Telegraph : Murdered British spy was last seen alive eight days before his body was found

Murdered British spy was last seen alive eight days before his body was found

August 28, 2010

Gareth Williams, the murdered British spy, was last seen alive eight days before his body was found stuffed in a holdall at his flat, it has emerged.

Detectives investigating the 30-year-old codebreaker's death say the last confirmed sighting of the MI6 worker was on August 15 in London.

They also say it could still be several days before they find out the exact cause of Mr Williams' death due to the complicated nature of the tests being carried out.

A post mortem examination undertaken earlier this week proved inconclusive and officers are still days away from determining if he was asphyxiated, poisoned or if drugs or alcohol were present in his system.

The inconclusive post-mortem has only served to deepen the mystery surrounding Mr Williams final hours.

The last confirmed sighting of Mr Williams, 30, was made on August 15 in London, officers said.

But police would not say whether the sighting was made on CCTV or came from another source.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "We can confirm that Mr Williams was in London from Wednesday August 11, and what officers believe is the last confirmed sighting of him still alive in London was on Sunday August 15."

Meanwhile Mr Williams' family have hit out at rumours that suggested the dead man was involved in risky sexual practices.

In a statement they said speculation linking the secret service employee to a male escort and bondage equipment had been "very distressing".

The mathematics genius, who was on secondment to MI6 from GCHQ, was found dead in a sports holdall in the bath of his Government flat on Monday.

As police continued to investigate whether the GCHQ codes expert lived a secret double life, his family paid tribute to the murdered spy.

They said: "Gareth was a generous, loving son, brother, and friend, and he was a very private person.

"He was a great athlete, and loved cycling and music.

"His loss has devastated us and we would ask that anyone with information to come forward and assist the police inquiry."

Police turned their focus to Mr Williams' private life as they attempt to account for his death.

The investigation is being led by the Met's Homicide Command with the security-vetted Counter Terror Command (SO15) also playing a lesser role in proceedings.

Scotland Yard today played down reports that thousands of pounds had passed through Mr Williams' bank account shortly before his death as "pure speculation".

It was reported that three sums of £2,000 were paid into his account on consecutive days and then withdrawn on consecutive days.

The investigation is being led by the Met's Homicide Command with the security-vetted Counter Terror Command (SO15) also playing a lesser role in proceedings.

The 30-year-old was days from completing a one-year secondment to the headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, in Vauxhall, London.

He was due to return to a rented flat in Cheltenham where Government Communications Headquarters, GCHQ, is based.

It is understood Mr Williams also worked for the United States National Security Agency and made regular trips to Washington DC and Fort Meade, near Baltimore.

Police have refused to categorise the death as a murder, despite the bizarre circumstances and say he may have died innocently.

They were considering whether he became the victim of a sex game that went wrong.

Officers are examining his mobile phone and financial records.

They suspect he may have known his killer as there was no sign of forced entry at his top-floor flat in smart Alderney Street, Pimlico.

But questions also remain over why his body was not discovered earlier.