National Post : Spy found, dead, naked and padlocked gym bag likely died in a bizarre accident, police say

Spy found, dead, naked and padlocked gym bag likely died in a bizarre accident, police say

Raphael Satter, Associated Press | November 13, 2013

LONDON — A spy whose naked, decomposing body was found inside a padlocked gym bag at his apartment likely died in an accident with no one else involved, British police said Wednesday — a tentative conclusion that is unlikely to calm conspiracy theories around the bizarre case.

Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt said the death of Gareth Williams, whose remains were found inside a bag in his bathtub in August 2010, was “most probably” an accident.

But he conceded that the facts could not be established beyond a reasonable doubt, and Williams’ family members said they still believe he was killed.

The police verdict also disagrees with a coroner’s inquest, which concluded last year that Williams had probably been killed by another person in a “criminally meditated act.”

Hewitt told reporters at Scotland Yard headquarters that a police review had found little evidence of foul play in a death that has spawned a host of theories, from assassination to sexual adventure gone awry.

Williams, a cyberwarfare expert, worked for Britain’s GCHQ eavesdropping service and was attached to the overseas espionage agency MI6 when he died.

Hewitt said the police position “is that, on balance, it is a more probable conclusion that there was no other person present when Gareth died.”

“But the reality is that for both hypotheses, there exist evidential contradictions and gaps in our understanding.”

Some have raised the possibility that Williams locked himself in the bag as part of a sex game gone wrong. Investigators found that he had visited bondage and sadomasochism websites, including some related to claustrophilia — a desire for confinement in enclosed spaces.

Police concluded that it could have been possible for Williams to climb inside the sports bag and lock it. However, none of Williams’ DNA was found on the lock on the bag and his palm prints were not found on the rim of the bath.

Coroner Fiona Wilcox last year was critical in her inquest verdict of MI6, which failed to pass evidence to investigating police. And she said that while it appeared unlikely that British intelligence agencies were involved in Williams’ death, it was a “legitimate line of inquiry.”

Hewitt said there was no evidence that the apartment had been cleaned to remove forensic traces and nothing to suggest a struggle or a break-in.

And he dismissed the idea that Britain’s secretive intelligence services had carried out a coverup.

“I do not believe that I have had the wool pulled over my eyes,” he said. “I believe that what we are dealing with is a tragic unexplained death.”

He said there was “no evidence to support the theory that Gareth’s death was in any way related to his work.”

Williams’ relatives said in a statement that they were disappointed that the facts were still not clear, but still believed it was likely he had been the victim of foul play.

“We consider that on the basis of the facts known at present the coroner’s verdict accurately reflects the circumstances of Gareth’s death,” the statement said.

Mirror : Spy-in-a-bag Gareth Wyn Williams 'probably died alone in an accident'

Spy-in-a-bag Gareth Wyn Williams 'probably died alone in an accident'

Martin Hewitt, the Met's senior officer investigating the death, said police believe the MI6 codebreaker was not killed

November 13, 2013

The mysterious death of MI6 spy Gareth Wyn Williams was probably an accident, police have said.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt revealed that his team disagree with the conclusion of a coroner last year that the codebreaker was more likely to have been murdered.

He said: "With the conclusion of the investigation, the Metropolitan Police's position is that, on balance, it is a more probable conclusion that there was no other person present when Gareth died.

"But the reality is that for both hypotheses, there exist evidential contradictions and gaps in our understanding."

The senior officer said the 31-year-old's death was "most probably" an accident, but admitted: "No evidence has been identified to establish the full circumstances of Gareth's death beyond all reasonable doubt."

Mr Williams, a fitness enthusiast originally from Anglesey, was found in the bag in the bath at his flat in Pimlico, central London, on August 23, 2010.

Pathologists said he would have suffocated within three minutes if he was alive when he got inside the 32-inch by 19-inch holdall.

None of his DNA was found on the lock on the bag and his palm prints were not found on the rim of the bath.

However, Mr Hewitt said there was no evidence that the flat had been "deep-cleaned" to remove forensic traces and nothing to suggest a struggle or a break-in.

A battery of post-mortem tests failed to determine how he died and police originally found it would have been impossible for him to have locked himself inside.

The mathematics genius worked as a cipher and codes expert for GCHQ, the Government listening station, but had been on secondment to the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6).

The unusual circumstances surrounding Mr Wyn Williams’ death sparked a painstaking investigation, worldwide media frenzy and several outlandish conspiracy theories.

In a statement, Mr Williams' family said they were "naturally disappointed" by the conclusions of the Met's investigation.

"We are naturally disappointed that it is still not possible to state with certainty how Gareth died and the fact that the circumstances of his death are still unknown adds to our grief.

"We note that the investigation has been conducted with further interviews upon some of the witnesses who gave evidence at the inquest and that the investigation team were at last able to interview directly members of GCHQ and SIS.

"We consider that on the basis of the facts at present known the Coroner's verdict accurately reflects the circumstances of Gareth's death.

"We still however remain very disappointed over the failure of his employers at MI6 to take even the most basic enquiries concerning Gareth's welfare when he failed to attend for work on the 16th August, 2010.

"We believe that if proper steps had been taken in the same manner as any reasonable employer would have undertaken further information relating to the cause of his death might have become apparent and not have been lost due to the length of time before Gareth's body was found.

"This lack of concern for Gareth's wellbeing remains an overriding feature of our thoughts following the death of a dear son and brother.

"We do not propose to make any further comment now concerning Gareth's death either personally nor through our legal representatives."

Mirror : Spy in a bag Gareth Williams: Six reasons why doubts persist and the theories behind his death

Spy in a bag Gareth Williams: Six reasons why doubts persist and the theories behind his death

November 13, 2013

Expert Peter Faulding, who specialises in rescuing people from confined spaces, made 300 unsuccessful attempts to lock himself inside an identical bag

Key points which seem to contradict police claims the death was probably just an accident:

1. Expert Peter Faulding, who specialises in rescuing people from confined spaces, made 300 unsuccessful attempts to lock himself inside an identical bag.

He said it was ‘unbelievable’ that Gareth could have got in it on his own. Another expert, William MacKay, and a yoga-practising assistant made more than 100 attempts at it without success.

2. Police were previously looking for other people and released an e-fit of a man and woman seen near Gareth’s flat in July 2010.

3. Last year, Coroner Fiona Wilcox ruled that “on the balance of probabilities” Gareth was unlawfully killed and it was unlikely he got in the bag by himself.

4. Three pathologists told the inquest that poisoning and asphyxiation were the most likely reasons for his death. But postmortems were inconclusive.

5. None of Gareth’s DNA was found on the padlock and there was no evidence of his palm prints on the bath. Up to 15 unidentified DNA samples were found in the flat.

6. The flat had been locked from the outside when police arrived at the scene. No sign of forced entry could be found, but doors and locks had been removed by the time police experts arrived.

The theories: Was it a Russian hit?

Kremlin assassins

Russian agents could have killed Gareth in connection with his work examining the flow of money from Russia to Europe.

Their secret services had already struck at the heart of Britain. In 2006 Alexander Litvinenko, an ex-Russian agent who fled to London, was poisoned with radioactive polonium.

In 2007 a gunman from Russia was arrested at the Park Lane Hilton on a mission to murder oligarch Boris Berezovsky. He and Litvinenko were critics of President Vladimir Putin.

A couple seen on CCTV near Gareth’s flat have never been found despite police issuing e-fit photos.

Double agent

Gareth may have been betrayed by a British double agent who revealed his identity to foreign assassins.

The brilliant young mathematician would have been a high-value target. He was one of just a handful of spies launching effective counter-attacks to stop enemy computer hackers finding out British Government secrets.

Gay lover

He may have been killed to cover up a gay relationship with an MI6 spy who had a family and a career to lose if the truth came out.

Gareth had reportedly been spotted before his death frequenting a popular gay area of Vauxhall in London. If his lover had felt threatened that the affair would be exposed to MI6 bosses, he may have killed Gareth.

The evidence could then have been hidden by the secret service to prevent any further embarrassment for Britain’s intelligence community.

Fetish gone wrong

Despite evidence to the contrary at his inquest, another theory is that he got in the bag on his own, zipped it up and then padlocked it on the outside as part of an escapology fetish. Then he may have suffocated after becoming trapped.

There is evidence to suggest Gareth liked to be tied up as part of a game.

He was once discovered by a former landlady in Cheltenham tied to his bedposts wearing nothing but his boxer shorts. Gareth had to ask to be freed from the bed.

Evening Standard : MI6 Spy in a bag Gareth Williams 'probably locked himself inside it'

MI6 Spy in a bag Gareth Williams 'probably locked himself inside it'

Justin Davenport, Crime Editor | November 13, 2013

The MI6 spy found dead in a bag in his Pimlico flat three years ago probably locked himself inside it, a Met review of the case said today.

Senior officers said they could can find no evidence that the GCHQ codebreaker was a victim of an assassination by the security services or any other third party. The partially-decomposed naked body of Gareth Williams, 31, was found inside the padlocked holdall in his bath in August 2010 sparking a host of theories.

Police will now wind down their inquiry but admitted there was no evidence to establish the exact circumstances of his death “beyond all reasonable doubt”. His family said today they still believe he was killed by a “third party”. It came as police said they now believe that he could have been able to climb into the large North Face bag unaided and lock it from inside.

It follows a new 16-month investigation by murder squad detectives. The findings contradict the conclusions of Westminster coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox who ruled last year that Mr Williams was probably “unlawfully killed”.

She concluded that the spy could have been killed by a secret service colleague and pointed to a significant lack of hand or fingerprints around the bath where Mr Williams was found.

Two experts, working for the coroner, tried 400 times to lock themselves into the North Face bag and one claimed even Harry Houdini “would have struggled” to squeeze himself inside.

But days after the inquest a retired Army sergeant showed that it was possible and now police believe it was possible to do so. Mr Williams, a fitness fanatic, had an interest in escapology and confined spaces, visiting little known websites on the internet.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt said the police had decided “that, on balance, it is a more probable conclusion that there was no other person present when Gareth died”.

Mr Hewitt said the family still believed the finding of the coroner that “someone else was involved.” He added: “We are saying that the most probable scenario is that Gareth was alone but I do not have the evidence to close down entirely that someone else was there.”

Mr Hewitt said: “My view is that it was an accident. There is nothing to suggest that Gareth had any intention of taking his own life.” But he admitted there were still “evidential contradictions and gaps in our understanding” which prevented detectives from reaching a definitive conclusion.

He said a full investigation had included interviewing 27 Secret Intelligence Service and GCHQ colleagues of Mr Williams’s, extensive forensic examinations of the flat, and “digital forensic examination” of phones and computers.

Mr Hewitt said there was no evidence that the top-floor flat in Alderney Street had been the subject of a “forensic clean” by security agents because numerous fingerprints and DNA traces dating back several years had been found. “Such a ‘selective’ clean would not be possible,” he says. However, he admitted there was still no explanation for lack of fingerprints around the rim of the bath.

There was also no physical evidence of any forced entry to the premises, nor any evidence that the spy was involved in a violent struggle. Mr Hewitt said Mr Williams’s interest in women’s clothing had fuelled speculation. Around £20,000 worth of clothing was found in his flat, many of them dresses still in their wrapping.

He said the coroner had found these were a “fashion collection” and he did not believe they were relevant.

He said the coroner had been informed of the findings but had concluded that there was insufficient new evidence to re-open the inquest.

Mr Williams family said in a statement: “We are naturally disappointed that it is still not possible to state with certainty how Gareth died and the fact that the circumstances of his death are still unknown adds to our grief.

“We consider that on the basis of the facts at present known the coroner’s verdict accurately reflects the circumstances of Gareth’s death.”

Mirror : Gareth Williams' family slams MI6 for failing to check welfare of spy-in-a-bag

Gareth Williams' family slams MI6 for failing to check welfare of spy-in-a-bag

The codebreaker's grieving family say more should have been done by MI6 when he failed to show up for work

November 13, 2013

The family of 'spy-in-a-bag' Gareth Williams have hit out at MI6's "lack of concern" for his welfare after a police investigation found his death was most likely an accident.

The 31-year-old codebreaker's body was found locked in a sports holdall in the bathtub of his flat in central London in August 2010.

A coroner initially ruled his death was murder, but a Metropolitan Police investigation found the maths genius probably locked himself inside the bag and died accidentally.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt revealed that his team disagree with the conclusion of a coroner last year that the codebreaker was more likely to have been murdered.

He said: "With the conclusion of the investigation, the Metropolitan Police's position is that, on balance, it is a more probable conclusion that there was no other person present when Gareth died.

"But the reality is that for both hypotheses, there exist evidential contradictions and gaps in our understanding."

The senior officer said the 31-year-old's death was "most probably" an accident, but admitted: "No evidence has been identified to establish the full circumstances of Gareth's death beyond all reasonable doubt."

Following the verdict, Mr Williams's family released a statement slamming MI6 for their failure to make "basic inquiries concerning Gareth's welfare".

The statement read: "We are naturally disappointed that it is still not possible to state with certainty how Gareth died, and the fact that the circumstances of his death are still unknown adds to our grief.

"We note that the investigation has been conducted with further interviews upon some of the witnesses who gave evidence at the inquest, and that the investigation team were at last able to interview directly members of GCHQ and SIS.

"We consider that on the basis of the facts at present known, the Coroner's verdict accurately reflects the circumstances of Gareth's death.

"We still, however, remain very disappointed over the failure of his employers at MI6 to take even the most basic inquiries concerning Gareth's welfare when he failed to attend for work on August 16, 2010.

"We believe that if proper steps had been taken in the same manner as any reasonable employer would have undertaken, further information relating to the cause of his death might have become apparent and not have been lost due to the length of time before Gareth's body was found.

"This lack of concern for Gareth's well-being remains an over-riding feature of our thoughts following the death of a dear son and brother.

"We do not propose to make any further comment now concerning Gareth's death, either personally nor through our legal representatives."

ABC : Mystery Still Surrounds Bizarre 2010 Spy Death in London

Mystery Still Surrounds Bizarre 2010 Spy Death in London

By Jean-Nicholas Fievet | November 13, 2013

Police in London have admitted that they still don’t know why the dead body of a 31-year-old British intelligence officer was found locked inside a bag in 2010, but deny there was any cover-up by spy agencies. The investigation is now closed, pending new evidence, police told ABC News today.

Gareth Williams was working as a code breaker for the U.K.’s Secret Intelligence Service when his naked body was discovered curled up inside a locked duffle bag in the bathtub of his London apartment on Aug. 23, 2010.

The senior police officer overseeing the investigation says he believes Williams’ bizarre death was probably an accident and unconnected to his job as a spy, but admits there’s not enough evidence to prove what really happened.

The conclusion of the police investigation is in stark contrast to the findings of last year’s inquest, when the coroner found that it was likely Williams was killed by someone, and that the secret services may have been involved in some way.

It’s also very different from the view of the officer initially in charge of the police investigation, who said last year that it was “highly likely” that a third party was involved.

Williams was recruited by GCHQ, the British equivalent of the National Security Agency, and was described by his boss as a “world-class” intelligence officer and “something of a prodigy.” He was loaned out to MI6 at the time of his death.

After an investigation lasting over three years, several important questions in the case remain unsolved.

Speaking about the Williams case, Scotland Yard detectives say they believe it’s theoretically possible for a person acting alone to get into a bag measuring only 32 inches by 19 inches, but no prints were found on the bathtub or the external lock on the bag. No possible motive for murder has been found. A dozen DNA traces found in the apartment are still unexplained because they are not sufficient to build full DNA profiles.

In addition, police have found no explanation for why the heating in the apartment was set at maximum in the middle of summer, or why it took the Secret Intelligence Service, known as MI6, eight days to contact police after Williams didn’t show up for work. A postmortem examination by a government pathologist was unable to find a cause of death.

In response to questions over a possible cover-up by the intelligence services, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt says that it’s “beyond credibility” that the spy agencies have “entirely pulled the wool” over his eyes.

Gareth Williams’ family have expressed their disappointment that that his bosses at MI6 failed to raise the alarm when he didn’t show up for work. In a statement issued in response to the police investigation, they said, “We believe that if proper steps had been taken … further information relating to the cause of his death might have become apparent and not have been lost due to the length of time before Gareth’s body was found.”

During their investigation, police interviewed 27 staff at MI6 and GCHQ and were able to look at Williams’ personnel and vetting files. The agencies are said to have fully cooperated, although police concede that they had insufficient access to them during the initial phase of their investigation.

Given that fingermarks and DNA traces were found in the spy’s home, police say it is highly unlikely that a “forensic clean”– deliberately removing DNA traces – was carried out on the apartment.

BBC : MI6 spy Gareth Williams death 'probably an accident', police say

MI6 spy Gareth Williams death 'probably an accident', police say

November 13, 2013

The death of MI6 spy Gareth Williams, whose body was found in a padlocked sports bag, was probably an accident, police have said.

Last year, a coroner said it was likely Mr Williams, 31, from Anglesey, had been unlawfully killed in August 2010.

But the Metropolitan Police said an evidence review had found "it was more probable" no other person was present when he died in his London flat.

Mr Williams's family said they stood by the coroner's findings.

Roger Pinney reports.

[video here]

Mirror : Spy Gareth Wyn Williams: 10 unanswered questions about the spy's mysterious death

Spy Gareth Wyn Williams: 10 unanswered questions about the spy's mysterious death

Three years since the codebreaker's body was found decomposing inside a bag, we are no closer to knowing the truth behind his death

November 13, 2013

The death of MI6 spy Gareth Wyn Williams is a mystery that will probably never be solved.

The top codebreaker - who had been seconded to the secret service from Britain's listening station GCHQ - was found dead inside a holdall bag at his flat in Pimlico, central London, in 2010.

A string of post-mortem tests failed to determine how he died and police originally found it would have been impossible for him to have locked himself inside.

An inquest ruled that his death was "unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated."

But today, the Met police said their investigation into Gareth's death has concluded and they believe he probably died alone, as a result of an accident.

However, even the senior officer investigating the case Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt admitted "no evidence has been identified to establish the full circumstances of Gareth's death beyond all reasonable doubt."

His family said in a statement they remain "naturally disappointed" with the conclusions of the investigation.

Here MirrorOnline poses ten questions which are still unanswered more than three years after Gareth's death:

1. Why did MI6 fail to raise the alarm about his disappearance for more than a week? Gareth failed to turn up for work on August 16. Police were not alerted by colleagues until Monday August 23. When turned up to check at his flat they found his body. Gareth's family have hit out at MI6 claiming they failed to make "basic inquiries concerning Gareth's welfare".

2. What was Gareth doing for the intelligence services? The 31-year-old was considered a maths genius - having gained O levels aged ten before graduating from university seven years later. He had been working for GCHQ in Cheltenham since 2001 but had been seconded to MI6 shortly before his death. However, according to his family, Gareth did not enjoy London and was about to be moved back to Cheltenham when he died.

3. How did his body come to be in a bag padlocked from the outside? Despite asserting that Gareth died as a result of an accident - police have been able to satisfactorily explain how he was able to lock himself inside the holdall. Some reports suggested that an escapologist of similar build was able to get in the bag and lock it from the inside, but these have since been dismissed.

4. Why were there no fingerprints around the bath? If Gareth got into the bag voluntarily, it begs the question why no fingerprints were found in the immediate area. Some reports have suggested the scene had been "deep cleaned" to destroy any possible forensic evidence, but police have dismissed this possibility.

5. What is the truth of Gareth's personal life? The spy's family and friends had known him to be a cyclist, fitness enthusiast and private individual. But during the investigation, another side of Gareth's personality emerged which shocked and surprised them. Around £20,000 of women's clothing and shoes were found in his flat. However, most were left untouched and an inquest found no evidence to suggest he was a cross-dresser. There was also evidence Gareth had visited bondage and festish sites - but again, this was infrequent and a coroner did not consider it significant in his death.

6. Was someone trying to smear Gareth? For a period of time, stories frequently appeared, attributed to unnamed sources, which pushed the theory that Gareth was gay, interested in S&M and may have been murdered by a gay lover. Such assertions were angrily denied by both police and his family - were they prompted by genuine evidence or was it an attempt to cover-up the real story behind his death?

7. Why was one of Gareth's phones returned to a factory setting before he died? The coroner was particularly concerned by this piece of evidence. When police first entered Gareth's flat, two iPhones, some sim cards and an Apple notebook were laid out neatly on the table.

8. Why was the heating left on? When officer's found Gareth's body, the contorted position of his arms and legs led them to believe they had been chopped up. The heating was also on, which increased the speed of decomposition giving investigators very little clue as to his true cause of death.

9. Why was his front door locked from the outside? This is regarded as further proof that someone else was certainly present when Gareth died.

10. Why did the Met's Counter Terrorism officers fail to tell the inquest about nine memory sticks found at his SIS office? This led the coroner to conclude that the involvement of SIS colleague's in Gareth's death was a legitimate line of enquiry.

Sky News : Spy In Bag: MI6 Man Probably Locked Himself In

Spy In Bag: MI6 Man Probably Locked Himself In

Police believe spy-in-the-bag Gareth Williams probably died accidentally and no-one else was involved in his bizarre death.

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent | November 13, 2013

GCHQ codebreaker Gareth Williams probably died after locking himself inside his own holdall, a fresh police review of the case has found.

The naked body of the 31-year-old was discovered in the bag in his central London flat in August 2010 triggering speculation that he had been targeted by foreign agents because of his work.

However, the latest investigation by the Metropolitan Police has found that Mr Williams, who had a keen interest in escapology, probably died alone in an accident.

Detectives believe the codebreaker, who was on secondment to MI6, locked himself into a sports bag in his bath and managed to padlock it from the outside without leaving any DNA traces.

The conclusion of a 16-month Scotland Yard review reverses the view of its own original investigators who found it was "highly likely" there was third-party involvement.

And it effectively overturns the finding of a coroner who said last year that Mr Williams was probably killed unlawfully.

The inquest had heard that two experts had tried 400 times to lock themselves in a similar bag but had failed.

However, days after the inquest had finished, an Army Sergeant showed how it was possible to climb into the North Face holdall and do up the zip before padlocking it shut.

Mr Williams' family issued a statement responding to the outcome of the police investigation saying that they still felt the coroner's verdict best represented the circumstances of Mr Williams' death.

They also slammed MI6 or failing to raise concerns after Mr Williams went missing, therefore jeopardising the chances of getting information that might have helped to find the cause of his death.

The statement said: "This lack of concern for Gareth's well-being remains an over-riding feature of our thoughts following the death of a dear son and brother.

Announcing the findings on Wednesday, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt said the investigation had included that "on balance, it is a more probable conclusion that there was no other person present when Gareth died".

He said that suggestions police had been duped by the intelligence service because the investigation contradicted the coroner's findings were "beyond credibility" and said he had not had the "wool pulled over my eyes".

He admitted that initially restricted access to MI6, using a team of counter-terrorism police to act as a go-between for the murder squad and the security services, was "cumbersome" and meant they couldn't do the investigation as they wished.

However, he said, that had changed and officers had been given full access to details of Mr Williams' work.

He said: "Three years of extensive investigative activity have developed a very clear profile of Gareth. He was, without doubt, a private person who was very close to his family and had few other close friends. That said, the universal view of colleagues was of a conscientious and decent man with a few well-known hobbies such as his cycling and climbing.

"There is no evidence of any animosity towards Gareth, and it has not been possible to identify anyone with a motive for causing him harm."

Mr Williams was found inside the bag in the bath at his Pimlico flat on August 23, 2010.

Pathologists said he would have suffocated within three minutes of being locked inside the bag. They said that none of his DNA had been found on the lock on the bag and his palm prints were not found on the rim of the bath.

At his inquest in April last year, the coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox warned that it was unlikely the mystery of Mr Williams' death would ever be satisfactorily explained.

She said: "The cause of his death was unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated.

"I am therefore satisfied that on the balance of probabilities that Gareth was killed unlawfully."

The Metropolitan Police review into the case was launched after the inquest.

L.A. Times : Death of British spy found in locked gym bag ruled 'accident'

Death of British spy found in locked gym bag ruled 'accident'

By Carol J. Williams | November 13, 2013

Scotland Yard on Wednesday reversed a coroner's finding of foul play in the 2010 death of British spy Gareth Williams, concluding that an accident was likely responsible for the death of the code-breaker whose naked, decomposing body was found stuffed inside a zipped and padlocked gym bag.

London Metropolitan Police investigators had undertaken a review of evidence in the case 16 months ago, after initial restrictions on homicide detectives' access to details of Williams' intelligence work were lifted by the British secret service, MI6.

Deputy Asst. Commissioner Martin Hewitt told journalists in London that investigators only had access to Williams' work files and colleagues after the coroner's conclusion in April 2012 that his death was likely "criminally mediated."

"On balance, it is a more probable conclusion that there was no other person present when Gareth died," Hewitt said, according to the Daily Telegraph.

The body of the then-31-year-old intelligence operative, who at the time of his August 2010 death was on temporary duty in London from his listening post in Cheltenham, was found in the empty bathtub of his apartment after he failed to show up for work for a week.

In its account of the new cause-of-death report, the Telegraph noted that investigators had been able to interview 27 of Williams' MI6 colleagues and review the cases on which he was working only after the secret service conducted its own confidential probe.

"It is highly unusual for us to be able to go into those organizations and to have open access to personnel files, to vetting files and to all the other aspects of Gareth's work, which we have been given, and which allows us to draw the conclusion that I am convinced that Gareth's death was in no way related to his work either current or previously," Hewitt said.

The deputy commissioner conceded, however, that uncertainties remain and that a definitive ruling on Williams' cause of death may never be reached.

The revised assessment immediately prompted speculation that authorities were attempting to obscure some embarrassing or sensitive issue in the death.

The BBC quoted its internal affairs correspondent as saying the findings that Williams was likely alone when he died as a result of an accident "were likely to fuel theories of a successful cover up by the intelligence agencies."

The Daily Mirror's website posted "10 questions which are still unanswered more than three years after Gareth's death." The mysteries cited included why Williams' MI6 colleagues failed to inquire about his absence from work for a week, how the door to his apartment came to be locked from the outside after his death, whether the heat was turned on in the apartment to accelerate the body's decomposition and preclude certain forensics tests, and why there were no fingerprints found on the bathtub.

Sky News reported that two contortion experts working on the earlier inquest tried 400 times to lock themselves into a similar bag and failed. Shortly after the earlier probe ended, though, an army sergeant was able to demonstrate that it was possible to zip oneself into such a bag from the inside in the cramped position in which Williams' body was found, Sky reported.

Williams' family issued a statement after the revised cause-of-death report, saying the verdict of Medical Examiner Fiona Wilcox more "accurately reflects the circumstances of Gareth's death."

"We are naturally disappointed that it is still not possible to state with certainty how Gareth died and the fact that the circumstances of his death are still unknown adds to our grief," his family stated.

Telegraph : Spy in a bag: family reject police conclusion death was 'tragic accident'

Spy in a bag: family reject police conclusion death was 'tragic accident'

The parents and sister of MI6 spy Gareth Williams still believe he was murdered

By Tom Whitehead | November 13, 2013

The family of MI6 spy Gareth Williams, who was found dead in a locked holdall, have rejected police conclusions that he died in a tragic accident by himself.

The parents and sister of the codebreaker still believe he was murdered and launched a fresh attack on his spy masters for failures over his welfare.

The naked, decomposing body of Mr Williams, who was on secondment to MI6 from GCHQ was found in a padlocked holdall in the bath of his flat in Pimlico, London, in August 2010.

An inquest last year concluded he had been “unlawfully killed” and put in the bath by another person.

But following a three-year investigation, Scotland Yard has contradicted the coroner’s findings and concluded Mr Williams most likely got in to the bag himself and died after failing to get out again.

Deptuy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt, who led the investigation, said that was the most logical outcome but stressed it may never be known exactly how or why Mr Williams came to die.

Police have now effectively ended their inquires in to the death but said they would keep the case under review.

But a statement issued on behalf of Mr Williams’ family said: “We have, as a family, had the opportunity to consider the investigative update which has been prepared by the Metropolitan Police following the inquest which took place in London in April/May, 2012.

"We are naturally disappointed that it is still not possible to state with certainty how Gareth died, and the fact that the circumstances of his death are still unknown adds to our grief.

"We note that the investigation has been conducted with further interviews upon some of the witnesses who gave evidence at the inquest, and that the investigation team were at last able to interview directly members of GCHQ and SIS.

"We consider that on the basis of the facts at present known, the Coroner's verdict accurately reflects the circumstances of Gareth's death.”

Mr Hewitt said: “With the conclusion of the investigation, the Metropolitan Police's position is that, on balance, it is a more probable conclusion that there was no other person present when Gareth died.

"But the reality is that for both hypotheses there exist evidential contradictions and gaps in our understanding."

But Mr Hewitt said the 31-year-old's death was "most probably" an accident, although he admitted: "No evidence has been identified to establish the full circumstances of Gareth's death beyond all reasonable doubt."

However, Mr Hewitt said there was no evidence that the flat had been "deep-cleaned" to remove forensic traces and nothing to suggest a struggle or a break-in.

Despite an intensive police investigation, no one has been arrested and the circumstances surrounding his death have remained a mystery.

Following an eight-day inquest last year, coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox concluded that Mr Williams was probably "unlawfully killed" in a criminal act after experts found it impossible to climb in to a bag by themselves.

She said his death most likely involved a third party and he was either poisoned or suffocated.

She also said the possibility that a member of the intelligence services was involved in the maths prodigy's death remained a "legitimate line of inquiry" for police.

On behalf of the coroner, two experts tried 400 times to lock themselves into the bag, and one claimed that even Harry Houdini "would have struggled" to squeeze himself inside.

But days after the inquest, a retired Army sergeant showed how it was possible to climb into a similar North Face bag and lock it from the inside.

The renewed investigation saw officers reinterview MI6 officers and take their DNA samples.

The Metropolitan Police announced an urgent review of the case in the wake of the inquest findings, including concerns over how some evidence was handled by MI6 and counter–terrorism officers during a two–year investigation in to the death.

Guardian : MI6 spy found dead in bag probably locked himself inside, Met says

MI6 spy found dead in bag probably locked himself inside, Met says

Three-year investigation by Scotland Yard concludes Gareth Williams probably died as a result of a tragic accident

Josh Halliday | November 13, 2013

The MI6 spy found dead in a bag three years ago probably locked himself in the holdall and died as a result of a tragic accident, Scotland Yard has said.

Outlining the results of a three-year investigation on Wednesday, the Metropolitan police said Gareth Williams most likely died alone in his flat.

But Detective Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt said the police could not "fundamentally and beyond doubt" rule out the possibility that a third party was involved in his death.

Williams's naked body was found in the padlocked bag, with the keys discovered under his body, in the otherwise empty bath in his flat in Pimlico, central London, in August 2010.

Last year, a coroner concluded that Williams was probably unlawfully killed and his death the result of a criminal act. Following an eight-day inquest, the Westminster coroner, Dr Fiona Wilcox, said he was probably either suffocated or poisoned, before a third party locked and placed the bag in the bath.

But Hewitt said Scotland Yard's three-year inquiry had come to a different conclusion and that Williams was "most probably" alone when he died.

"Despite all of this considerable effort, it is still the case that there is insufficient evidence to be definitive on the circumstances that led to Gareth's death," he said.

"Rather, what we are left with is either individual pieces of evidence, or a lack of such evidence, that can logically support one of a number of hypotheses."

Hewitt added that the investigation had added "some clarity and detail" to the case, but that "no evidence has been identified to establish the full circumstances of Gareth's death beyond all reasonable doubt".

A forensic examination of Williams's flat, a security service safe house, has concluded that there was no sign of forced entry or DNA that pointed to a third party present at the time of the spy's death.

Scotland Yard's inquiry also found no evidence of Williams's fingerprints on the padlock of the bag or the rim of the bath, which the coroner last year said supported her assertion of "third-party involvement" in the death. Hewitt said it was theoretically possible for Williams to lower himself into the holdall without touching the rim of the bath.

Winding down the lengthy investigation, which has drawn interviews and statements from 27 of Williams's colleagues in MI6 and GCHQ, Hewitt said the death remained a tragedy that would be kept under review by detectives.

In a statement, Williams's family said they were disappointed with the police findings and that they agreed with the coroner's conclusions that he was most likely killed unlawfully. "We are naturally disappointed that it is still not possible to state with certainty how Gareth died and the fact that the circumstances of his death are still unknown adds to our grief," the family said.

"We note that the investigation has been conducted with further interviews upon some of the witnesses who gave evidence at the inquest and that the investigation team were at last able to interview directly members of GCHQ and SIS [MI6].

"We consider that on the basis of the facts at present known the coroner's verdict accurately reflects the circumstances of Gareth's death."

In a press briefing at Scotland Yard, Hewitt admitted it was "a cause of some regret" that the police were not able to definitively explain the circumstances surrounding the 31-year-old's death.

He rejected suggestions that the security services had "pulled the wool" over his eyes, following concerns over how MI6 and counter-terrorism officers had handled some evidence during the initial investigation. It emerged on Wednesday that police only gained access to Williams's spy agency personnel and vetting files after the coroner's inquest ended last May.

Williams, a maths prodigy and fitness enthusiast originally from Anglesey, was a private person with few other close friends aside from his family, police said. In interviews, MI6 and GCHQ colleagues described him as a "conscientious and decent man" and detectives were unable to identify anyone with any animosity towards him or a motive for causing him harm.

As part of the fresh investigation, a forensic sweep of Williams's flat discovered 10 to 15 unidentified traces of DNA, which are being kept under examination, but none on the North Face holdall or around the bath area of the en suite bathroom of the flat's main bedroom. There was also no evidence of a "deep clean" of the flat to wipe all trace of DNA.

Hewitt said: "There are really three hypotheses that you can use here. One is that Gareth, for whatever reason, got himself into that bag and then was unable to get himself out and died as a result of that.

"One is that Gareth, with someone else, got into the bag consensually, then something went wrong and he died as a result of that. The third is that someone murdered Gareth by putting him in that bag. I would argue that any physical absence [of evidence of] a third party being present tends to make the hypotheses that there is a third party present less likely."

He added: "The coroner drew an inference. I am now drawing a different inference."

At the coroner's inquest, two experts tried 400 times to lock themselves into the 32in by 19in holdall without success, with one remarking that even Harry Houdini "would have struggled" to squeeze himself inside. But days after the inquest, footage emerged of a retired army sergeant climbing into the bag and locking it from the inside.

Hewitt said it was now established that it was theoretically possible for a person to climb into the bag and that it was "more probable" that Williams did this before suffocating as a result of the accident. It emerged during the inquest that Williams had an interest in escapology, but the police said it would be speculation to link his death to a failed attempt to escape from the locked holdall.

Telegraph : Spy in a bag: Flaws in investigating death of MI6 spy Gareth Williams

Spy in a bag: Flaws in investigating death of MI6 spy Gareth Williams

Murder detectives did not formally interview MI6 colleagues of Gareth Williams or look at his vetting files for more than two years after death

By Tom Whitehead, Security Editor | November 13, 2013

Police investigating the death of spy Gareth Williams did not have access to his personnel and vetting files for more than two years – and after his inquest, it has emerged.

Murder detectives also only formally interviewed colleagues of Mr Williams at MI6 and GCHQ in the last year, despite him dying in 2010.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt admitted the way the death was first investigated was flawed.

Although a homicide team led the initial inquiries, counter terrorism officers acted as a go between with MI6 because they were the only ones vetted to do so.

The situation was subject to criticism during the inquest, especially when it emerged that no formal witness statements were even taken.

Following, the inquest homicide officers had direct access to files and to officers and formally interviewed 27 members of MI6 and GCHQ.

Mr Hewitt said: "We didn't get it right at the beginning and the way that we did it was cumbersome and didn't allow us to do the investigation in the way that we wanted to.

"We recognised that fact and we changed it fundamentally for the subsequent two years of the investigation. I don't think that process stopped us getting any evidence that we needed to get.

"It is highly unusual for us to be able to go into those organisations and to have open access to personnel files, to vetting files and to all the other aspects of Gareth's work, which we have been given, and which allows us to draw the conclusion that I am convinced that Gareth's death was in no way related to his work either current or previously."

MI6 and GCHQ were also criticised during the inquest for failings in the welfare of Mr Williams.

He was not noticed missing for up to a week, by which time his body was badly decomposed meaning some toxicology tests could not be taken.

In their statement today, Mr Williams’ family said: “We still however remain very disappointed over the failure of his employers at MI6 to take even the most basic enquiries concerning Gareth's welfare when he failed to attend for work on the 16th August, 2010.

“We believe that if proper steps had been taken in the same manner as any reasonable employer would have undertaken further information relating to the cause of his death might have become apparent and not have been lost due to the length of time before Gareth's body was found.”

Independent : MI6 spy in a bag case: Gareth Williams 'probably' locked himself in holdall by accident

MI6 spy in a bag case: Gareth Williams 'probably' locked himself in holdall by accident

Scotland Yard puts itself at odds with findings of coroner and family of MI6 codebreaker

November 13, 2013

Scotland Yard today put itself at odds with the findings of a coroner and the family of MI6 codebreaker Gareth Williams by announcing that he had most probably died by accident when his body was found in a locked bag.

An inquest last year found that Mr Williams, whose remains were discovered inside a sports holdall in a bath with no evidence of his DNA on the padlock used to close it, had "on the balance of probabilities" been killed unlawfully in August 2010 while he was working for the Secret Intelligence Service while on secondment from GCHQ.

The finding by Westminster coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox prompted a reinvestigation by the Metropolitan Police lasting a further 12 months which officers said had been allowed unprecedented access to serving MI6 staff following strong criticism at the inquest of the spying agency's actions following the death of Mr Williams.

But a senior Yard officer announced that despite a re-examination of all evidence and the investigation of new leads no definitive answers had been obtained as to the cause of Mr Williams' death and the "most probable scenario" was that he had died alone in his flat in Pimlico, central London, as the result of accidentally locking himself inside the bag.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt told a press briefing at New Scotland Yard that while there was no evidence to conclusively explain the death of the 31-year-old codes expert, police were now able to draw a different "logical inference" from that of Dr Wilcox, who had found that the death was "likely to have been criminally meditated".

Mr Hewitt said: "With the conclusion of the investigation, the MPS position is that, on balance, it is a more probable conclusion that there was no other person present when Gareth died. But the reality is that… there exist evidential contradictions and gaps in our understanding."

The Yard said Dr Wilcox had accepted the findings of the investigation but had decided there was insufficient evidence for her to apply to re-open her inquest and consider fresh findings.

But the family of Mr Williams, a maths prodigy from Anglesey, said they believed that the conclusion of Dr Wilcox that foul play was the most likely cause of the GCHQ specialist's death - and that the involvement of the security services could not be ruled out although there was no evidence to that effect - remained valid. Among the lines of inquiry reportedly pursued by police was the theory that Mr Williams may have been murdered in connection with work that had brought him into contact with active MI6 agents.

In a statement, the family said: "We consider that on the basis of the facts at present known the coroner's verdict accurately reflects the circumstances of Gareth's death."

The family were also sharply critical of MI6 after the spying agency failed to investigate his failure to attend work on 16 August 2010. His decomposing remains were not found until a week later inside his MI6-owned flat, where the central heating had been left on despite the summer weather.

The statement said: "We believe that if proper steps had been taken in the same manner as any reasonable employer would have taken, further information relating to the cause of his death might have become apparent and not have been lost due to the length of time before Gareth's body was found."

The Yard said that it had studied videos which emerged following last year's inquest showing how a person could lock themselves inside a sports bag and accepted it is "now proven" that such an event could have happened with the same North Face holdall and padlock in which Mr Williams was found.

Mr Hewitt said he believed that evidence pointed out by Dr Wilcox as significant, such as the absence of any palm prints from Mr Williams on the bath, could be explained by him not having touched it as he got into the bag but he accepted other evidence, such as the absence of the victim's DNA on the padlock, remained unexplained. He added that there was no evidence that Mr Williams' interest in bondage or escapology was linked to his death.

Mr Hewitt said his officers had been allowed to interview 27 MI6 and GCHQ employees after it emerged during the inquest that direct access had not been given to investigators following Mr Williams' death and potential evidence, including memory sticks and a bag found under his desk, had not been made available.

The officer admitted that the Yard "did not get it right" in its arrangements with MI6 but said it had now received full co-operation. He rejected suggestions that the intelligence agency had been able to "pull the wool over my eyes".

The Yard said it was no longer pursuing any active lines of enquiry but the case would remain review. The re-investigation found 10 to 15 traces of DNA which current technology is unable to develop into full profiles. All other DNA and fingerprints in the flat had been eliminated.

BBC : MI6 spy Gareth Williams death 'probably an accident', police say

MI6 spy Gareth Williams death 'probably an accident', police say

November 13, 2013

The death of MI6 spy Gareth Williams, whose body was found in a padlocked sports bag, was probably an accident, police have said.

Last year, a coroner said it was likely Mr Williams, 31, from Anglesey, had been unlawfully killed in August 2010.

But the Metropolitan Police said an evidence review had found "it was more probable" no other person was present when he died in his London flat.

Mr Williams's family said they stood by the coroner's findings.

In a statement, they said: "We are naturally disappointed that it is still not possible to state with certainty how Gareth died and the fact that the circumstances of his death are still unknown adds to our grief.

"We consider that on the basis of the facts at present known, the coroner's verdict accurately reflects the circumstances of Gareth's death."

Bath

Mr Williams's body was found naked at his flat in Pimlico on 23 August 2010 after colleagues raised concerns for his welfare.

He had been on a secondment with MI6 from his job as a communications officer at the GCHQ "listening post" in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

Police discovered his body inside a zipped-up red sports holdall, in the empty bath of his bathroom.

It had taken a week for MI6 to investigate the code-breaker's disappearance, and a post-mortem examination carried out by a Home Office pathologist failed to determine the cause of death.

During a seven-day inquest in May 2012, the question of whether Mr Williams could have padlocked himself into a bag in a bath was central.

Pathologists said he would have suffocated within three minutes if he had been alive when he got inside it.

None of his DNA was found on the lock attached to the bag and his palm prints were not found on the rim of the bath.

Coroner Fiona Wilcox concluded that "most of the fundamental questions in relation to how Gareth died remain unanswered".

But she said he was, "on the balance of probabilities", unlawfully killed.

At a briefing on Wednesday, the Met Police announced the conclusion of its three-year investigation into the incident.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt said he was satisfied it was "theoretically possible" Mr Williams could have padlocked the bag from the inside, although "many questions remain unanswered" as to the circumstances of his death.

But he said there was no evidence that the MI6 officer had intended to take his own life or that his death was connected to his work.

And he insisted it was "beyond credibility" that he had been misled.

"I do not believe that I have had the wool pulled over my eyes. I believe that what we are dealing with is a tragic unexplained death," he said.

There were about 10 to 15 traces of DNA in the flat from which it had not been possible to gain full DNA profiles, but all other DNA profiles and fingerprints had been eliminated, said DAC Hewitt.

'Endless speculation'

DAC Hewitt also said there was no evidence that Mr Williams' flat had been forensically cleaned, adding it was a "fallacy" that it had been deep-cleaned in such a way that only certain DNA was left in the premises.

The Met Police said they were closing their investigation into the death

He acknowledged that the coroner, having studied "all the evidence available at that stage" had made "the logical inference that it was more likely someone else was involved in Gareth's death".

"However, she also recognised that there has been endless speculation but little real evidence and it was her view [that] 'it is unlikely that his death will ever be satisfactorily explained'," he said.

"Now at the end of our investigation, based on the evidence, or where we have been unable to find positive evidence, we believe that it is a more probable conclusion that there was no other person present when Gareth died.

"But the reality is that for both hypotheses, there exist evidential contradictions and gaps in our understanding."

~~~

Danny Shaw | Home affairs correspondent, BBC News

Scotland Yard's conclusion is not only different to that of the coroner - but also to that of Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, who led the original inquiry.

After the inquest she said it was "highly likely" a third party was involved in Gareth Williams's death.

So what has changed? There doesn't appear to have been any stunning revelation or startling piece of new evidence.

What has happened is that a re-evaluation of the material and fresh interviews with the MI6 officer's colleagues have led detectives to make different "inferences" from those made before.

The police's new findings are likely to fuel theories of a successful cover up by the intelligence agencies - but DAC Hewitt said it was "beyond credibility" that he, as an experienced investigator, had had the wool pulled over his eyes.

Newser : Death of UK Spy Found in Gym Bag 'Probably an Accident'

Death of UK Spy Found in Gym Bag 'Probably an Accident'

Police think Gareth Williams was alone

By Evann Gastaldo, Newser Staff | November 13, 2013

(Newser) – The MI6 spy whose naked body was found inside a zipped, padlocked gym bag probably died ... by accident, UK police have decided. The coroner said last year Gareth Williams was probably killed by someone else in a criminal act, but now the Metropolitan Police have completed an evidence review and say it's "more probable" no one else was in his apartment when he died in his bathroom in 2010, the BBC reports. The deputy assistant commissioner said today it's "theoretically possible" Williams locked himself into the bag.

Not surprisingly, Williams' family is sticking with the coroner's initial finding, saying in a statement, "We consider that on the basis of the facts at present known, the coroner's verdict accurately reflects the circumstances of Gareth's death." And the AP notes that the police department's "tentative conclusion" is "unlikely to calm conspiracy theories around the bizarre case." Police say they found little evidence of foul play in the code-breaker's death, no signs of a struggle or forced entry, and no evidence that the apartment had been forensically cleaned to remove DNA.

Scotsman : Police not duped by MI6 over ‘spy in bag’ death

Police not duped by MI6 over ‘spy in bag’ death

by MARGARET DAVIS AND JAMES EDGAR | November 13, 2013

Police insisted yesterday they have not been duped by the intelligence services after an investigation starkly contradicted a coroner and found that a spy discovered in a locked holdall probably died alone in an accident.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt said it was “beyond credibility” that he had “the wool pulled over my eyes” by MI6 and GCHQ, despite his team reaching entirely different conclusions to coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox, who said that it was likely codebreaker Gareth Williams was unlawfully killed.

Dr Wilcox concluded last year that Mr Williams was probably killed by another person in a “criminally meditated act”.

The 31-year-old was found dead in the locked bag in the bath at his flat in Pimlico, central London, on 23 August 2010.

None of his DNA was found on the padlock on the bag and there were no palm prints on the rim of the bath. The heating had been left on in the flat, despite it being summer, and MI6 failed to raise the alarm about his disappearance for more than a week.

Dr Wilcox heard from experts who had repeatedly failed to padlock themselves into bags identical to his. One said Harry Houdini “would have struggled” to pull off the feat.

But a retired army sergeant later showed it was possible to climb into a similar bag and lock it from inside.

Mr Hewitt said: “I do not believe that I have had the wool pulled over my eyes. I believe that what we are dealing with is a tragic unexplained death.

“The Metropolitan Police’s position is that, on balance, it is a more probable conclusion that there was no other person present when Gareth died.”

However, he admitted: “No evidence has been identified to establish the full circumstances of Gareth’s death beyond all reasonable doubt.”

Mr Williams’s family still believe that he was unlawfully killed, and released a statement saying they were disappointed about the lack of conclusions in the case.

They said: “We are naturally disappointed that it is still not possible to state with certainty how Gareth died, and the fact that the circumstances of his death are still unknown adds to our grief.

“We consider that, on the basis of the facts known at present, the coroner’s verdict accurately reflects the circumstances of Gareth’s death. “

In May last year at the end of the inquest, Dr Wilcox found that Mr Williams was probably killed and it “remained a legitimate line of inquiry” that the secret services may have been involved in the death.

She said she was sure a third party locked the codebreaker inside the red holdall in which his naked body was found, and that “the cause of his death was unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated”.

Pathologists said he would have suffocated within three minutes if he was alive inside the 32in by 19in holdall.

Mr Williams worked for GCHQ but was on secondment to MI6 when he died. Police interviewed 27 members of staff from the two agencies as part of their investigation.

Following the inquest, they looked for a second time at the codebreaker’s personnel and vetting files, but found there was no evidence to support the theory that Gareth’s death was related to his work.

Mr Hewitt said: “I am convinced that Gareth’s death was in no way related to his work, either current or previously.”

SF Chronicle : U.K. Spy Found Zipped in Locked Bag Died by Accident, Police Say

U.K. Spy Found Zipped in Locked Bag Died by Accident, Police Say

Jeremy Hodges, ©2013 Bloomberg News | November 13, 2013

Nov. 13 (Bloomberg) -- U.K. police investigating the death of a U.K. intelligence-agency worker who was found naked and padlocked inside a duffel bag in his apartment, said he wasn’t murdered.

Gareth Williams, 31, was found in August 2010 in his apartment in the Pimlico neighborhood of London. He had been working for MI6, the British overseas intelligence agency, as a code-breaker at the time of his death.

“It is now proven that it is theoretically possible for a person to lock themselves in that exact holdall, with the same type of lock,” Martin Hewitt, Detective Assistant Commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police, said in a press briefing today.

The force interviewed 27 people from MI6 and Britain’s Government Communications Headquarters, known as GCHQ, and concluded that Williams’s death wasn’t connected to his work, Hewitt said.

A London coroner ruled in May 2012 that Williams’s death was “criminally mediated,” stopping short of calling his death an unlawful killing on the grounds that there wasn’t enough evidence.

--Editors: Lindsay Fortado, Anthony Aarons

To contact the reporter on this story: Jeremy Hodges in London at jhodges17@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Anthony Aarons at aaarons@bloomberg.net

Descrier : MI6 spy found dead in a sports bag “probably an accident” say police

MI6 spy found dead in a sports bag “probably an accident” say police

by Descrier Staff | November 13, 2013

The death of Gareth Williams, the MI6 spy who was found in a padlocked sports bag, was “probably an accident” Scotland Yard have said.

After a three-year investigation, the Metropolitan police said that he most likely died alone in his flat, but they could not “fundamentally and beyond doubt” rule out the possibility of foul play by a third party sad Detective Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt.

Williams’ naked body was found in the padlocked bag in an empty bath in his flat in Pimlico, London in August 2010, with the keys to the padlock beneath him inside the bag.

The coroner concluded that his death was likely the result of suffocation or poisoning, with a third party locking him in the bag, and ruled it an unlawful killing last year. However, the police inquest came to a different conclusion. The police did concede, however, that there was insufficient evidence to support any real conclusions.

S.F. Chronicle : U.K. Spy Found in Locked Bag Died by Accident, Police Say

U.K. Spy Found in Locked Bag Died by Accident, Police Say

Jeremy Hodges| ©2013 Bloomberg News | November 13, 2013

(Updates with statement from his family in ninth paragraph.)

Nov. 13 (Bloomberg) -- U.K. police investigating the death of a U.K. intelligence-agency worker who was found naked and padlocked inside a duffel bag in the bathtub in his apartment, said he wasn’t murdered.

Gareth Williams, 31, was found in August 2010 in his apartment in the Pimlico neighborhood of London. He had been working for MI6, the British overseas intelligence agency, as a code-breaker at the time of his death.

“It is now proven that it is theoretically possible for a person to lock themselves in that exact holdall, with the same type of lock,” Martin Hewitt, Detective Assistant Commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police, said in a press briefing today.

Officers interviewed 27 people from MI6 and Britain’s Government Communications Headquarters, known as GCHQ, and concluded that Williams’s death wasn’t connected to his work, Hewitt said.

A London coroner ruled in May 2012 that Williams’s death was “criminally mediated,” stopping short of calling his death an unlawful killing on the grounds that there wasn’t enough evidence.

Hewitt said it’s “a more probable conclusion that there was no other person present when Gareth died,” but “there exist evidential contradictions and gaps in our understanding.”

‘Conscientious, Decent’

While there were no fingerprints from Williams on the bathtub and police found unidentified traces of DNA from third parties in the apartment, there was no evidence of forced entry, a violent struggle, or anything to suggest that Williams’s apartment had been cleaned, Hewitt said.

A collection of 15,000 pounds ($24,000) worth of women’s clothing, including shoes and a collection of wigs, that were found in Williams’s apartment had nothing to do with his death, according to police. Williams was a “conscientious and decent man” who liked cycling and climbing, the detective said.

Williams’s family said they were disappointed over MI6’s failure “to take even the most basic inquiries concerning Gareth’s welfare when he failed to attend for work.”

“We are naturally disappointed that it is still not possible to state with certainty how Gareth died and the fact that the circumstances of his death are still unknown adds to our grief,” they said in a statement.

--Editors: Lindsay Fortado, Anthony Aarons

To contact the reporter on this story: Jeremy Hodges in London at jhodges17@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Anthony Aarons at aaarons@bloomberg.net

EuroNews : What did happen to British spy Gareth Williams who was found dead in a padlocked bag?

What did happen to British spy Gareth Williams who was found dead in a padlocked bag?

November 13, 2013

Police have contradicted a coroner over the death of a British spy found padlocked in a bag in a bathtub.

The body of Gareth Williams, an employee of Britain’s external intelligence service M16, was found decomposing at his home in August 2010.

Last year a coroner concluded he was probably killed unlawfully by another person, fuelling conspiracy theories that his bizarre death was the work of foreign agents.

But London Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt today said it was probably an accident and that his death was not linked to his work.

In a statement, Williams’s family said they still believed the coroner’s conclusions more accurately reflected what had happened, and repeated their anger that MI6 had failed to report Williams missing for days after he did not show up at work.

Williams, 31, worked as a code breaker at the Government Communications Headquarters but was on a three-year secondment to MI6, which deals with foreign espionage matters.

The remains of the maths prodigy were found curled up inside a zipped and padlocked red hold-all at the London flat – an intelligence service “safe house” – close to MI6’s headquarters.

His body was badly decomposed after remaining in the bag in the August heat for a full week until he was discovered. Tests found no traces of alcohol, drugs or poison in his body.

Detectives found no palm prints on the side of the bath nor any traces of his DNA on the padlock.

Instead, they found make-up, a long-haired wig and unworn women’s clothes and shoes worth around £20,000 (€23,833). They also found images of transvestites, a picture of Williams wearing only boots, and evidence of visits to sexual bondage websites on his computer.

“This is a case where there’s been enormous theorising and speculating…and weird and wonderful stories,” Hewitt said.

Hewitt admitted the original police investigation had been flawed and after the inquest they pursued new lines of inquiry.

But detectives found no evidence anyone had been in the flat when he died. Hewitt rejected suggestions the flat could have undergone a “forensic clean” to remove traces of any killers.

Despite the fact that there had always been doubt that someone could have locked themselves in a bag – a number of experts tried and failed – Hewitt said they now believed this was what Williams had done.

“It’s theoretically possible for someone to do that. It is a more probable conclusion that there was no other person present,” said Hewitt, who agreed Williams’s interest in escapology might have been a factor.

Copyright © 2013 euronews

Calgary Herald : Police say death of spy found in locked gym bag was likely an accident

Police say death of spy found in locked gym bag was likely an accident

By Raphael Satter | The Associated Press | November 13, 2013

LONDON - A spy whose naked, decomposing body was found inside a padlocked gym bag at his apartment likely died in an accident with no one else involved, British police said Wednesday — a tentative conclusion that is unlikely to calm conspiracy theories around the bizarre case.

Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt said the death of Gareth Williams, whose remains were found inside a bag in his bathtub in August 2010, was "most probably" an accident.

But he conceded that the facts could not be established beyond a reasonable doubt, and Williams' family members said they still believe he was killed.

The police verdict also disagrees with a coroner's inquest, which concluded last year that Williams had probably been killed by another person in a "criminally meditated act."

Hewitt told reporters at Scotland Yard headquarters that a police review had found little evidence of foul play in a death that has spawned a host of theories, from assassination to sexual adventure gone awry.

Williams, a cyberwarfare expert, worked for Britain's GCHQ eavesdropping service and was attached to the overseas espionage agency MI6 when he died.

Hewitt said the police position "is that, on balance, it is a more probable conclusion that there was no other person present when Gareth died."

"But the reality is that for both hypotheses, there exist evidential contradictions and gaps in our understanding."

Some have raised the possibility that Williams locked himself in the bag as part of a sex game gone wrong. Investigators found that he had visited bondage and sadomasochism websites, including some related to claustrophilia — a desire for confinement in enclosed spaces.

Police concluded that it could have been possible for Williams to climb inside the sports bag and lock it. However, none of Williams' DNA was found on the lock on the bag and his palm prints were not found on the rim of the bath.

Coroner Fiona Wilcox last year was critical in her inquest verdict of MI6, which failed to pass evidence to investigating police. And she said that while it appeared unlikely that British intelligence agencies were involved in Williams' death, it was a "legitimate line of inquiry."

Hewitt said there was no evidence that the apartment had been cleaned to remove forensic traces and nothing to suggest a struggle or a break-in.

And he dismissed the idea that Britain's secretive intelligence services had carried out a coverup.

"I do not believe that I have had the wool pulled over my eyes," he said. "I believe that what we are dealing with is a tragic unexplained death."

He said there was "no evidence to support the theory that Gareth's death was in any way related to his work."

Williams' relatives said in a statement that they were disappointed that the facts were still not clear, but still believed it was likely he had been the victim of foul play.

"We consider that on the basis of the facts known at present the coroner's verdict accurately reflects the circumstances of Gareth's death," the statement said.

Seattle Times : British police now say death of ‘spy in a bag’ accidental

British police now say death of ‘spy in a bag’ accidental

More than three years after the naked, decomposing body of British spy Gareth Williams was discovered stuffed inside a locked gym bag at the bottom of his bathtub, the mystery over his bizarre death lingers, and a police investigation has done little to clear it up.

Los Angeles Times and The New York Times | November 13, 2013

LONDON — Scotland Yard on Wednesday reversed a coroner’s finding of foul play in the 2010 death of British spy Gareth Williams, concluding that an accident was likely responsible for the death of the code-breaker whose naked, decomposing body was found stuffed inside a zipped and padlocked gym bag.

London Metropolitan Police investigators had undertaken a review of evidence in the case 16 months ago, after initial restrictions on homicide detectives’ access to details of Williams’ intelligence work were lifted by the British secret service, MI6.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt told journalists in London that investigators only had access to Williams’ work files and colleagues after the coroner’s conclusion in April 2012 that his death was likely “criminally mediated.”

“On balance, it is a more probable conclusion that there was no other person present when Gareth died,” Hewitt said, according to the Daily Telegraph.

The body of the then-31-year-old intelligence operative, who at the time of his August 2010 death was on temporary duty in London from his listening post in Cheltenham, was found in the empty bathtub of his apartment after he failed to show up for work for a week.

His naked body was curled in a fetal position inside a sports bag in an otherwise empty bathtub. In a twist worthy of a spy movie, the bag was padlocked, but the keys to the lock were inside the bag, beneath the decomposing body.

Williams had evidently led a very private existence, with few close friends. But with its tantalizing glimpse into the secretive world of espionage, the “spy in a bag” case drew intense interest from the news media, which speculated that Williams might have been assassinated, or might have died as an accidental consequence of an interest in escapology or bondage.

Hewitt conceded that uncertainties remain and that a definitive ruling on Williams’ cause of death may never be reached.

The revised assessment immediately prompted speculation that authorities were attempting to obscure some embarrassing or sensitive issue in the death.

The BBC quoted its internal-affairs correspondent as saying the findings that Williams was likely alone when he died as a result of an accident “were likely to fuel theories of a successful cover up by the intelligence agencies.”

The Daily Mirror’s website posted “10 questions which are still unanswered more than three years after Gareth’s death.” The mysteries cited included why Williams’ MI6 colleagues failed to inquire about his absence from work for a week, how the door to his apartment came to be locked from the outside after his death, whether the heat was turned on in the apartment to accelerate the body’s decomposition and preclude certain forensics tests, and why there were no fingerprints found on the bathtub.

Sky News reported that two contortion experts working on the earlier inquest tried 400 times to lock themselves into a similar bag and failed. Shortly after the earlier probe ended, though, an army sergeant was able to demonstrate that it was possible to zip oneself into such a bag from the inside in the cramped position in which Williams’ body was found, Sky reported.

Although the police did not themselves demonstrate that it was possible for a person to lock himself inside a bag, Hewitt said, they saw video footage of this being done.

Why Williams would have done so was not clear. The 2012 coroner’s inquest heard evidence that he had visited websites dedicated to bondage and “claustrophilia,” which involves seeking sexual thrills from being shut in enclosed spaces.

Williams’ family said in a statement Wednesday that they stood by the coroner’s findings — that he was probably the victim of an unlawful killing — rather than those of the police.

“We are naturally disappointed that it is still not possible to state with certainty how Gareth died, and the fact that the circumstances of his death are still unknown adds to our grief,” the family said. “We consider that, on the basis of the facts at present known, the coroner’s verdict accurately reflects the circumstances of Gareth’s death.”

Wales Online : Family of Gareth Williams attack MI6's 'lack of concern' over spy's well-being

Family of Gareth Williams attack MI6's 'lack of concern' over spy's well-being

Family release statement after police report concludes spy's death was 'probably an accident'

By Paul Rowland | November 13, 2013

The family of dead spy Gareth Williams have criticised MI6 over their response to his disappearance in August 2010.

Mr Williams, from Anglesey, was eventually found dead instead a holdall in his London flat after failing to turn up for work.

And speaking after a police report concluded that Mr Williams' death was "probably an accident", his family said they believed MI6's failure to respond with more urgency to his disappearance was responsible for the lack of information relating to the circumstances surrounding his death.

Mr Williams's family said in a statement issued through the police: "We are naturally disappointed that it is still not possible to state with certainty how Gareth died and the fact that the circumstances of his death are still unknown adds to our grief.

"We consider that on the basis of the facts known at present the Coroner's verdict accurately reflects the circumstances of Gareth's death."

"We note that the investigation has been conducted with further interviews upon some of the witnesses who gave evidence at the inquest, and that the investigation team were at last able to interview directly members of GCHQ and SIS.

"We consider that on the basis of the facts at present known, the Coroner's verdict accurately reflects the circumstances of Gareth's death.

"We still, however, remain very disappointed over the failure of his employers at MI6 to take even the most basic inquiries concerning Gareth's welfare when he failed to attend for work on August 16, 2010.

"We believe that if proper steps had been taken in the same manner as any reasonable employer would have undertaken, further information relating to the cause of his death might have become apparent and not have been lost due to the length of time before Gareth's body was found.

"This lack of concern for Gareth's well-being remains an over-riding feature of our thoughts following the death of a dear son and brother.

"We do not propose to make any further comment now concerning Gareth's death, either personally nor through our legal representatives."

Washington Post : UK police: Spy whose body was found in padlocked gym bag probably died by accident

UK police: Spy whose body was found in padlocked gym bag probably died by accident

By Associated Press | November 13, 2013

LONDON — More than three years after the naked, decomposing body of British spy Gareth Williams was discovered stuffed inside a locked gym bag at the bottom of his bathtub, the mystery over his bizarre death lingers, and a police investigation has done little to clear it up.

London’s Metropolitan Police said Wednesday that their investigation had found that Williams likely died in an accident with no one else involved. But the tentative conclusion, which the police hedged by acknowledging many gaps haven’t been filled in, is unlikely to calm conspiracy theories surrounding the case.

Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt said Williams, whose remains were discovered in August 2010, was “most probably” killed in an accident, a verdict which conflicts with a coroner’s inquest that concluded last year that Williams was probably killed by another person in a “criminally meditated act.”

Hewitt said the police position “is that, on balance, it is a more probable conclusion that there was no other person present when Gareth died.”

“But the reality is that for both hypotheses, there exist evidential contradictions and gaps in our understanding,” he said.

Hewitt told reporters at Scotland Yard headquarters that his conclusion was based on the fact that investigators found little evidence of foul play in a death that has spawned a host of theories, from assassination to sexual adventure gone awry.

Williams, a cyberwarfare expert, worked for Britain’s GCHQ eavesdropping service and was attached to the overseas espionage agency MI6 when he died.

Some have raised the possibility that Williams locked himself in the bag as part of a sex act gone wrong or an experiment in escapology — the Houdini-like art of wriggling out of restraints or traps. Investigators found that he had visited bondage and sadomasochism websites, including some related to claustrophilia — a desire for confinement in enclosed spaces.

Police concluded — after several reenactments — that it was possible for Williams to climb inside the sports bag and lock it.

However, police couldn’t find Williams’ DNA on the lock, palm prints on the rim of the bath, or footprints in the bathroom itself. The coroner, Fiona Wilcox, said that pointed to another person having taken the bag into the bathroom, noting that if Williams had been “carrying out some kind of peculiar experiment, he wouldn’t care if he left any foot or fingerprints.”

She was also critical in her inquest verdict of MI6, which failed to pass evidence to investigating police, and said that while it seemed unlikely that British intelligence agencies were involved in Williams’ death, it was a “legitimate line of inquiry.”

Hewitt said there was no evidence that the apartment had been cleaned to remove forensic traces and nothing to suggest a struggle or a break-in.

And he dismissed the idea that Britain’s secretive intelligence services had carried out a cover-up, noting that a total of 27 members of staff from both MI6 and GCHQ had been interviewed and that police were given full access to Williams’ vetting and personnel file.

“I do not believe that I have had the wool pulled over my eyes,” Hewitt said. “I believe that what we are dealing with is a tragic unexplained death.”

He added that there was “no evidence to support the theory that Gareth’s death was in any way related to his work.”

Williams’ relatives said in a statement that they were disappointed that the facts remain unclear, but still believed it was likely he had been the victim of foul play.

“We consider that on the basis of the facts known at present the coroner’s verdict accurately reflects the circumstances of Gareth’s death,” the statement said.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Wales Online : Death of Welsh spy found in holdall 'probably an accident'

Death of Welsh spy found in holdall 'probably an accident'

By WalesOnline | November 13, 2013

Police investigation into death of Anglesey-born spy Gareth Williams finds 'no evidence to establish cause of death beyond reasonable doubt'

Spy Gareth Williams, whose body was found in a holdall, probably died alone in an accident, police have concluded.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt revealed that his team disagree with the conclusion of a coroner last year that the codebreaker was probably killed unlawfully.

He said: "With the conclusion of the investigation, the Metropolitan Police's position is that, on balance, it is a more probable conclusion that there was no other person present when Gareth died.

"But the reality is that for both hypotheses there exist evidential contradictions and gaps in our understanding."

Reacting to the development, Mr Williams's family said they were "naturally disappointed" and said they still believe he was killed.

But Mr Hewitt said the 31-year-old's death was "most probably" an accident, although he admitted: "No evidence has been identified to establish the full circumstances of Gareth's death beyond all reasonable doubt."

Mr Williams, a fitness enthusiast originally from Anglesey, was found in the bag in the bath at his flat in Pimlico, central London, on August 23, 2010.

Pathologists said he would have suffocated within three minutes if he was alive when he got inside the 32-inch by 19-inch holdall.

None of his DNA was found on the lock on the bag and his palm prints were not found on the rim of the bath.

However, Mr Hewitt said there was no evidence that the flat had been "deep-cleaned" to remove forensic traces and nothing to suggest a struggle or a break-in.

He said it was "beyond credibility" that the secret services had "pulled the wool" over his eyes.

"I do not believe that I have had the wool pulled over my eyes. I believe that what we are dealing with is a tragic unexplained death."

Mr Williams's family said in a statement issued through the police: "We are naturally disappointed that it is still not possible to state with certainty how Gareth died and the fact that the circumstances of his death are still unknown adds to our grief.

"We consider that on the basis of the facts known at present the Coroner's verdict accurately reflects the circumstances of Gareth's death. "

"We note that the investigation has been conducted with further interviews upon some of the witnesses who gave evidence at the inquest, and that the investigation team were at last able to interview directly members of GCHQ and SIS.

"We consider that on the basis of the facts at present known, the Coroner's verdict accurately reflects the circumstances of Gareth's death.

"We still, however, remain very disappointed over the failure of his employers at MI6 to take even the most basic inquiries concerning Gareth's welfare when he failed to attend for work on August 16, 2010.

"We believe that if proper steps had been taken in the same manner as any reasonable employer would have undertaken, further information relating to the cause of his death might have become apparent and not have been lost due to the length of time before Gareth's body was found.

"This lack of concern for Gareth's well-being remains an over-riding feature of our thoughts following the death of a dear son and brother.

"We do not propose to make any further comment now concerning Gareth's death, either personally nor through our legal representatives."

Mr Williams worked for GCHQ but was on secondment to MI6 when he died. Police interviewed a total of 27 members of staff from the two agencies as part of their investigation.

Following the inquest, which finished in May last year, they were also given access for the first time to the codebreaker's personnel and vetting files, but found that there was "no evidence to support the theory that Gareth's death was in any way related to his work".

Mr Hewitt went on: "Three years of extensive investigative activity have developed a very clear profile of Gareth. He was, without doubt, a private person who was very close to his family and had few other close friends. That said, the universal view of colleagues was of a conscientious and decent man with a few well-known hobbies such as his cycling and climbing.

"There is no evidence of any animosity towards Gareth, and it has not been possible to identify anyone with a motive for causing him harm."

Last year coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox found that he was probably killed and it "remained a legitimate line of inquiry" that the secret services may have been involved in the death.

She said she was sure a third party locked the code-breaker inside the red holdall in which his naked body was found in his bathtub.

Mr Williams would have been unlikely to invite a third party who was not a family member into his home, Dr Wilcox observed, adding: "If a third party was present at the time of his death, in my view that third party would have to have been someone he knew or someone who was there without an invitation."

She warned it was unlikely the mystery would "ever be satisfactorily explained", but added: "The cause of his death was unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated.

"I am therefore satisfied that on the balance of probabilities that Gareth was killed unlawfully."

She highlighted the lack of hand and footprints found in the bathroom, and said if he had been "carrying out some kind of peculiar experiment, he wouldn't care if he left any foot or fingerprints".

Police said that Dr Wilcox has accepted their findings, but decided that there is insufficient new evidence to justify re-opening the inquest.

Telegraph : 'Gaps in understanding' over death of MI6 worker Gareth Williams

'Gaps in understanding' over death of MI6 worker Gareth Williams

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt, of the Metropolitan Police, says MI6 worker Gareth Williams was probably alone at the time of his death

November 13, 2013

A British codebreaker for the MI6 foreign intelligence agency, whose naked body was found padlocked in a holdall inside a bathtub three years ago, most likely killed himself by accident, police said on Wednesday.

A fresh review of the mysterious "spy in the bag" case has concluded that 31-year-old intelligence analyst Gareth Williams was not murdered but had climbed into the bag without assistance.

The police findings contradict those of a coroner who concluded at an inquest last year that another person was probably involved in Williams's death.

"My personal view at the end of the investigation is that what happened was an accident," Martin Hewitt, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of London's Metropolitan Police, told reporters.

"I am convinced that Gareth's death was in no way related to his work."

He admitted that several "odd" factors remained - notably the fact that no DNA was found on the padlock, and there were no handprints on the bathtub.

The decomposed body of the talented mathematician was found locked in a North Face holdall inside the bath of his apartment in London's upmarket Pimlico district in August 2010.

Sources: ITN/AFP

[video here]