New York Daily News : MI6 man found murdered in London apartment; possible 'spy' stabbed several times: reports

MI6 man found murdered in London apartment; possible 'spy' stabbed several times: reports

By Michael Sheridan | DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER | August 25, 2010

The mysterious murder of a man near the headquarters of England's famed spy agency has sparked reports befitting a James Bond novel.

According to the BBC, an MI6 employee was found dead, stuffed in a bag in the bathtub of an apartment on Alderney St. in Pimlico, in central London.

Police have not confirmed his identity, but sources told Sky News his name was Gareth Williams. The 30-year-old's body was found on Monday night, but investigators said he was possibly killed nearly two weeks ago.

Williams was stabbed several times, according to reports. Scotland Yard is investigating.

The victim is believed to have been an MI6 employee, although it is unclear what exactly he did for the spy outfit.

A police source told London's Guardian that while he had documents suggesting he worked for the secret service, "he might have been an air conditioning technician rather than a spy".

"If he really was a spy," the source said, "you imagine someone would have reported him missing rather sooner."

Sky News reports Williams was on "secondment," a British term which means he was temporarily transferred to another duty, in this case, to GCHQ, one of the United Kingdom's three national intelligence agencies.

Although it has been suggested he could have been the target of terrorists, police believe his death was likely related to his personal life.

A spokesman for the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office told BBC: "This is a police matter... It is long-standing Her Majesty's Government policy not to confirm or deny any individual working for the intelligence agencies."