Daily Mail : Clues point to sex game: MI6 spy Gareth Williams had 'no traces of foreign substances' in his body which was found zipped in a sportsbag

Clues point to sex game: MI6 spy Gareth Williams had 'no traces of foreign substances' in his body which was found zipped in a sportsbag

By Daily Mail Reporter | October 29, 2010

The MI6 spy found dead in a sports bag was not poisoned or under the influence of alcohol at the time of his death, tests have revealed.

After investigating all other avenues, detectives now believe it was a sadomasochistic sex game which led to Gareth Williams' death.

Toxicology tests ruled out the possibility of him being drugged or injected with any lethal toxin.

The codebreaker’s naked body was found locked in a sports bag in his empty bath.

Tests on his body, which have taken two months to complete, have failed to find any foreign substances – or alcohol – or give any indication as to how he died.

Police are now focused on finding a couple known to have been with the 31-year-old in the weeks before his death.

The Mediterranean couple, who are understood to have had a set of keys to the flat, are thought to be key to the investigation.

The man and woman, in their thirties, were known to Mr Williams and were seen entering the flat owned by the intelligence services in late June or early July. But, despite repeated appeals, they have failed to come forward.

Detectives are convinced that the cipher expert could not have died alone.

One possible explanation being investigated by detectives is that Mr Williams was locked in the bag by someone else and left in the bath as part of the bizarre sex game. It is thought that when the person returned to release him they found him dead and fled.

Police are certain he was alive when he was padlocked into the large holdall by, which led to him suffocating. There were no injuries on his body to suggest a struggle.

Inquiries continue into his private life, which officers remain convinced will be the key to solving the case.

There has been months of speculation about the death of the spy, who had been working for the Secret Intelligence Service on secondment from GCHQ in Cheltenham.

The inconclusive toxicology results will only serve to deepen the intrigue surrounding the case.

Mr Williams’ decomposing body was found inside a zipped and padlocked North Face bag in his flat on August 23.

Initially it was thought the cycling enthusiast had been murdered, but the case remains officially classified as ‘suspicious and unexplained’.

Police have discounted suggestions that Mr Williams committed suicide alone. The Mail has learnt that the outer door to his flat in Pimlico, Central London, had apparently been locked from the outside when police arrived on the scene.

Detectives have found no evidence to support claims that Mr Williams was a cross-dresser, that bondage equipment was found at his home, that a laptop was missing from the flat, or that he had reported to spy bosses that he was being followed.

Nor, as was claimed in one report, was any suspicious liquid found next to his body in the sports bag.

Police have also dismissed allegations of irregularities in his finances and there is no evidence that Mr Williams had committed any criminal acts.

The spy was last seen eight days before his body was found. CCTV showed him shopping at Harrods and at Holland Park tube station.

Colleagues later raised the alarm after he had not been seen for days.

Officers found no sign of any forced entry to the property or a disturbance inside. Westminster Coroner Dr Paul Knapman is due to review the case in private next Wednesday, after opening an inquest last month.

Yesterday a Metropolitan Police spokesman said: ‘Results from comprehensive further toxicology tests carried out in relation to the death of Gareth Williams have come back negative, showing no trace of any drugs, alcohol, poisons or any other substances that would indicate cause of death.

‘There are no plans to carry out any further tests of this type, but enquiries continue to try and establish a formal cause of death.

‘Mr Williams’ death remains suspicious and unexplained and enquiries into the circumstances continue.’

Evening Standard : Spy found dead in bag may have had a fetish for confined spaces

Spy found dead in bag may have had a fetish for confined spaces

Justin Davenport, Crime Editor | October 29, 2010

MI6 spy Gareth Williams may have died as a result of a bizarre sexual addiction to being enclosed in confined spaces, it emerged today.

Detectives are investigating whether the code-breaker, whose naked body was found inside a zipped and locked holdall, was a fan of so-called “claustrophilia”.

Mr Williams, 31, is thought to have died accidentally from a lack of oxygen after he agreed to be locked inside the red 32-inch long North Face bag by another person. One possibility is that the sex game went tragically wrong and the second person returned to find Mr Williams had died. The man — or woman — then fled the Pimlico flat, not leaving any forensic clues.

Police are now concentrating on Mr Williams's private life which detectives are convinced holds the answer to how he died. An examination of the spy's two laptops found in the flat showed he visited websites on claustrophilia, a desire to be confined in closed spaces.

There were also said to be links on one computer to a bondage and sado-masochistic website.

The development emerged as Scotland Yard announced that tests on the MI6 employee's body revealed no traces of any alcohol, drugs or poisons that may have caused his death.

Mr Williams's decomposing body was found in the padlocked holdall in the bath of his flat on August 23. The spy was last seen eight days before his body was found and detectives believe he may have lain undiscovered for several days. CCTV showed him shopping at Harrods and at Holland Park Tube station. There were no injuries to his body and nothing in the flat that suggested a struggle or forced entry.

A post-mortem examination has been unable to find a cause of death but it is possible he died from a combination of suffocation or dehydration, which is difficult to identify.

Police do not believe that he was able to lock himself into the North Face bag on his own and suspect at least one other person was inside the flat at the time.

They are still trying to trace a couple, both of Mediterranean appearance and aged between 20 and 30, who had paid a visit to Mr Williams's flat about a month before he was found dead. Despite repeated appeals they have not come forward.

A colourful wig and women's make-up were also found inside the flat, but detectives can find no evidence that Mr Williams was a cross dresser. Sources say he was an intensely private individual who appears to have gone to great lengths to hide details of his private life.

Mr Williams, a keen competitive cyclist, was on a year's secondment to MI6 from GCHQ, the Government's electronic eavesdropping agency in Cheltenham.

Coroner Dr Paul Knapman is due to review the case in private next Wednesday.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “Results from comprehensive further toxicology tests carried out in relation to the death of Gareth Williams have come back negative, showing no trace of any drugs, alcohol, poisons or any other substances that would indicate cause of death.

“There are no plans to carry out any further tests of this type, but inquiries continue to try to establish a formal cause of death. Mr Williams's death remains suspicious and unexplained and enquiries into the circumstances continue.”

News dot com [AU] : British spook Gareth Williams died in Houdini sex game, say police

British spook Gareth Williams died in Houdini sex game, say police

From: NewsCore | October 29, 2010

A BRITISH who was found naked and zipped up in a red duffel bag in the bathtub of his London apartment suffocated after a bizarre sex game went wrong.

Police believe 30-year-old math Gareth Williams genius died accidentally from a lack of oxygen after he agreed to be locked in the 32-inch-long sports bag by another person, The Sun newspaper reported.

Sources said the MI6 agent was a fan of claustrophilia - in which people get sexual pleasure from confined spaces.

Police have suggested that the person who zipped up the bag discovered Williams dead and fled the apartment. They have ruled out foul play but are still trying to trace the other person.

An examination of his two laptops showed Williams visited websites on claustrophilia.

He also had links to a bondage and a sadomasochism website. Two wigs and women's makeup were reportedly found in the victim's apartment.

Williams was zipped into a large North Face bag and a padlock was snapped shut through two eyeholes in the handles - but the key was found inside.

Investigators hoped toxicology tests would shed light on Williams' cause of death, but according to a statement released on Thursday: "The Metropolitan Police Service can confirm that results from comprehensive further toxicology tests carried out in relation to the death of Gareth Williams have come back negative, showing no trace of any drugs, alcohol [or] poisons ... Williams' death remains suspicious and unexplained, and inquiries into the circumstances continue."

There were no signs of forced entry or traces of blood at the scene.

Police again appealed on Thursday for information about a man and a woman seen at Williams’ apartment in late July. Both were described as of Mediterranean appearance and aged between 20 and 30 years old.

Williams, who worked at the Government Communications Headquarters fighting cyber warfare, was living in London on a temporary assignment for MI6.

Express : SPY’S FATAL ‘HOUDINI SEX GAME’

SPY’S FATAL ‘HOUDINI SEX GAME’

Gareth Williams suffocated himself accidentally during a sex game, police believe

By John Twomey | October 29, 2010

SPY Gareth Williams suffocated himself accidentally during a sex game which indulged his fetish for being locked in confined spaces, police believe.

The MI6 officer took his “Houdini games” too far when he was locked in a large sports bag at his flat.

Williams, 31, stripped naked and climbed into the sports bag in his bath, armed with a padlock key.

Scotland Yard detectives believe he asked someone to snap the padlock shut on the bag’s zip and leave him to find his own way out. But the lock was on the outside of the bag and he could not reach it. With little oxygen in the sports bag, he soon passed out and suffocated.

Officers are still looking for a mystery couple seen at his flat who could explain how the padlock on the bag was snapped shut.

It is still not clear whether anyone was in the bathroom when the spy started struggling for air. Williams may have told the person to leave the flat after locking him in the bag to add to the asphyxiation “sensation” and the feeling that he was dicing with death.

The codebreaker was found dead in the bath at his flat in Pimlico, central London, on August 23. He had been there for up to eight days.

Police checks on his laptop computers uncovered links to weird websites, including one called Torture Garden which deals with fetishes like claustrophilia.

Daily Star : OFFICIAL: SPY IN BAG GARETH WILLIAMS DIED DURING KINKY SEX GAME

OFFICIAL: SPY IN BAG GARETH WILLIAMS DIED DURING KINKY SEX GAME

By Paul Robins | October 29, 2010

THE spy found dead inside a padlocked sports bag suffocated during a sex game, police claimed yesterday.

New evidence revealed spook Gareth Williams got his kicks from being trapped in confined spaces, a fetish known as claustrophilia.

But detectives claim things went wrong when he could not get out.

The brilliant codebreaker’s body lay undiscovered for two weeks in the bathtub of his London flat.

But police believe they have solved the mystery after finding links to weird torture websites on the M16 officer’s laptops.

One called Torture Garden gives advice and tips on bizarre fetishes like claustrophilia.

Its believed Gareth, 31, stripped naked before asking someone to snap a padlock shut on the bag’s zip and leave him to find his own way out.

He was stuck in a semi-foetal position and was soon left struggling to fill his lungs with air.

The spy had taken the padlock key into the bag as his “life line” but because the padlock was on the outside he was unable to reach it.

With little oxygen in the bag, he soon passed out and suffocated. Police are convinced the spook would not have been able to lock it from the inside himself.

But it is believed he may have told the person to leave the flat to add to his sexual fantasy.

Erotic asphyxiation is the deliberate restriction of oxygen to the brain for sexual arousal.

Gareth had a small frame and fitted easily in the bag that measures 32 inches by 19.

Detectives are still trying to trace a mystery couple who visited the spy’s flat weeks before he died.

Police have confirmed that tests showed there was no trace of alcohol or drugs in his system.

His flat, in Pimlico, central London, did not appear to have been disturbed before the discovery of his body on August 23.

Police also scotched rumours about his double life as a gay transvestite after women’s clothes were found in his flat.

The cyclist fanatic and maths genius had been recruited by British security bosses after earning a university degree at 17.

He was just days away from completing a one-year secondment to MI6 from GCHQ, Britain’s eavesdropping base in Cheltenham, Glos.

Yesterday a pal said: “What a tragic waste of a brilliant life.”

An inquest will be held next year.

Sun: Bag spook died in 'Houdini' sex game

Bag spook died in 'Houdini' sex game

By MIKE SULLIVAN | Crime Editor | October 29, 2010

BODY-in-the-bag spy Gareth Williams suffocated after a kinky Houdini-style sex game went wrong, detectives said yesterday.

The naked MI6 codebreaker was a fan of claustrophilia - in which people get sexual pleasure from confined spaces.

Cops believe the 31-year-old maths genius died accidentally from lack of oxygen after he agreed to be locked in the 32-inch-long sports holdall by another person.

They reckon the person who zipped up the bag discovered him dead and fled the flat.

They have ruled out foul play but are still trying to trace the other person.

There were no signs of injury to Mr Williams' body and toxicology tests found nothing suspicious.

An examination of his two laptops showed he visited websites on claustrophilia.

He also had links to a bondage and sado-masochism website.

Two wigs and women's make-up were also in the flat in Pimlico, West London.

Mr Williams was zipped into the North Face bag and a padlock was snapped shut through two eyeholes in the handles - but the key was found inside.

Normally claustrophiliacs use a password in case of trouble.

It is thought Mr Williams, who did not have a girlfriend, died quickly in the hot bag, possibly while the other person was out of the room.

The key was then put in the bag which was moved to the bath.

Cops are hunting a couple who visited Mr Williams, originally from North Wales, before he died in August.

And CCTV showed him in a red T-shirt shopping at Harrods.

TVNZ : Spy's death still a mystery

Spy's death still a mystery

Reuters | October 29, 2010

Police probing the death of man who worked for Britain's Secret Intelligence Service MI6 said toxicology tests had found no traces of drugs or poisons, and the cause of his death remained a mystery.

Gareth Williams, 30, was found by police on August 23 at his top floor flat in Pimlico, central London, not far from the spy agency's headquarters, after he was reported missing.

Officers found his naked body in a zipped and padlocked holdall bag in an empty bath. Nothing was believed to have been stolen from the flat and there was no sign of any forced entry or disturbance inside.

Comprehensive tests had now been completed and had found no traces of any drugs, alcohol, poison or any other substances which would explain his death, detectives said.

"Mr Williams' death remains suspicious and unexplained and enquiries into the circumstances continue," London police said in a statement.

Detectives also repeated their appeal to trace a couple, both of Mediterranean appearance, aged between 20 and 30, who had paid a visit to Williams's flat about a month before he was found dead.

The mysterious nature of the death has led some to question whether he was targeted because of his work. However, the police inquiry is being carried out by its homicide unit, indicating they believe it is not related to terrorism or spy matters.

Williams was working for MI6, which deals with foreign espionage matters, on secondment from the Government Communications Headquarters, the government's eavesdropping service.

The Foreign Office has made no comment on the death, saying it did not make statements about anyone who might work for the intelligence agencies.

MI6 chief John Sawers said in the first ever public speech by the head of his spy organisation on Thursday that details of his staff and their work had to remain secret.