Reuters : Police search for couple over MI6 worker's death

Police search for couple over MI6 worker's death

By Michael Holden | September 6, 2010

LONDON (Reuters) - Police investigating the death of a man who worked for the Secret Intelligence Service MI6 said on Monday they were trying to trace a couple who had called at his flat about a month before he was found dead.

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

Officers found his naked body in a zipped and padlocked holdall in an empty bath.

Detectives said on Monday that toxicology tests had shown no trace of alcohol or recreational drugs in his body. Nothing was believed to have been stolen from the flat and there was no sign of any forced entry or disturbance inside, they added.

Forensic and further tests on the body are continuing.

"This remains a complex, unexplained death enquiry," said Detective Chief Inspector Jacqueline Sebire from Scotland Yard's Homicide and Serious Crime Command who is leading the investigation.

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

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

Detectives said they wanted to identify a man and a woman, both of Mediterranean appearance, aged between 20 and 30, who had called at the property late one evening in June or July.

They also issued closed circuit television footage of Williams, who returned to Britain from a holiday in the United States on August 11, on shopping trips in the West End and Knightsbridge areas of London a week before his body was found.

The mysterious circumstances surrounding Williams' death has prompted some experts to question whether he was targetted because of the nature of his work.

"In my own opinion, a murder of this kind bears all the hallmarks of a professional killing and not a rage attack," said Professor Anthony Glees, Director of the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies at the University of Buckingham.

"It looks increasingly to me that a hostile intelligence service was responsible. To me this looks like a Russian job -- they have killed in London before -- but it could also be an Iranian one."

However, the fact that the inquiry is being carried out by the homicide unit indicates that police do not believe the death to be related to terrorism or espionage matters.

(Editing by Steve Addison)

Telegraph : MI6 spy Gareth Williams murder: police probe poisoning theory

MI6 spy Gareth Williams murder: police probe poisoning theory

Richard Edwards and Duncan Gardham | September 6, 2010

A mystery "Mediterranean” couple are being hunted by police over the suspected murder of Gareth Williams, the British spy, while inquiries focus on whether he was poisoned at his London home.

As Scotland Yard yesterday made the first detailed appeal about the death of the MI6 worker, speculation grew that he was the victim of a professional hit which left no trace of how he was killed.

Detectives believe that poisoning is now a most likely cause of death and are carrying out further tests for toxic substances, after almost all other possibilities were ruled out.

There was no evidence of a struggle at the Pimlico flat where the naked body of the 31-year-old was found inside a padlocked bag in his bath, no signs of a break in and police said that nothing was taken.

However detectives are trying to trace an unidentified man and woman, described as being of Mediterranean appearance and aged between 20-30, who visited the house late at night in the weeks or months before Mr Williams died.

They are the only people unaccounted for who have been seen recently at the property in Alderney Street. Neighbours told police they were let into the communal front door, late one evening, either in June or July.

It is believed they were visiting Mr Williams, but on one has been able to shed any light on their identity. Detectives want them to come forward to eliminate them from the inquiry.

Separately, police are also investigating whether a second key was cut for the apartment.

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan police disclosed the last known images of the spy, captured on CCTV, as he shopped in Harrods and central London.

After drawing a blank from their own inquiries during the past fortnight, detectives yesterday asked the public to help over the death of Mr Williams, who was at the end of a secondment to MI6 from GCHQ, the Government listening post.

But the appeal only furthered the mystery surrounding a case which detectives admit has left them “baffled”.

CCTV images released yesterday, revealing the spy's last known movements, appeared to show him walking around London in a carefree and relaxed manner.

He was captured on successive days the weekend before his death wearing the same clothes – a red T-shirt, beige trousers and white trainers – as he wandered around the West End and Knightsbridge.

He was also seen catching a Tube in Holland Park, west London. Police are unclear as to why he visited that area, but believe he stayed at his own home and not at a friends.

The last CCTV sighting of Mr Williams is on Sunday, August 15, when he went into Harrods and walked towards Sloane Street, near the Dolce and Gabbana store.

Eight days later, when he failed to turn up for his first day back from holiday on August 23, police went round to his home at 36 Alderney Street.

Inside the neat flat, officers discovered the 31-year-old's naked body, zipped and padlocked into a red North Face bag in his ensuite bathroom. There was no water or other liquid in the bath.

Although Mr Williams was unclothed, it is believed the items he was wearing on the day he died had not been removed from the scene.

Contrary to early reports, his mobile phone sim cards were not laid out in any sort of “ritualistic” way.

Lurid suggestions that bondage equipment was found, that the victim had links to male escorts or was a cross-dresser have all been dismissed as “complete garbage” by police sources.

The Met said yesterday: “There was no sign of any forced entry to the property, and no signs of disturbance inside. We do not believe there is any property missing from the flat. There is no suggestion the items within the flat were specifically posed. No drugs, or indications of drug usage were recovered.”

The greatest mystery, however, surrounds the “fit and strong” young man died.

A first post mortem was inconclusive. A further examination found no marks around his neck or elsewhere on his body to suggest he was smothered or asphyxiated.

Toxicology tests have no found no evidence of recreational drugs in his body, such as alcohol, cocaine or heroin, or other basic drugs. Tests are being run into a range of other possible poisons, such as strychnine.

Asphyxiation remains an option but sources said it was difficult to kill someone by such means without leaving bruises.

Detectives drew a blank after probing all friends and associates of the Cambridge-educated mathematician, who was described as a loner with few social contacts even among his work colleagues. This may have contributed to his body lying undiscovered for up to eight days.

The only people now unexplained and unaccounted for in the inquiries are the “Mediterranean” couple.

There are suggestions Mr Williams may have been “hit” by a foreign spy agency.

One source said that although assassination was a possibility, it was only one of several, and they still believe the “reality may be more mundane”.

Reports that Mr Williams was a high-flyer who secretly oversaw top secret Transatlantic projects have been played down and his role at GCHQ was that of a "middleranking civil servant".

It is believed he was due to return Cheltenham to join a unit fighting cyber-crime, especially hackers targeting banks. Police are reluctant even to describe the cipher expert as a spy, or even to confirm he died as a result of a murder, and still consider it an “unexplained death”.

Det Chf Insp Jacqueline Sebire, who is leading the investigation, said: "I would appeal to anyone who may have seen, or had contact with Gareth in the period between 11th and 23rd August to come forward and speak with us at the Incident Room on 0208 358 0200, or to remain anonymous Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

"This remains a complex unexplained death enquiry."

Canadian Press : 2 people wanted in inquiry into mystery slaying of British spy at his London home

2 people wanted in inquiry into mystery slaying of British spy at his London home

By David Stringer (CP) | September 6, 2010

LONDON — Detectives investigating the mysterious death of a British intelligence official said Monday they are hunting for two people seen entering his apartment building in recent weeks.

Gareth Williams, a 30-year-old official at GCHQ, Britain's eavesdropping and code-breaking agency, was discovered dead at his central London apartment on Aug. 23. His naked remains were found inside a locked sports bag.

Williams was working on attachment to the MI6 spy agency at the time of his death, but security officials believe it is unlikely that his killing was connected with his work.

In a statement, Scotland Yard said the visitors, a man and a woman, were "both of Mediterranean appearance, aged between 20 and 30 years old," and had been seen at the apartment block in the Pimlico district one night in June or July.

"This remains a complex unexplained death inquiry," Detective Chief Inspector Jacqueline Sebire said.

No cause of death has been established, and it is also not known exactly when Williams died.

A hearing at Westminster Coroner's Court was told by police last week that the corpse appeared to be in an advanced state of decay. Officers said Monday the red bag containing Williams' body had been placed in an empty bathtub.

Investigators said Williams was filmed on surveillance cameras on Aug. 11, shopping in London's West End and at the Harrods department store. Police are attempting to establish Williams' movements between the shopping trip and his death.

Officers confirmed there was no sign of any forced entry to the apartment where Williams lived, and said nothing appeared to have been disturbed or stolen.

Initial tests did not reveal any trace of "routine or recreational drugs" or alcohol in Williams' body, but testing for other substances is continuing, the Scotland Yard statement said.

Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Toronto Sun : Witnesses sought in MI6 murder case

Witnesses sought in MI6 murder case

By Tim Gaynor, Reuters | September 6, 2010

Police investigating the death of a man who worked for Britain's Secret Intelligence Service MI6 said on Monday they were trying to trace a couple who had paid a visit to his flat about a month before he was found dead.

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

Officers found his naked body in a zipped and padlocked holdall bag in an empty bath.

Detectives said on Monday that toxicology tests had shown no trace of alcohol or recreational drugs in his body. Nothing was believed to have been stolen from the flat and there was no sign of any forced entry or disturbance inside, they added.

Forensic and additional tests on the body are continuing.

"This remains a complex, unexplained death enquiry," said Detective Chief Inspector Jacqueline Sebire from Scotland Yard's Homicide and Serious Crime Command, who is leading the investigation.

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

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

Detectives said they wanted to identify a man and a woman, both of Mediterranean appearance, aged between 20 and 30, who had visited the property late one evening in June or July.

They also issued closed circuit television footage of Williams, who returned to Britain from a holiday in the United States on Aug. 11, on shopping trips in the West End and Knightsbridge areas of London a week before his body was found.

The mysterious circumstances surrounding Williams' death have prompted some experts to question whether he was targeted because of the nature of his work.

"In my own opinion, a murder of this kind bears all the hallmarks of a professional killing and not a rage attack," said Professor Anthony Glees, Director of the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies at the University of Buckingham.

"It looks increasingly to me that a hostile intelligence service was responsible. To me this looks like a Russian job -- they have killed in London before -- but it could also be an Iranian one."

However, the fact that the inquiry is being carried out by the homicide unit indicates that police do not believe the death to be related to terrorism or espionage matters.

This Is London : Last pictures of Gareth Williams, the spy found naked inside a padlocked bag

Last pictures of Gareth Williams, the spy found naked inside a padlocked bag

Justin Davenport, Crime Editor | September 6, 2010

These are the dramatic last images of MI6 codebreaker Gareth Williams days before he was found padlocked in a sports holdall in his flat.

The CCTV pictures show the spy dressed casually and shopping in Knightsbridge and Kensington after returning from a holiday in America.

They were released by Scotland Yard today as detectives appealed for information on a mystery couple who called at his house in Pimlico and were let in through the communal door.

Detectives also revealed further details about Mr Williams's death, saying that he was naked and his body had been zipped and padlocked inside a red North Face hold-all.

The bag had been placed in an empty bath in the en-suite bathroom of his top floor MI6 flat in Alderney Street.

Police said toxicology results had shown that the 31-year-old body contained no trace of alcohol or drugs. There was also no obvious sign that he had been smothered or asphyxiated and further tests are being made.

Detectives also revealed that, contrary to some reports, there was no evidence of anything missing from the flat and no signs of a disturbance. Police said there was no suggestion that items in the flat had been specifically arranged and there were no drugs or signs of drug use.

Detective Chief Inspector Jacqueline Sebire, who is leading the inquiry, said: “We are appealing for anyone who saw or had any contact with Gareth between August 11 and the day his body was found on August 23. This remains a complex, unexplained death inquiry.”

Detectives are trying to trace a man and a woman of Mediterranean appearance who called at 36 Alderney Street late one evening in June or July and were buzzed in through the communal door. Police refused to give further details.

The revelation that Mr Williams was naked inside the bag will add to suspicions that his death was sex-related.

The GCHQ employee, an expert in ciphers and code-breaking, was on a year's secondment to MI6 when he was found dead. Police have so far refused to classify the case as murder but theories for his death range from an assassination by a rival secret service to a sex game that went wrong.

The CCTV images show Mr Williams, wearing a red T-shirt, beige trousers and white trainers, shopping in the West End and Knightsbridge, including Harrods.

Police said Mr Williams had returned to the UK from a holiday in the US on Wednesday August 11. One image shows him entering Holland Park underground station at about 3pm on Saturday August 14.

The next day cameras caught him shopping in Brompton Road. He is seen going to a cash machine and then to Harrods. Later, at about 2.30pm, he was just outside Harrods in Hans Crescent and then heading towards Sloane Street, near the Dolce and Gabbana store. This was the last known sighting of him.

Mr Williams was found by police in his flat on August 23. There was no sign of any forced entry to the property, and no signs of disturbance inside.

Police said they were still carrying out “extensive“ forensic tests on the flat as well as samples taken from the post-mortem examination. They added that although they had found no trace of alcohol or recreational drugs, testing for other substances continues.

Anyone with information should call police on 020 8358 0200 or, anonymously, Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Guardian : Police issue CCTV footage of dead MI6 worker

Police issue CCTV footage of dead MI6 worker

Gareth Williams is pictured at tube station nine days before body was found, as police seek man and woman seen at flats

Caroline Davies | September 6, 2010

MI6 officer Gareth Williams was filmed on CCTV at Holland Park tube station in west London nine days before his body was found in a holdall in his Pimlico flat.

The last known images of the MI6 code-breaker Gareth Williams, found dead in a padlocked holdall in his bath, were released by detectives today, as they made a public appeal for information about his death.

CCTV pictures show the Cambridge-educated mathematician, seconded from the government communications headquarters (GCHQ) to MI6, shopping in central London, including at Harrods, shortly after returning from a holiday in America.

The images were released as police appealed for witnesses who may have seen Williams, 30, from Anglesey, before his body was discovered at the MI6-owned flat where he was living in Pimlico on 23 August.

They also wish to trace a mystery couple, said to have visited the Alderney Street premises where he had the top-floor flat, in the late evening on an undisclosed date in June or July. Said to be "of Mediterranean appearance" and in their 20s or 30s, the two were buzzed in through the communal door to the house.

Postmortem results have so far failed to establish a cause of death, other than to find that Williams does not appear to have been shot or stabbed. There are also no obvious signs of strangulation.

Scotland Yard revealed that he was unclothed when discovered inside a zipped and padlocked red holdall in the empty bath in his ensuite bathroom.

Toxicology test results show no traces of alcohol, or of routine or recreational drugs. A Metropolitan police spokesman said: "Testing for other substance continues."

There was no sign of forced entry to Williams's flat or of any disturbance inside. Nor did it appear that any property was missing. "There is no suggestion the items within the flat were specifically posed," said the spokesman.

The mystery surrounding the death, which the police so far have refused to classify as murder, has led to intense speculation ranging from theories relating to his work as a ciphers and code-breaking expert, to rumours about his private life.

Described as 5ft 7in tall with short hair and of muscular build, Williams, who was not married and was said to be a "very private person", was days away from completing a one-year secondment to the headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service MI6 in Vauxhall, London, when his body was found.

He had returned to the UK from a holiday in the US on Wednesday, 11 August, said police. In one CCTV image he is seen, wearing a red T-shirt, beige trousers and white trainers, entering Holland Park underground station at about 3pm on Saturday, August 14.

The next day he is shown shopping in Brompton Road, where he visited a cash machine and Harrods department store. Later, at about 2.30pm, he is seen just outside Harrods in Hans Crescent before heading towards Sloane Street, near the Dolce and Gabbana store. This was the last known sighting of him.

Detective Chief Inspector Jacqueline Sebire, who is leading the investigation, said: "This remains a complex, unexplained death inquiry." She appealed for anyone who may have seen or had contact with Williams between 11 and 23 August to contact the incident room on 020-8358 0200, or Crimestoppers on 0800-555 111.

In a statement shortly after his body was found, Williams's family described rumours suggesting his sex life might hold the clues to his death as "very distressing".

They paid tribute to him as a "generous, loving son, brother, and friend" and a very private person, who was "a great athlete, and loved cycling and music".

UK Wired : Police appeal over death of MI6 worker Gareth Williams

Police appeal over death of MI6 worker Gareth Williams

September 6, 2010

Police investigating the death of MI6 worker Gareth Williams have appealed for help in tracing two people seen entering his central London flat.

Mr William's body was found in bag in the bathroom of his Pimlico flat by police on 23 August.

Detectives have also issued images of Mr Williams, who was last seen on CCTV on 15 August.

A post-mortem examination established no obvious cause of death. Forensic tests at the flat continue.

Telegraph : MI6 spy Gareth Williams: police statement in full

MI6 spy Gareth Williams: police statement in full

By Richard Edwards, Crime Correspondent | September 6, 2010

Here is the Scotland Yard statement on the death of Gareth Williams in full.

A British spy who was found dead in the bath of a flat in London was stabbed several times before his body was stuffed into a sports bag where it lay decomposing for up to two weeks.

A Metropolitan Police spokseman said: "Mr Williams returned to the UK from a planned holiday in the US on Wednesday 11th August 2010. On his return we have established from CCTV enquiries, that on a number of occasions he was shopping in the West End and Knightsbridge areas.

"The CCTV images are of Mr Williams on Saturday 14.08.10 at approx 3pm entering Holland Park underground station.

"On Sunday 15.08.10 Mr Williams was shopping in Brompton Road, SW7. He went to a cash machine, and then into Harrods. At approx 2.30pm CCTV images show him in Hans Crescent, SW1 heading towards Sloane Street, near to the Dolce and Gabbana store. He was wearing a red t shirt, beige trousers, and white trainers. Mr Williams was approx 5"7, with short hair and of a muscular build.

"Officers are also appealing for information to identify a man and a woman, both of Mediterranean appearance, aged between 20 - 30 years old, who called at 36 Alderney Street in June or July, late one evening. They were let into the communal front door.

"Mr Williams was found in his flat at Flat 4, 36 Alderney Street, Pimlico, SW1 on 23.08.10 by uniformed officers. There was no sign of any forced entry to the property, and no signs of disturbance inside.

"Mr Williams was found unclothed, in a zipped and padlocked red North Face holdall which was in an empty bath in the en suite bathroom.

"We do not believe there is any property missing from the flat. There is no suggestion the items within the flat were specifically posed. No drugs, or indications of drug usage were recovered.

"A post mortem held at Westminster Mortuary on 25.08.10 established no obvious cause of death.

"Extensive forensic tests at the flat in Alderney Street and from the samples taken at the post mortem continue.

"Initial indications from the toxicology examinations show no trace of any alcohol or routine or recreational drugs. Testing for any other substance continues.

"Detective Chief Inspector Jacqueline Sebire, Homicide and Serious Crime Command leading the investigation said: 'I would appeal to anyone who may have seen, or had contact with Gareth in the period between 11th and 23rd August to come forward and speak with us at the Incident Room on 0208 358 0200, or to remain anonymous Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. This remains a complex unexplained death enquiry.'"

Telegraph : MI6 spy Gareth Williams murder: police hunt for Mediterranean couple

MI6 spy Gareth Williams murder: police hunt for Mediterranean couple

By Richard Edwards, Crime Correspondent | September 6, 2010

Detectives investigating the murder of Gareth Williams, the British MI6 spy, are seeking a young Mediterranean couple seen at his block of flats in London.

Scotland Yard are trying to trace the unidentified man and woman, aged between 20-30, who visited the Pimlico house late at night, one or two months before Mr Williams died. It is believed they may have been visiting the spy at his top flat home but have not been seen since.

In the first detailed public appeal about the death of the MI6 worker, Metropolitan police detectives also disclosed the 31-year-old's last known movements, captured on CCTV, as he shopped in Harrods and central London a week before his body was found.

Mystery remains, however, over how exactly Mr Wiliams died. Police said he was found naked, zipped and padlocked into a bag in his bath. A post mortem has established no obvious cause of death and toxicology tests have found no evidence of drugs in his body, police revealed.

Police are working on the assumption that Mr Williams was either smothered or poisoned and "testing for any other substance continues".

Detectives also revealed in a statement that there was no sign of forced entry to the property in Pimlico where he was found, no signs of disturbance inside the flat, and that nothing was taken.

The only people believed to be unaccounted for in recent months who were seen at the flats on Alderney Street are the Mediterranean man and woman. Police have been told they were let into the communal front door, late one evening, either in June or July. Detectives want to trace them to eliminate them from the inquiry.

The Cambridge-educated mathematician had returned home from a holiday in America on August 11. Over the next few days he was captured on CCTV shopping in the West End and Knightsbridge, and catching a Tube in Holland Park, west London. He is seen in a red T-shirt, beige trousers and white trainers, carrying a shopping bag.

The last CCTV sighting of him is on Sunday, August 15, when he went into Harrods and walked towards Sloane Street, near the Dolce and Gabbana store.

Police found his body in the bath, after being alerted by MI6 staff when he failed to turn up to work, on the afternoon of Monday, August 23.

Det Chf Insp Jacqueline Sebire, Homicide and Serious Crime Command leading the investigation said: "I would appeal to anyone who may have seen, or had contact with Gareth in the period between 11th and 23rd August to come forward and speak with us at the Incident Room on 0208 358 0200, or to remain anonymous Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

"This remains a complex unexplained death enquiry."

Channel 4 : New police appeal over MI6 code-breaker's death

New police appeal over MI6 code-breaker's death

By Channel 4 News | September 6, 2010

Detectives investigating the death of the MI6 code breaker Gareth Williams, whose decomposing body was found in a bath, have released new CCTV images and appealed for help to trace two people seen near his London home.

The video and stills photographs show Mr Williams, who was working for the MI6 secret intelligence service, shopping in central London in August.

The Metropolitan Police said they needed the public's help to identify a man and a woman, both of Mediterranean appearance and aged between 20 and 30, who were let into the communal entrance of Mr Willams' flat in Pimlico, central London, late one evening in June or July.

Detectives said they had not found drugs or drugs paraphernalia at the flat and nothing appeared to be missing. Mr Williams had returned to Britain from a holiday in the US on 11 August. The police have established from the CCTV images that he went shopping on a number of occasions in the West End and Knightsbridge.

On 15 August, he visited Harrods dressed in a red T-shirt, beige trousers and white trainers.

Mr Williams' naked body was discovered padlocked in a North Face holdall bag in the bath of his flat on 23 August. There was no sign of any forced entry or disturbance.

A post mortem examination held on 25 August failed to establish any obvious cause of death. Extensive forensic tests at the flat and from the samples taken at the post mortem continue.

The Metropolitan police said they wanted to talk to anyone who had been in contact with 30-year-old Mr Williams between 11 and 23 August.

In a statement shortly after his body was found, Mr Williams' family dismissed rumours suggesting the GCHQ codes expert was involved in risky sexual practices, saying they had been "very distressing".

Sun : MI6 death cops release CCTV

MI6 death cops release CCTV

By STAFF REPORTER | September 6, 2010

COPS investigating the death of British code-breaker Gareth Williams have today released CCTV footage of him.

Officers hope it will encourage members of the public who may have witnessed his last known movements to contact them.

The 30-year-old MI6 worker's naked decomposing body was found in a holdall in the bath at his flat in Pimlico, Central London, on August 23 after he failed to appear at work for several days.

In the footage, Mr Williams is seen entering Holland Park Underground station at about 3pm on Saturday August 14.

Scotland Yard officers also want to identify a man and a woman, both of Mediterranean appearance, who appear in separate footage shot from the communal entrance of Mr Williams's block of flats.

The pair were let into the block late one evening in June or July.

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

Police said he had returned from a planned holiday in the United States on Wednesday August 11 and went shopping "on a number of occasions" in the West End and Knightsbridge areas.

On Sunday August 15, he went to a cash machine and then to Harrods before CCTV images show him in Hans Crescent, heading towards Sloane Street, near the Dolce and Gabbana store, at about 2.30pm.

Mr Williams, who was 5ft 7in and of muscular build with short hair, was wearing a red T-shirt, beige trousers and white trainers.

Detective Chief Inspector Jacqueline Sebire, who is leading the inquiry, said: "I would appeal to anyone who may have seen or had contact with Gareth in the period between August 11 and 23 to come forward and speak with us.

"This remains a complex unexplained death inquiry."

A police spokesman said today no drugs, or indications of drug usage, were recovered from Mr Williams's flat.

Police said post-mortem examinations found "no obvious cause of death" and initial indications from toxicology tests showed no trace of any alcohol or routine or recreational drugs.

Testing for other substances continues.

Independent : Police appeal over couple seen near spy Gareth Williams' flat

Police appeal over couple seen near spy Gareth Williams' flat

PA | September 6, 2010

Police investigating the death of British code-breaker Gareth Williams today appealed for help to trace two people seen near his Government flat.

Scotland Yard want to identify a man and a woman, both of Mediterranean appearance and aged between 20 and 30, who were let into the communal entrance of Mr Williams' flat in Pimlico, central London, late one evening in June or July.

His decomposing naked body was found padlocked shut in a holdall in a bath in the top floor flat by officers who broke in on August 23 after Mr Williams failed to appear at work for several days.

Today, officers released CCTV footage of him as they appealed for the public's help.

It showed the 30-year-old entering Holland Park Underground station at about 3pm on Saturday August 14.

Police said post-mortem examinations found "no obvious cause of death" and initial indications from toxicology tests showed no trace of any alcohol or routine or recreational drugs. Testing for any other substance is ongoing.

A force spokesman added there was no sign of any forced entry to his flat in Alderney Street, no signs of disturbance inside, and no property was believed to be missing.

"There is no suggestion the items within the flat were specifically posed," he said.

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

Police said Mr Williams had returned from a planned holiday in the United States on Wednesday August 11 and went shopping "on a number of occasions" in the West End and Knightsbridge areas.

On Sunday August 15, he went to a cash machine and then to Harrods before CCTV images show him in Hans Crescent, heading towards Sloane Street, near the Dolce and Gabbana store, at about 2.30pm

Police said Mr Williams, who was 5ft 7in and of muscular build with short hair, was wearing a red T-shirt, beige trousers and white trainers.

Detective Chief Inspector Jacqueline Sebire, who is leading the inquiry for the force's homicide and serious crime command, said: "I would appeal to anyone who may have seen, or had contact with Gareth in the period between 11th and 23rd August to come forward and speak with us.

"This remains a complex unexplained death inquiry."

In a statement shortly after his body was found, Mr Williams' family hit out at rumours that suggested the GCHQ codes expert was involved in risky sexual practices, saying they had been "very distressing".

In tribute to him, they said: "Gareth was a generous, loving son, brother, and friend, and he was a very private person.

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

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

Police urged anyone with information to contact the incident room on 020 8358 0200 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Express : SPY PROBE POLICE RELEASE CCTV IMAGE

SPY PROBE POLICE RELEASE CCTV IMAGE

September 6, 2010

Officers investigating the death of British code-breaker Gareth Williams, whose decomposing body was found padlocked inside a holdall in his bath, have released CCTV footage of him as they appealed for the public's help.

Scotland Yard want to identify a man and a woman, both of Mediterranean appearance, who were let into the communal entrance of his flat in Pimlico, central London, late one evening in June or July.

A police spokesman added that no drugs, or indications of drug usage were recovered from the property.

Detective Chief Inspector Jacqueline Sebire, who is leading the inquiry for the force's Homicide and Serious Crime Command, said: "I would appeal to anyone who may have seen, or had contact with Gareth in the period between 11th and 23rd August to come forward and speak with us at the Incident Room on 020 8358 0200, or, to remain anonymous, Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

"This remains a complex unexplained death inquiry."

Police said post-mortem examinations found "no obvious cause of death" and initial indications from toxicology tests showed no trace of any alcohol or routine or recreational drugs. Testing for any other substance continues.

A force spokesman added there was no sign of any forced entry to his flat, no signs of disturbance inside and no property was believed to be missing.

"There is no suggestion the items within the flat were specifically posed," he said.

Officers want to trace two people, aged 20-30, who were let in to Mr Williams' block of flats in Alderney Street, Pimlico, late one evening in June or July.

As part of their appeal, Scotland Yard released CCTV images of the 30-year-old entering Holland Park Underground station at about 3pm on August 14.

BBC : Police appeal over death of MI6 worker Gareth Williams

Police appeal over death of MI6 worker Gareth Williams

September 6, 2010

Police investigating the death of MI6 worker Gareth Williams have appealed for help in tracing two people seen entering his central London flat.

Mr Williams' naked body was found in a bag in the bathroom of his Pimlico home by police on 23 August.

Detectives want to speak to a man and a woman, both of Mediterranean appearance, who called at the 30-year-old's home in June or July.

CCTV images of Mr Williams, captured on 14 and 15 August, have been released.

Officers said Mr Williams, from Anglesey, was found unclothed, in a zipped and padlocked red North Face holdall, which was in an empty bath in the ensuite bathroom.

Complex death

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said there had been no forced entry into the flat, adding: "We do not believe there is any property missing.

"There is no suggestion the items within the flat were specifically posed. No drugs, or indications of drug usage were recovered."

Scotland Yard said no trace of alcohol, routine or recreational drugs were found following tests on the body of Mr Williams.

Det Ch Insp Jacqueline Sebire said: "This remains a complex unexplained death inquiry.

"I would appeal to anyone who may have seen, or had contact with Gareth in the period between 11th and 23rd August to come forward and speak with us."

Detectives have released CCTV images of the 30-year-old entering Holland Park Underground station at about 1500 BST on 14 August.

Since returning from a planned holiday in the US on 11 August, he went shopping "on a number of occasions" in the West End and Knightsbridge areas", police said.

He also went into Harrods on 15 August, after visiting a cash machine, and then, at about 1430 BST, he was seen on CCTV images in Hans Crescent, heading towards Sloane Street, near the Dolce and Gabbana store.

Express : SPY’S BODY WAS COVERED IN ‘FLUID’ TO SPEED DECAY

SPY’S BODY WAS COVERED IN ‘FLUID’ TO SPEED DECAY

By John Chapman | September 6, 2010

DETECTIVES investigating the “perfect murder” of MI6 spy Gareth Williams are no closer to solving the riddle of his mystery death, it emerged yesterday.

The decomposing body of the code-breaker was found padlocked in a sports holdall in a bath at his flat in Pimlico, central London.

One theory being explored is that the body was submerged in “fluid”.

The disclosure he was covered by liquid – not thought to be blood or water – has raised fears a substance was used to accelerate decay and complicate toxicology tests. His body was described as being in fluid by the first officers at the scene.

It was claimed yesterday that he had the highest security clearance available to an intelligence officer.

Williams, 31, was allegedly part of team that created devices to steal data from mobiles and laptops. He was last seen alive eight days before his corpse was found on August 23.

The investigation is being led by the Met’s Homicide Command with the Counter Terror Command playing a back-up role. A pathologist found Williams was not stabbed or shot and there were no obvious signs of strangulation.

Amid fears that he was the victim of a “professional hit”, police are still baffled by the cause of death. The keen cyclist was days from completing a one-year secondment to MI6 in Vauxhall, London.

Williams, from Anglesey, north Wales, worked as a cipher and codes expert for the Government’s listening centre GCHQ in Cheltenham. He spent time on secondment to MI5 and it was claimed he had been on a secret mission to Bulgaria.

Metro Police : Update: Investigation into death of Gareth Williams

Update: Investigation into death of Gareth Williams

Bulletin 0000001951 | September 6, 2010

OFFICERS FROM the Homicide and Serious Crime Command investigating the death of Gareth Williams have today (Monday 6 September) appealed for further information, and have released CCTV images of him.

Mr Williams returned to the UK from a planned holiday in the US on Wednesday 11th August 2010. On his return we have established from CCTV enquiries, that on a number of occasions he was shopping in the West End and Knightsbridge areas.

The CCTV images are of Mr Williams on Saturday 14.08.10 at approx 3pm entering Holland Park underground station.

On Sunday 15.08.10 Mr Williams was shopping in Brompton Road, SW7. He went to a cash machine, and then into Harrods.

At approx 2.30pm CCTV images show him in Hans Crescent, SW1 heading towards Sloane Street, near to the Dolce and Gabbana store.

He was wearing a red t shirt, beige trousers, and white trainers. Mr Williams was approx 5"7, with short hair and of a muscular build.

Officers are also appealing for information to identify a man and a woman, both of Mediterranean appearance, aged between 20 - 30 years old, who called at 36 Alderney Street in June or July, late one evening. They were let into the communal front door.

Mr Williams was found in his flat at Flat 4, 36 Alderney Street, Pimlico, SW1 on 23.08.10 by uniformed officers. There was no sign of any forced entry to the property, and no signs of disturbance inside.

Mr Williams was found unclothed, in a zipped and padlocked red North Face holdall which was in an empty bath in the en suite bathroom.

We do not believe there is any property missing from the flat. There is no suggestion the items within the flat were specifically posed. No drugs, or indications of drug usage were recovered.

A post mortem held at Westminster Mortuary on 25.08.10 established no obvious cause of death.

Extensive forensic tests at the flat in Alderney Street and from the samples taken at the post mortem continue.

Initial indications from the toxicology examinations show no trace of any alcohol or routine or recreational drugs. Testing for any other substance continues.

Detective Chief Inspector Jacqueline Sebire, Homicide and Serious Crime Command leading the investigation said;

"I would appeal to anyone who may have seen, or had contact with Gareth in the period between 11th and 23rd August to come forward and speak with us at the Incident Room on 0208 358 0200, or to remain anonymous Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

"This remains a complex unexplained death enquiry."

Express : MURDERED SPY GARETH WILLIAMS ‘WAS BEING TAILED’

MURDERED SPY GARETH WILLIAMS ‘WAS BEING TAILED’

By James Murray | September 5, 2010

MURDERED spy Gareth Williams feared he was being followed by two men and told bosses at MI6 he thought he was being targeted by foreign agents.

His superiors were not convinced, however, and took no action to discover the identity of the men, said to be white and in their 40s.

Superfit cyclist Mr Williams, 31, also raised his concerns with officials at GCHQ, the Government’s communications headquarters.

He had been on secondment to M16 from GCHQ when he was found dead inside a padlocked sports bag in the bath of his flat in Pimlico, west London, on August 23. There were no signs of forced entry. The sensational new claims come from a source close to the investigation.

Scotland Yard and GCHQ declined to comment yesterday, saying they would not confirm or deny the allegations.

The source said: “About six months ago Mr Williams complained to people at M16 that he thought he was being followed.

“He said he kept seeing the individuals near his home, at bus stops and hanging around shops where he was staying. He was told they could just be local people, but he felt there was more to it.

“He became frustrated by the response from the people at M16 and so he raised it with his colleagues at GCHQ. He was concerned that people at M16 were not taking his claims seriously.”

Scotland Yard detectives are now going through hours of CCTV footage from the Pimlico area to see if they can spot the men Mr Williams thought were tailing him. However, if Mr Williams was being trailed by foreign spies it is likely they would have taken steps to ensure they were not caught on CCTV.

Daily Mail : Was body of MI6 spy submerged in mystery fluid to speed up decay?

Was body of MI6 spy submerged in mystery fluid to speed up decay?

By Abul Taher and Ian Gallagher | September 5, 2010

The policeman who found the body of MI6 codebreaker Gareth Williams said it was submerged in ‘fluid’, The Mail on Sunday has learned.

An inquest heard last week that the 31-year-old spy was padlocked in a sports hold-all and left in the bath of his two-bedroom flat in Pimlico, Central London.

But the disclosure that he was also covered by liquid – not thought to be blood or water – has raised fears that a substance was used to accelerate decay and complicate toxicology tests.

The revelation came as new details emerged of the highly sensitive nature of Mr Williams’s work.

A source said he had the highest security clearance available to an intelligence officer and was part of a secretive ‘cell’ that created devices that can steal data from mobiles and laptops.

Now, nearly two weeks after cycling enthusiast Mr Williams was found in his flat, police are apparently no nearer to learning how or when he died.

This is despite a post-mortem, a second examination and toxicology tests, the results of which might not be available for weeks.

Sources close to the inquiry say the PC who found the body described it as being in ‘fluid’ when he radioed for assistance. Detectives at the scene are understood to have used the same word in their reports.

Immediately after making the discovery at the flat, the PC said: ‘This is a murder scene.’

Mr Williams, from Anglesey, North Wales, worked as a cipher and codes expert for the Government’s eavesdropping centre GCHQ in Cheltenham.

He was on a year-long secondment to MI6 which was due to end days after he was found dead.

Police and security sources have indicated that the explanation for his death is more likely to be found in his personal life rather than his work.

But speculation that he was the victim of a professional ‘hit’ was given credence last night after further details of his work were disclosed.

‘He was involved in some very sensitive projects, known as codeword protected,’ said a security expert.

‘This meant that only the people in his cell would know what he was working on, and nobody else in his organisation.

‘You are signed in to these projects and once you finish one you are signed out and you no longer have access to any data or news about what is happening in the project.’

Mr Williams – a child prodigy who had a degree in maths at 17 and then a PhD in the subject – was part of a team that created devices which ‘hook’ on to mobiles and laptops.

‘It is an aggressive form of Bluetooth or similar wireless technology,’ said the security expert.

He said such devices would be used by spies on the ground to steal data from the handsets of unsuspecting terrorists, organised criminals or officers from rival intelligence agencies.

‘Traditionally, there has been a separation of MI6 and GCHQ,’ said the expert. ‘MI6 has been full of the James Bond types working on the ground and GCHQ is filled with boffins with beards who are doing their scientific stuff.

‘But recently there has been a merger of these agencies’ work and Williams was at the forefront of that. This was why he was on secondment to MI6.’

He added that Mr Williams did similar work when he had stints at the National Security Agency in America.

The NSA is the equivalent of GCHQ and has been leading the West’s attempts to intercept communication between Al Qaeda cells.

Mr Williams worked for the Special Delivery Team, a unit set up in the NSA to create advanced bugging and intercepting devices.

‘If you just look at Williams’s CV, you know he has worked in some of the most important data-mining centres in the UK and US. His salary is no indication of his rank,’ said the expert.

It has also emerged that before his secondment to MI6, Mr Williams worked briefly for MI5, the domestic security agency. As part of that work, he was sent to Bulgaria on a secret mission.

A source close to the investigation said that on August 23 police were asked to check on Mr Williams’s flat as he had not shown up for work. Just before 6pm, a PC went to the Georgian townhouse in Alderney Street, which has been converted into four flats on four floors. Mr Williams had the top one.

The PC could not get into the house so the letting agent, W.  A. Ellis, was called and a woman employee arrived with keys.

She hovered at Mr Williams’s door as the PC went inside. Within minutes he emerged quickly from the en suite bathroom and escorted the woman back downstairs. He then told her: ‘You stay here. This is now a murder scene.’

This weekend, staff at W. A. Ellis, of Knightsbridge, refused to confirm details. A spokeswoman said: ‘36 Alderney Street is owned by a private company, New Rodina.

‘There has been speculation that it is linked to MI6 or that it is a front for MI6. Our clients do not have any links to MI6 whatsoever and are distressed by the death of Mr Williams.’

Wigan Today : Police search for spy-murder clues

Police search for spy-murder clues

September 4, 2010

Detectives investigating the murder of a British spy said they are picking over his private life for clues that could identify his killer.

The decomposing body of codes expert Gareth Williams, 30, was found in a bag in the bath of his London government flat.

He was days from completing a one-year secondment to the headquarters of MI6 from his job at national "listening post" GCHQ in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

Further tests are being carried out to determine how the fitness fanatic died because a post-mortem examination was inconclusive. They could determine if Mr Williams was strangled or asphyxiated, as well as if drugs or alcohol were present in his system.

Police believe Mr Williams's body could have lain undiscovered for up to a fortnight and it is thought he was on holiday at the time of his death. They believe the key to the case could lie in his private life. His family said he was an extremely private person.

Investigators suspect Mr Williams, who was originally from Holyhead, North Wales, might have known his killer as there was no sign of forced entry at his top-floor flat in Alderney Street, Pimlico.

William Hughes, the cousin of Mr Williams's wife, said the family is deeply shocked.

He said: "The last time I saw Gareth was just a few months ago at a family party and he was fine. He was always a quiet person, he was from a young age, but this is a close family and we all see each other quite regularly at family occasions."

Mr Hughes added: "I knew he worked at GCHQ and he had been working in London but I didn't know what he did. It wasn't said that we shouldn't talk about it, I simply never asked and he never told me. He was a bright boy from a young age and his parents were very proud of him."

Investigators said the death is "suspicious and unexplained".

Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2010, All Rights Reserved.

Daily Mail : A secret stalker. Witnesses who won't talk... but the most tantalising question of all is... Who's got the spy-in-the-bag's missing laptop?

A secret stalker. Witnesses who won't talk... but the most tantalising question of all is... Who's got the spy-in-the-bag's missing laptop?

By Sue Reid | September 3, 2010

Number 36 Alderney Street stands in a terrace of tall white houses with gleaming door knockers at the heart of a London enclave the posh estate agents call ‘alpha territory’.

The Queen’s cousin lives down the road of million-pound homes and for 30 years Mimmo d’Ischia, a nearby Italian eaterie, has been a favourite of the Duchess of Cornwall and film stars Joan Collins and Anthony Hopkins.

Even this week, after the strange murder at Number 36 of young British spy Gareth Williams, there is little to show much has changed.

Nothing, that is, apart from the frantic comings and goings by men in suits from the British secret service, MI6, and detectives from Scotland Yard.

The house is where the decomposing body of Mr Williams, padlocked into a sports holdall and thrown into the bath of his top-floor flat, was discovered by police at 6.30 on the evening of Monday, August 23.

The maths genius, loner and cycling fanatic had not turned up for work as a cipher and codes expert at the headquarters of MI6, half a mile from Alderney Street, on the banks of the Thames at Vauxhall.

Today, the mystery over his death is deepening. Was he killed because of his professional life or his private one? Was it an impromptu killing or one that was planned?

Did he die in the top-floor flat after letting in his own killer? Or was he murdered elsewhere by someone who stole his flat keys, before carrying him back and dumping him?

Is it possible that despite his reputation for clean living, an aspect of his private life has led the young spy into danger? Scotland Yard has not ruled out that a woman, or indeed a man, may have been at his flat in the hours before his death. Was she or he invited there to play a sex game that went wrong?

It is, of course, just another question that needs to be answered about the spy who was ‘on loan’ to MI6 from UK Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), the country’s top-secret listening post in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

When Mr Williams’s gruesome death first became public knowledge, there were lurid and unproven rumours about his private affairs.

Speculation that ‘bondage equipment and gay paraphernalia’ had been found at the flat was later dismissed as ‘garbage’ by Scotland Yard.

His parents, Ian and Ellen, who live in a bungalow in Holyhead, Anglesey, were horrified at the unsavoury claims about their bachelor son’s supposedly wild homosexual lifestyle.

The family insist he lived an exemplary existence and was not gay. A friend of Mr Williams said that the spy was ‘asexual’, and showed little interest in having a relationship with a man or a woman.

A first post-mortem failed to find the cause of his death. A second examination of his body took place a few days ago to unravel if he was drugged, poisoned or smothered. The results of this are still being analysed.

Yet, in a worrying twist, the Mail understands that a turf war has broken out between the police and MI6, with some police officers ­complaining that the spooks are ­hindering their investigation into the spy’s death.

The Mail has learned from sources close to the investigation that Mr Williams informed MI6 that he believed he was being followed in the months before his death, though murder squad detectives say they have not been told this.

This suggests that every aspect of his life at work and at home should be put under the microscope. However, there is frustration at Scotland Yard that the ‘security concerns’ of MI6 are stopping this wide-sweep inquiry happening.

Police attempts to quiz two spies still working at GCHQ who knew Mr Williams well have been unsuccessful and some detectives suspect they have been ‘blocked’ by both MI6 and GCHQ. It is also understood the murder squad was unable to get to one of his closest friends, a former GCHQ spy.

The man lived at the Alderney Street safe house in 2005 and visited there earlier this year. ‘He knows the day-to-day movements of Mr Williams and that is why he is important,’ added our source.

Scotland Yard murder detectives were this week also waiting to quiz another former GCHQ employee, who suddenly moved to America from Cheltenham six weeks ago and is said to be a ‘best friend’ of the dead codebreaker.

There is also friction between MI6 and GCHQ over the level of protection given to Mr Williams while on his London secondment. ‘Some people feel that he was sent to MI6 on secondment as a goodwill gesture and the intelligence service then “lost” GCHQ’s man,’ said a source.

It is a troubling backdrop to any major murder investigation, especially one into an expert codebreaker who was playing a significant role in protecting Britain.

Meanwhile, the Mail has learned of intriguing riddles about his death. The spy’s brain showed no signs of bruising, indicating he was not knocked unconscious before he died.

This has led to speculation that he may have been killed with a tiny injection of poison, possibly through his inner ear. If so, the needle mark would be almost invisible to the naked eye.

Another riddle is that Mr Williams’s personal computer is thought to be missing. He had designed the small machine to his own specifications and it ‘cannot be found’, the Mail has been told.

The laptop, which Scotland Yard refuses to officially confirm is missing, is crucial to the investigation. It could be a vital window on Mr Williams’s private life, his innermost thoughts, any transfers to and from his online bank account and would reveal if he had money problems.

Importantly, it will help trace his movements between the time he was last seen alive, on August 15, and the discovery of his body eight days later in his flat, where there was no sign of a break-in.

This will help pinpoint the time of his death, which is essential to finding a killer. Mr Williams’s bank and credit cards were used during these crucial eight days.

Troublingly, because it is not known when he died, it has been impossible to discover if they were used by him, or someone who had stolen them from him and was involved in his murder.

In a further conundrum, one of the first police officers who entered the flat after Mr Williams was ­discovered dead saw some white powder on several surfaces in the kitchen and living room. Although this could prove innocent, the ­powder is being tested in case it is cocaine or another drug.

In particular, some Scotland Yard detectives believe a public appeal for sightings of Mr Williams in the missing days before his death is essential to solve the murder mystery.

It would involve the release of more photographs and details about his lifestyle, but it is understood to have been ruled out by MI6, which is worried that terrorists might use the information to identify other British spies and their own secrets.

It all sounds disturbingly similar to the case of 28-year-old journalist Jonathan Moyle, another British intelligence agent, whose body was found hanging inside a hotel wardrobe in the Chilean capital Santiago in 1990 with a padded noose around his neck.

He had been investigating a company — ostensibly for his British defence magazine — which was modifying helicopters, possibly to carry nuclear weapons, to sell to the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

But his friends and family believe security sources planted the ­suggestion that he had died while engaged in an auto-erotic act and tried to stand in the way of the family’s own inquiries.

It took his outraged father to expose the cover-up — and find out that his son had been drugged, ­suffocated, injected with a lethal substance and then strung up in the wardrobe, a view supported by the British coroner, who returned a verdict of unlawful killing at his inquest eight years later.

This week, the Mail traced Mr Moyle’s former fiancée Annette Kissenbeck to her home in Germany, where she said the latest death of a British ‘spy in a bag’ brings back painful memories.

‘The British intelligence services tried to smear Jonathan by suggesting he was sexually deviant,’ she said. ‘I felt so helpless and alone trying to stand up to what was untrue against such powerful and shadowy forces.’.

The rumour that Moyle indulged in auto-erotic experiences first ­surfaced at a British embassy cocktail party attended by journalists in Santiago, adding weight to the Chilean claim that he had died by his own hand.

Annette says both were smears to cover up the truth about the murder and the illicit trade with Iraq. ‘Jonathan had everything to live for. We were totally in love with each other and about to get ­married,’ said Annette this week at her home in Essen, where she works as one of Germany’s leading child doctors.

A year after his death, a Chilean judicial investigation concluded that Moyle had been murdered. But two years later, in 1993, the murder investigation was wrapped up without a single suspect being arrested.

‘Jonathan just wasn’t the type to be depressed. And never in all the time we were together was there any hint that he was into auto-erotic sex,’ said Annette this week.

Even today, she is convinced that the spread of false information was deliberately orchestrated by shadowy figures in British secret services to cover up their own knowledge of the helicopter sales and to protect the UK’s relationship with Chile.

So could the extraordinary story of Jonathan Moyle shed any light on the death of Gareth Williams?

Williams played a key role in the world’s most sensitive and ­secretive electronic intelligence-gathering system.

He was helping to oversee a network called Echelon. It links ­satellites and super computers in Britain and the nations of our Western allies, including the U.S.

Set up to monitor the military and diplomatic communications of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, Echelon now eavesdrops on terrorists, such as the Taliban in Afghanistan, threatening British security.

In particular, it listens for key words and phrases that might ­suggest that an attack on this country is being planned by overseas terrorist cells or home-grown subversives.

He was signed up by GCHQ at 21 while studying for a post-graduate maths certificate at Cambridge, a favourite recruiting ground for the secret services.

His career path was meteoric. Williams had two passports, which allowed him to travel incognito if necessary. Soon he was working for long spells in Afghanistan for our secret services.

Four times a year, he paid visits to America to liaise with the powerful National Security Agency in Fort Meade in Maryland.

When he died, he was living rent-free at Alderney Street, which was bought by MI6 as a ‘safe house’ ten years ago.

It is one of many owned by MI6 dotted around Pimlico, which have been swept for listening devices and kept under surveillance. They are used to put up visiting operatives or to conduct de-briefings in total secrecy.

Mr Williams was due to return to his former flat, rented from a landlady, in Cheltenham yesterday and start back at work at GCHQ later this month.

An associate of Mr Williams told the Mail this week: ‘Gareth really didn’t like London, although he was sent on secondment to MI6 more than once.

‘He suffered it because he had to for his career. He did make a few friends, mainly others sent from GCHQ in Cheltenham who also lived at this MI6 place in Alderney Street.

‘They are the people that know the most about how he spent his spare time over the past few months and MI6 must let the police murder squad speak to them.’

So will the truth about death of the young spy Gareth Williams ever come to light amid the smears and secrecy of the murky world of espionage?

Today, almost a fortnight after the tragic discovery at 36 Alderney Street, you wouldn’t be wise to put money on it. Even if your name was James Bond or George Smiley.

This Is London : Is the death of spy Gareth Williams the perfect murder?

Is the death of spy Gareth Williams the perfect murder?

Justin Davenport, Crime Editor | September 3, 2010

IT is nearly two weeks since the body of MI6 code-breaker Gareth Williams was found padlocked in a sports bag in his flat, and normally by now police would be hoping to make an announcement of an arrest.

Scotland Yard detectives have been working closely with MI6 agents to uncover the truth about how the maths genius and cipher expert was found dead, apparently without a single mark on his body.

Yet, far from nearing a breakthrough in the inquiry, the Standard understands that detectives are increasingly frustrated at the course the investigation is taking.

In a twist that could come from the plot of a Sherlock Holmes story, it is understood that officers can find no obvious sign that anyone else was in the flat at the time of his death.

The conclusion, if proved, raises the possibility that Williams died alone or, alternatively, his killer was so skilful that he left no clues; he — or possibly even they — may have committed the perfect murder.

One highly respected pathologist told the Standard today it was possible that the cause of his death may never be fully known.

Police officers were first called to Williams's home — the top-floor flat of a MI6 “safe house” in Alderney Street, Pimlico — at approximately 6.30pm on Monday, August 23, when his MI6 employers became concerned for his “welfare” after he failed to turn up for work. In the large en-suite bathroom off the master bedroom, officers found a large red hold-all in the bath, containing William's curled-up body. The bag, believed to be from the North Face adventure company, had been padlocked from the outside and placed in the bath tub.

Yet what puzzled detectives was that nothing else seemed out of place in the £400,000 flat which Mr Williams had rented for a year while on secondment to M16 from Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). There was no sign of a struggle, forced entry or theft; everything was “spotless” and in order, according to one officer who has been inside.

Personal possessions — including two iPhones and Sim cards — had been laid out neatly on a table. There were laptops, one an expensive Apple Mac.
Some details about what detectives found in Williams's flat are being kept secret. They will not, for instance, say whether the body was naked or even whether there was — or had been — any water in the bath.

So far pathologists have carried out two post-mortems, but both have failed to establish how Williams died, though the examination was complicated by the fact that the body was said to be in an “advanced state of decay”.

What is known, however, is that Williams, a 31-year-old cycling fanatic, had not been shot or stabbed and did not appear to have been strangled. Detectives must now wait for the results of numerous toxicology tests to find out whether he was drugged, poisoned or even smothered.

Detectives and specialists working on the case know that asphyxiation is sometimes difficult to trace and privately fear the possibility that an exact cause of death may never be found and thereby denying them one of the most important clues for solving any murder investigation.

Dr Stuart Hamilton, one of 36 Home Office pathologists covering England and Wales, said that some more subtle forms of asphyxiation left few marks and therefore sometimes could not be discovered.

The Scotland Yard inquiry into Williams's death has focused on several main strands, including the scene at his flat when officers first arrived, and tracing the code-breaker's movements in the days before he is thought to have died.

In suspicious cases such as these, the police will also look into the dead person's background, but, it is understood, Williams's preference for keeping his personal life a secret from colleagues, family and friends has made this task incredibly difficult.

Detectives hold out hope that someone will come forward with information to help them piece together Williams's “four mystery days” between Wednesday, August 11, when he was in London and spoke to his sister Ceri Subbe on the phone, and Sunday, August 15 — the last time he was seen alive.

Ceri, a physiotherapist in Wrexham, raised the alarm after her brother failed to return her calls and has since travelled to London to help police.

Officers, extremely sensitive to the Williams family grief, nonetheless are of the view that the riddle of how Williams died most probably lies with his private life — even though there are no firm leads in that direction nearly two weeks after his death. His parents, who live in Anglesey, describe their son as extremely reserved but they are adamant he was not gay.

Rumours that bondage gear and gay escort agency numbers were found at Williams's flat have been flatly denied by his family, who say these more lurid claims may be smears, intended to discredit him.

There are reports that he frequented a gay bar near the MI6 headquarters in Vauxhall, but detectives can find no trace of a boyfriend, or girlfriend, and there is nothing to suggest he was a secret drinker or drug taker.

In fact, the opposite is true: Williams lived for his job and his cycling, regularly riding with his father around Anglesey and in local competitions with his club.

One line of inquiry is that Mr Williams died in an accident, a sex game that went wrong perhaps. But police say that if this was so why is it taking so long to find the “suspect”, who, if he panicked and fled the scene, should have left clues to his identity.

Police have combed the flat for fingerprints and DNA and searched CCTV in the area, but they are not believed to have identified a prime suspect. They are also sifting through his Sim cards to trace every call he made, but still have not found a motive.

One detective said: “The fact that no one has come forward could mean that no one was there. It could mean someone is frightened or it could be more sinister.”

Police have spoken to colleagues in MI6 and examined Williams's bank accounts for details of extraordinary payments, but again they have found nothing suspicious.

Williams's skills as a cipher expert and code-breaker were so highly valued that he regularly travelled — it is rumoured to Afghanistan to monitor codes between the Taliban, and to America, where he liaised with the National Security Agency and the CIA.

Of course, the possibility remains that he was the target of a foreign espionage agency, and murdered with a deadly toxin or even gas unidentifiable by toxicologists, but two weeks on, Scotland Yard is not even classifying Williams's death as murder. And if it is murder, it is one executed without trace.

Three experts look at the next stage

Nigel McCrery, Ex-policeman

A former murder squad detective who devised the BBC1 drama Silent Witness, McCrery said the pathologist would be vital in solving the mystery surrounding the death of Gareth Williams. “That's the only person who can really give an indication to police in cases like this,” he said. “If the case isn't solved within 48 hours, the chance of it being solved goes down by 70 per cent. After that it's foot-slogging and good old-fashioned detective work.

“The first thing is to establish where he died. If he is naked, where are his clothes? Has anything disappeared from his flat? There is a famous adage that every contact leaves a trace. I think there is a very good chance it will get solved. I don't think it's anything to do with the Russians or spies — perhaps it was a sexual encounter that got out of hand (Williams's family has denied he led a homosexual lifestyle). People are fascinated by other people's lives. It's also a puzzle — we are great puzzle-solvers. That is why Agatha Christie was so successful. It is a bit like an episode of Silent Witness meets Spooks.”

Dr Stuart Hamilton, Home Office pathologist

One of 36 Home Office pathologists covering England and Wales, Dr Hamilton said a key factor would be the state of the decomposition of the body.

“The worse the state of the body, the less likely it is that the post-mortem will be conclusive,” said Dr Hamilton. “We will tend to get all of the trappings' — the clothes and any possessions — that were found with the body. All of these things can help you work through to what the police are asking: is this a homicide or not? But a body in a bag is suspicious. Sometimes you just have to conclude that you can't identify a cause of death. Figures show that one case in 20 will not yield a cause of death at autopsy, although my experience is that it's considerably lower than that.”

Is there the perfect crime? “I have no doubt that they happen. I suspect that people are poisoned subtly, but that won't be picked up if there is an autopsy without a toxicology report. People could be getting smothered without others ever knowing about it. I try to frighten my trainees by telling them I have done 2,500 to 3,000 autopsies and there is probably a homicide I have missed. But you have to be pretty smart to get one past us.”

David Black, Novelist

The writer who based his book The Great Satan on his 11 years in the SAS said that nerve gas should be counted among the possible causes of death.

“I know for a fact that one of the security services around the world made inquiries to see if they could get hold of paintballs filled with nerve gas,” he said. “If you were going to assassinate somebody, there are a couple of options. The guy could just disappear. The next one is to make it look like an accident. If you push a guy down the stairs and break his neck, when he hits the ground, the chances are it will look like an accident.

“We don't know yet how Gareth Williams died. They didn't find any blows to his head. He must have been dead when they put him in the bag — but why put him in there? If it is some bizarre poison that some secret service in the world has developed, that will be a big clue to why he was killed. That is if he was killed at all. Secret services will kill to defend their own secrets — we will and so will everybody else. Was it our own people that did it? Who knows? If there was such a thing as a perfect crime, we would never know. If it's a matter of national security, nothing is beyond being swept under the carpet.”

Ross Lydall

Le Monde [translated] : The mystery of the spy who was healthy in all respects

The mystery of the spy who was healthy in all respects

Marc Roche | London correspondent | September 2, 2010

The body of a young man, healthy in all respects, is discovered in a gym bag sealed with a padlock in the bathroom of his apartment. The corpse, in a state of decomposition, shows no traces of blows or bullets. Neighbors claim to be unaware of the existence of the victim, a lonely 31-year-old avid cyclist with a PhD in mathematics. Enough ingredients for a decent detective story? Except that the person concerned, Gareth Williams, was a high-flying spy in the service of Her Majesty.

The native of Wales was one of the star code-breakers of GCHQ, the secretive British intelligence agency in charge of wiretapping and monitoring communications. For the past year, Williams was assigned to MI6, the Secret Service outside the kingdom. In September, he should have been promoted to the safety of "figure" at GCHQ. The home where the officer was found dead on August 25 was actually a safe house of the "Six", located close to the organization's headquarters on the banks of the Thames. The lack of conclusion of the second autopsy, performed on September 1, has thickened the mystery. The police are exploring the possibilities of action by Islamic terrorists, Russian spies and dissident Irish Republican Army (IRA) members.

"PINK" COLUMN

For its part, the popular press is suggesting a sex scandal. It would be a sexual game, a break from a monotonous and painstaking existence, a game gone wrong. The sleuths of the tabloids have discovered that, unbeknownst to his employer and his parents, Gareth Williams frequented sadomasochistic homosexual bars in Vauxhall, near the headquarters of MI6. The right-wing dailies remind us of the stories of gay spies who made criminal headlines. The specter of a "pink" column who had infiltrated the intelligence establishment sends shivers down the spines of its devotees.

In the meantime, it's a hands-down battle among thugs. U.S. investigators have arrived in London to sift the computer and mobile phone of the deceased. His expertise in the reconstruction of a puzzle from scattered or hidden pieces, his persistence and his methodical mind had led to his being sent for month-long sessions at Fort Mead in Maryland, headquarters of the National Security Agency (NSA). The Brits were exchanging information with their American "cousins".

The incredible response to Gareth Williams' strange death reveals the deception that always lies behind the scenes in the country that invented the secret agents of film, dilettantes and masterful seducers wielding great checkbooks and deadly gadgets.

George Smiley, the grand old guardian of the jewels of spying, would think, "this is not very proper". He was a gentleman.

Washington Post (blog) : U.S. officials: Gareth Williams death not spy-related

U.S. officials: Gareth Williams death not spy-related

By Jeff Stein | September 2, 2010

British media reports suggesting a spy-world connection to the gruesome death of U.K. code-breaker Gareth Williams are groundless, according to U.S. intelligence officials.

While refusing to comment publicly about the death of Williams, whose decomposing remains were discovered stuffed in a duffel bag in the bathtub of his London apartment on Aug. 23, the officials advised treating the British reports with great skepticism.

Williams, 30 or 31 at the time of his death, depending on reports, was said to be a "math genius" at Britain's code-breaking agency, the Government Communications Headquarters, or GCHQ. He was on temporary assignment with the U.K. foreign intelligence service MI6. Williams's work decoding terrorist communications caused him to consult frequently with the U.S. National Security Agency at Ft. Meade, Md., according to British news reports.

But James Bamford, author of three authoritative books on the NSA, scoffed at hints of a terrorist or other intelligence-related murder conspiracy.

“There’s been a lot of hyped-up coverage in the U.K., but even codebreakers die from unrelated violence occasionally,” Bamford told SpyTalk. “Hundreds of NSA and GCHQ personnel travel back and forth between agencies every year, and leaving a body in a canvas bag sounds more like a jealous lover or drug deal gone bad than a political assassination.”

Bamford, who has developed scores of NSA sources over the years, added, “I haven’t heard anything of concern from my people on this.”

"Strange story," said a former top CIA official in London, "but I would be very surprised if it involves espionage foul play."

An NSA spokesperson, Vanee Vines, declined to comment on any relationship Williams may have had with the agency, or whether agency officials had been quizzed by British police. The CIA likewise declined to comment.

“I can tell you that we do not confirm or deny agency affiliation,” Vines said by e-mail. “I don't have any information to share with you.”

In a typical British report, the Telegraph of London reported Monday that “murder detectives say they are still looking at whether Gareth Williams may have been killed by a foreign intelligence agency seeking to stop his work on intercepting messages and code-breaking.”

“Interviews with friends and family of Mr. Williams, 30, have so far offered no clear leads as to how or why he died,” the paper said.

Still, after two autopsies, according to reports, police are treating the death of Williams as "suspicious and unexplained."

Le Monde : Le mystère de l'espion bien sous tout rapport

Le mystère de l'espion bien sous tout rapport

Marc Roche | Londres, correspondant | September 2, 2010

Le corps d'un jeune homme, bien sous tout rapport, est découvert dans un sac de sport fermé par un cadenas, dans la salle de bains de son appartement. Le cadavre, en état de décomposition, ne porte aucune trace de coups ou de balles. Les voisins affirment tout ignorer de l'existence de la victime, un solitaire de 31 ans, passionné de cyclisme et titulaire d'un doctorat en mathématiques. Autant d'ingrédients pour un honnête roman policier ? Sauf que l'intéressé, Gareth Williams, était un espion de haut vol au service de Sa Majesté.

Le natif du pays de Galles était l'un des décodeurs stars du GCHQ, la très secrète agence de renseignement britannique chargée des écoutes et du contrôle des communications. Depuis un an, Williams était détaché au MI6, les services secrets extérieurs du royaume. A la rentrée, il aurait dû être promu à la sécurité du "chiffre" au GCHQ. Le logement où l'agent a été découvert mort le 25 août était en fait une planque du "Six", située à deux pas du siège de l'organisation, sur les berges de la Tamise. L'absence de conclusion de la deuxième autopsie, pratiquée le 1er septembre, a épaissi le mystère. La police explore les pistes d'une action de terroristes islamistes, de l'espionnage russe et des dissidents de l'Armée républicaine irlandaise (IRA).

FILIÈRE "ROSE"

Pour sa part, la presse populaire évoque une affaire de mœurs. Il s'agirait d'un jeu sexuel destiné à agrémenter une existence monotone et minutieuse, un jeu qui aurait mal tourné. Les limiers des journaux à sensation ont découvert qu'à l'insu de son employeur et de ses parents, Gareth Williams fréquentait les bars homosexuels sadomasochistes de Vauxhall, proche du QG du MI6. Les quotidiens de droite en profitent pour rappeler les histoires d'espions gays qui ont défrayé la chronique criminelle. Le spectre d'une filière "rose" ayant infiltré le monde du renseignement donne le frisson à ses thuriféraires.

En attendant, c'est le branle-le-bas de combat chez les barbouzes. Les enquêteurs américains ont débarqué à Londres pour passer au crible l'ordinateur et le téléphone portable du défunt. Son savoir-faire dans la reconstitution d'un puzzle à partir de morceaux épars ou dissimulés, son acharnement et son esprit méthodique lui avaient valu d'être dépêché une fois par mois à Fort Mead au Maryland, au siège de la National Security Agency (NSA). Le fonctionnaire échangeait ses informations avec les "cousins" américains.

L'incroyable écho rencontré par cet étrange mort est révélateur de l'espionnite toujours sous-jacente dans le pays qui a inventé les agents secrets de cinéma, dilettantes et grands séducteurs maniant avec virtuosité carnet de chèques et gadgets meurtriers.

"Tout cela n'est pas bien convenable", penserait George Smiley, le grand ancien gardien des joyaux de l'espionnage. Lui n'était qu'un gentleman.

Chester Chronicle : Chester-based sister of dead MI6 spy helping Scotland Yard investigation

Chester-based sister of dead MI6 spy helping Scotland Yard investigation

by David Holmes | September 2, 2010

THE Chester-based sister of MI6 spy Gareth Williams has been helping Scotland Yard detectives investigating his mysterious death.

Ceri Subbe, who lives with husband Chris in Brook Lane, Chester, has been to the capital to help officers piece together the final movements of Mr Williams, whose body was found in a holdall in a bath at his London flat.

The News of World reports it was Mrs Subbe, a physiotherapist at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, where her husband is a doctor, who raised the alarm after her brother failed to return calls.

Her evidence has undermined claims his body lay undiscovered for a fortnight until its discovery on Monday of last week – she spoke to him on the phone the previous Wednesday.

Pathologists have been unable to explain how the 31-year-old code-breaker, who worked at GCHQ and was seconded to MI6, died. There were no obvious injuries on his body and further tests are being carried out.

Although detectives are working on the assumption that he was murdered, they have not ruled out the possibility that Mr Williams died in an accident, from an overdose or even suicide.

One theory is that someone who was present at the time panicked and put his body in the bag but failed to remove it.

The deceased’s family, who live in Anglesey, are said to be ‘furious’ about tabloid claims that he had a secret double life, including suggestions he was gay or a transvestite.

A keen cyclist, Mr Williams was a maths genius who gained a first class degree in maths from Bangor University at just 17 before gaining a postgraduate certificate from Cambridge University.

There was nobody at home when The Chronicle called at Mrs Subbe’s home, which is on the market for £240,000.