entry into his apartment and authorities estimated his decomposing body may have been there for the past two weeks.

Williams worked as a code breaker for the British spy agency and traveled several times a year to the National Security Agency in Fort Meade, Md., according to the Evening Standard.