New York Post : Murdered British spy found in bathtub 'was stabbed to death'

Murdered British spy found in bathtub 'was stabbed to death'

August 25, 2010

A British secret service employee who was found dead in a bag in the bathtub of his London home was named locally Wednesday as Gareth Williams.

The decomposing body of Williams, in his 30s, was found Monday, stuffed into a large sports duffel bag in the bathtub of his apartment in Pimlico, central London. It was understood that he was stabbed -- possibly several times -- and that he might have been dismembered.

Detectives investigating his murder believe he could have been killed up to two weeks ago.

Officers discovered Williams' cell phone and several SIM cards laid out near his body when they broke into the top-floor apartment, after they were told by some of the man's friends that he had not been seen for some time.

He was understood to have been a communications officer at GCHQ, the U.K. government’s listening post in Cheltenham, southwestern England. He was thought to have attended the University of Cambridge and been a keen cyclist.

Williams was believed to have been working on secondment to MI6 -- the Secret Intelligence Service -- which gathers information about Britain’s enemies overseas and is located just over the River Thames from the apartment where the body was discovered. Sky News sources said Williams was renting the apartment on a short-term basis and also had a home in Cheltenham.

Detectives from the Homicide and Serious Crime Command began an investigation into the death and up to a dozen forensic science officers in blue overalls were still scouring the London apartment Wednesday for clues.

Neighbor Laura Houghton, a 30-year-old secretary, said an “extremely friendly” man who called himself Gareth lived at the address.“I have spoken to him only once. I met him in the entrance hall of the set of flats because of a boring plant issue about a year ago. He was extremely friendly and had a Welsh accent," she said. “His windows were always shut, and curtains were often closed. I could never tell if anyone was in. It was strange that we never saw him come and go. I just assumed he worked away."

Eileen Booth, 73, who lives opposite Williams' apartment, added, “Detectives came round and asked for our eye color and height. They said this probably happened two weeks ago.”

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “At around 1640 [4:40pm local time] on Monday, officers attended the flat on the top floor of a property in Alderney Street, Westminster SW1, following reports that the occupant had not been seen for some time. Officers gained entry and found the body of the man, believed to be aged in his thirties. He was pronounced dead at the scene."

A Foreign Office spokesman confirmed "there is an ongoing police investigation. It is long-standing government policy not to confirm or deny that any individual works for the intelligence agencies.”

An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.