UPI : Dead MI6 agent also worked in Washington

Dead MI6 agent also worked in Washington

September 25, 2010

LONDON, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- The FBI is helping British police in their investigation into the death of an intelligence analyst who had worked in the United States, officials say.

Sir John Sawers, the head of MI6, the British military intelligence agency, attended Gareth Williams' funeral Friday at the Bethel Methodist Chapel in Anglesey, Wales, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Williams' body was found in his London apartment locked into a sports bag on Aug. 23. Investigators had not determined a cause of death.

Williams, 31, made several trips to the United States to work with the National Security Agency at Fort Meade in Maryland, the Telegraph said. He returned from his final trip on Aug. 10.

A couple reportedly visited Williams in London. The FBI has been using face recognition technology to determine if the couple were with Williams on any of his flights into or out of the United States.

Agents have also asked baggage handlers in Washington if they remember a bag like the one where the body was found and have searched an apartment where he stayed in the city, the Telegraph said.

UKPA : Police refuse comment on spy's death

Police refuse comment on spy's death

September 25, 2010

Police have refused to comment on a report that a spy found dead in a holdall could not have died alone.

Gareth Williams, 31, was on secondment at the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, from GCHQ in Cheltenham, when he was found dead last month.

His naked body was discovered in a padlocked North Face holdall placed in the bath of his flat in Pimlico, London.

Mystery surrounds his death and police continue to investigate. They regard the case as "suspicious and unexplained".

The Daily Mail said police were certain he was padlocked into the large holdall by someone else.

It said he was alive when he got into, or was forced into, the bag, and died from suffocation.

There have previously also been reports elsewhere that Mr Williams died alone.

Scotland Yard declined to comment on the new claim, or a suggestion in the same story that the outer door of Mr Williams' Government flat in Pimlico, central London, had been locked from the outside.

The Yard has previously announced that it wants to identify a man and woman, both of Mediterranean appearance and aged between 20 and 30, who were let into the communal entrance of his flat late one evening in June or July.

The Mail reported that they are understood to have had a set of keys to the flat, though again the Yard had no comment.

Copyright © 2010 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

Metro : FBI 'joins investigation' into MI6 worker's body in a bag death

FBI 'joins investigation' into MI6 worker's body in a bag death

September 25, 2010

The FBI has joined the investigation into the mysterious death of MI6 code breaker Gareth Williams, according to a report.

Mr Williams's body was discovered inside a sports bag in the bath at his London home on August 23rd, triggering a high-profile police operation.
MI6 worker Gareth Williams was laid to rest on Friday (PA) MI6 worker Gareth Williams was laid to rest on Friday (PA)

Despite the efforts of police officers and pathologists, it is still unclear how the 31-year-old died and his funeral took place on Friday with his family in the dark about the circumstances that led to his passing.

Reports on Saturday suggested the police have finally ruled out the possibility he died alone, having previously considered whether he may have climbed into the bag by himself as part of a sex game.

According to the Sunday Telegraph, police are now focusing their attention on the hunt for a couple of Mediterranean appearance who are believed to have visited Mr Williams during the summer.

The newspaper claims that British investigators have asked the FBI for help, as Mr Williams made regular trips to the US after spending time on secondment with the National Security Agency, including one less than a fortnight before his body was found.

FBI officers are said to have searched a flat used by the MI6 worker in the US, as well as using facial recognition software to study airport CCTV tapes and questioning baggage handlers.

It is thought that investigators on both sides of the Atlantic have concluded that Mr Williams's death had nothing to do with espionage.

His funeral in Holyhead was attended by Sir John Sawers, the head of MI6, who praised the valuable work undertaken by Mr Williams during his time with the Secret Intelligence Service and GCHQ.

Independent : Police refuse to comment on suspicions surrounding spy's death

Police refuse to comment on suspicions surrounding spy's death

By Tim Moynihan, Press Association | September 25, 2010

Police today refused to comment on a report that a spy found dead in a holdall could not have died alone.

Gareth Williams, 31, was on secondment at the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, from GCHQ in Cheltenham, when he was found dead last month.

His naked body was discovered in a padlocked North Face holdall placed in the bath of his flat in Pimlico, London.

Mystery surrounds his death and police continue to investigate. They regard the case as "suspicious and unexplained".

Today's Daily Mail said police were certain he was padlocked into the large holdall by someone else.

It said he was alive when he got into, or was forced into, the bag, and died from suffocation.

There have previously also been reports elsewhere that Mr Williams died alone.

Scotland Yard declined to comment on the new claim, or a suggestion in the same story that the outer door of Mr Williams' Government flat in Pimlico, central London, had been locked from the outside.

The Yard has previously announced that it wants to identify a man and woman, both of Mediterranean appearance and aged between 20 and 30, who were let into the communal entrance of his flat late one evening in June or July.

The Mail reported that they are understood to have had a set of keys to the flat, though again the Yard had no comment.

The report comes a day after Mr Williams' funeral in North Wales.

The head of MI6, Sir John Sawers, made the journey from London to the small Bethel Methodist Chapel in Anglesey to support Mr Williams' family and represent the maths genius's colleagues who could not attend.

Outside church, when asked if the investigation would ever get to the bottom of what happened to Mr Williams, Sir John said it was not for him to say.

He insisted it was a police matter and said: "It has been a desperately sad period for the family since Gareth died.

"It has been very difficult for them and I wanted to be here today as the only public face of the Secret Intelligence Service.

"My deepest sympathies go to the family.

"Gareth was a hugely talented person and he was very modest and generous as well.

"He did really valuable work with us in the cause of national security."

Telegraph : FBI joins investigation into MI6 spy's death

FBI joins investigation into MI6 spy's death

By Gordon Thomas and Patrick Sawer | September 25, 2010

The FBI has joined the hunt for the mystery 'Mediterranean' couple linked to the death of the MI6 spy found dead in his London safe house.

The bureau has employed face recognition technology at US airports in a bid to establish whether Gareth Williams travelled in and out of the US any stage with a couple answering the description of two people Scotland Yard have appealed to come forward in connection with his death.

The couple, of 'Mediterranean' appearance, were thought to have visited Mr Williams's flat in Pimlico sometime in June or July. Scotland Yard believes the pair, in their thirties, were known to Mr Williams since neighbours do not recall buzzing them into the address.

So far no trace of the couple has been found and detectives believe they could be significant to the inquiry.

Mr Williams, a computing and maths prodigy whose funeral on Friday was attended by Sir John Sawers, the head of MI6, had made regular trips to the United States, where he worked on secondment to the US National Security Agency (NSA) in Fort Meade, Maryland, helping to create defences against cyberattack on banking and infrastructure systems.

His last trip back to London from Washington was on Tuesday, August 10, following a holiday in the US. On August 15 CCTV showed him shopping at Harrods, eight days before his body was found at his flat in Pimlico.

The Sunday Telegraph understands that FBI agents have questioned baggage handlers at Washington's Dulles International Airport. None of them recall loading a large North Face holdall of the type in which Mr Williams's decomposing body was later discovered in the bath of his flat.

CCTV camera tapes at the airport have been subjected to FBI "Face Recognition" analysis to establish if Mr Williams arrived alone for his departure flight – or whether he was at any stage accompanied by the Mediterranean looking man and woman being sought by the Metropolitan Police.

Agents have also searched an apartment in the US used by Mr Williams close to the offices of the NSA, in a bid to establish if his death presents a threat to their own national security.

The 31-year-old, who had been on secondment to MI6 from the GCHQ listening centre in Cheltenham for a year, is understood to have lived in the flat while working at the NSA.

Agents have also interviewed a number of Mr Williams's colleagues and associates in the US in their attempt to discover if security has been disrupted by his death. The FBI has also checked with Internal Security at the NSA to see if the description of the couple fitted any of the small circle of friends which Williams had developed while working there.

Given his known enthusiasm for cycling the FBI has made checks along the trails through the popular Appalachian Mountains close to Washington, to see if Mr Williams had rented a bicycle in the area or travelled there during his visits.

Intelligence sources say nothing compromising has been found during either the search or the interviews, however the revelations have focused attention on Mr Williams's work in the US and his links to American security agencies.

Mr Williams is understood to have been a key member of a joint team assembled by MI6, GCHQ and the NSA at Fort Meade, where he was helping create defences for both Britain and the US against cyber attack by hostile countries.

He was given his own work station, equipped with a supercomputer with a secure link to GCHQ and MI6.

According to an intelligence source "his clearance was so high that he had access to over 30 categories of information which NSA had gathered". From Fort Meade he would also visit the Pentagon, the headquarters of the US Department of Defence.

Harry Ferguson, a former MI6 officer, said Mr Williams would have been a high-value asset if he had been recruited by a foreign agency.

It is understood that his remit at the NSA was to develop new defences that he would introduce to his post at GCHQ's Office of Cyber Security (OCS) on his return.

The FBI declined to confirm or deny whether its agents had searched Mr Williams's apartment. A spokesman at its Baltimore office, which covers the State of Maryland, said: "We don't discuss ongoing investigations."

Mr Williams's body was found in a state of advanced decomposition in the large North Face holdall, which had been padlocked from the outside and left in the bath of his flat at 23 Alderney Street, on August 23. Detectives have played down speculation that Mr Williams could have closed the padlock around the two zip handles from inside the bag. Officers are understood to believe someone else was involved in the death.

Two separate autopsies have failed to establish the cause of death and tests for other rare toxins which may evade initial examination continued last week on Mr Williams's body. A Home Office pathologist has already established that he was not stabbed, shot or strangled.

The continuing mystery over Mr Williams's death – along with the speculation, often lurid, surrounding it – has made it difficult for his parents Ian and Ellen to come to terms with the loss of their son. Mr and Mrs Williams, along with his sister Ceri, led mourners at his funeral at the Bethel Methodist Chapel in Anglesey before retreating their home in the village of Valley, overlooking the Irish Sea.

Mr Williams's uncle, William Hughes, a farmer and Plaid Cymru county councillor, said: "It's very tough for them at the moment. They are struggling to come to terms with what has happened. The fact no one yet seems to know how or why Gareth died makes it very difficult. He was a wonderful boy and Ian and Ellen were very proud of him."

Daily Star : MURDERED MI6 SPOOK GARETH WILLIAMS BURIED

MURDERED MI6 SPOOK GARETH WILLIAMS BURIED

By Daily Star Reporter | September 25, 2010

The funeral of MI6 spy Gareth Williams was held in his home town in Angelsey yesterday.

The codebreaker’s naked body was found zipped into a padlocked holdall in the bathroom of his London flat last month.

Metropolitan Police are still investigating his “complex” and “unexplained” death.

Hundreds gathered at the Bethel Chapel in Holyhead to pay tribute to the 31-year-old, who was described as a “quiet but happy person”. Mr Williams’ parents, Ellen and Ian were supported at the service by their daughter Ceri, 28.

Among the mourners were the Head of MI6, Sir John Sawers, and colleagues from GCHQ, the Government’s base in Cheltenham, and the Secret Intelligence Service.

His former headteacher Islwyn Williams, of Ysgol Morswyn primary school, also paid tribute to him.

Mirror : Head of MI6 joins mourners at the funeral of murdered spy Gareth Williams

Head of MI6 joins mourners at the funeral of murdered spy Gareth Williams

By Paul Byrne | September 25, 2010

The head of MI6 joined mourners at the funeral of murdered spy Gareth Williams yesterday.

Sir John Sawers took his place in the 115-year-old church with friends and family. But other security service colleagues were ushered in through a back door to protect their identities.

Mr Williams ' parents, Ellen and Ian, arrived with his sister Ceri, 28. Gareth, 31, was on secondment from GCHQ in Cheltenham, when he was found dead last month inside a padlocked holdall in his London flat. Two postmortems were inconclusive and police are still investigating.

Outside the small chapel in Holyhead, Anglesey, North Wales, Sir John said: "It has been a desperately sad period for the family since Gareth died.

"I wanted to be here as the only public face of the Secret Intelligence Service. He did really valuable work with us in the cause of national security."

Mirror : A SPY'S GOODBYE

A SPY'S GOODBYE

By Paul Byrne | September 25, 2010

The head of MI6 joined mourners at the funeral of murdered spy Gareth Williams yesterday.

Sir John Sawers took his place in the 115-year-old church with friends and family. But other security service colleagues were ushered in through a back door to protect their identities.

Mr Williams' parents, Ellen and Ian, arrived with his sister Ceri, 28. Gareth, 31, was on secondment from GCHQ in Cheltenham, when he was found dead last month inside a padlocked holdall in his London flat. Two postmortems were inconclusive and police are still investigating.

Outside the small chapel in Holyhead, Anglesey, North Wales, Sir John said: "It has been a desperately sad period for the family since Gareth died.

"I wanted to be here as the only public face of the Secret Intelligence Service. He did really valuable work with us in the cause of national security."

Daily Post : Funeral of Anglesey MI6 code-breaker Gareth Williams

Funeral of Anglesey MI6 code-breaker Gareth Williams

by Owen R Hughes, Daily Post | September 25, 2010

TRIBUTES were paid to MI6 code-breaker Gareth Williams as he was laid to rest on Anglesey.

More than 150 family, friends and colleagues including MI6 head Sir John Sawers silently entered Bethel Chapel in Holyhead to pay their final respects.

The 31-year-old spy’s body was discovered trapped in a padlocked North Face holdall placed in the bath of his flat in Pimlico, London in August.

Mystery surrounds the death of the maths genius from Valley and police continue to investigate.

Yesterday his tearful relatives clutched each other for support as they followed his wreath and tribute covered coffin into the Baptist Chapel led by his dad Ian, mum Ellen, and sister Ceri.

Ceri’s husband Chris Subbe paid tribute to Gareth inside the chapel, describing him as a “source of joy” for his family.

He went on to talk about meeting Gareth with Ceri at the Ritz Hotel in June, where they spent the afternoon laughing and joking.

He said: “The world was ours for the taking, yet here I am three months later, to the day, trying to describe your rich life with my poor words.”

He added that Gareth had always provided subtle and thoughtful conversation.

“He was unbelievably gifted but remained so modest and humble, he was a source of joy to his family,” he added.

The service was led by Rev John Rice Rowlands and a second tribute was also read out by Gareth’s former headteacher at Ysgol Gynradd Morswyn, Islwyn Williams.

He remembered the former pupil’s brilliance for maths which saw him attain GCSE at the age of 10.

Mourners sang Bread of Heaven and Craig yr Oesoedd, which was written by Samuel Jonathan Griffith (Morswyn), whom Gareth’s former primary school was named after.

After leaving the chapel his body was taken for burial at Ynys Wen Cemetery, Valley.

Outside the chapel MI6 head Sir John added his own tribute to Gareth.

He said: “My deepest sympathies go to the family. Gareth was a hugely talented person and he was very modest and generous as well. He did really valuable work with us in the cause of national security.”

Mr Williams worked as a communications officer at GCHQ in Cheltenham, but had been living in London after a secondment to the secret intelligence service.

He was due to return to Cheltenham a week after his body was found, after being in London for a year.

The Metropolitan Police have described the inquiry into his death as “complex”.

Fitness mad Gareth had excelled at school and graduated from Bangor University with a First Class mathematics degree at the age of 19.

Donations in his memory received at the funeral were given to Llanberis, Aberglaslyn and Ogwen Mountain rescue.

Express : MYSTERY OF DEAD SPY’S LOCKED FLAT

MYSTERY OF DEAD SPY’S LOCKED FLAT

By Chris Riches | September 25, 2010

THE MI6 spy whose naked body was found padlocked in a holdall did not die alone, detectives confirmed last night.

Police have still not ruled out the possibility that Gareth Williams, 31, died as the result of a sex game that went wrong.

But in an extra twist to the bizarre circumstances surrounding his death last month, it was revealed that the door to Mr Williams’s central London flat was locked from the outside when detectives arrived.

Yesterday the head of MI6 praised Mr Williams when he attended the funeral of the codebreaker.

Sir John Sawers said the maths genius had helped save lives. After the service in Holyhead, Anglesey, he said: “Gareth did very valuable work in the cause of national security. I wanted to be here as the only public face of the Secret Intelligence Service, to give support and offer sympathy to the family.”

About 200 mourners, led by Gareth’s parents Ian and Ellen and sister Ceri, gathered for the service.

Gareth, who worked for GCHQ at Cheltenham, Gloucs, was living in London on secondment to MI6.