Telegraph : British spy found dead in bath was padlocked into sports bag

British spy found dead in bath was padlocked into sports bag

September 1, 2010

The British spy Gareth Williams who was found dead in a holdall in his bath in London had been padlocked into the bag, an inquest has heard.

Williams, 31, was found dead in his flat in Pimlico half a mile from MI6 headquarters in Vauxhall, on Monday August 23rd.

After colleagues reported him missing, police broke into his flat and found his partially decomposed body locked inside a large sportsbag in the bath, the hearing was told.

Remembered by school mates as a “maths genius”, Mr Williams was on a one-year secondment to MI6 from GCHQ, the government’s “listening post” in Cheltenham, Glos, where he worked for almost a decade.

His position regularly took him to the US where he liaised with the National Security Agency and the CIA and he is also reported to have made a number of visits to Afghanistan.

The cause of his death has still not been established despite two post mortems being carried out. There were no obvious injuries on his body, which is thought to have lain undiscovered for more than a week.

Police have yet to formally declare their inquiries a murder investigation, describing the death as "suspicious and unexplained"

The inquest into his death opened during a brief hearing at Westminster Coroner's Court in central London.

Coroner Dr Paul Knapman said that after breaking into the flat, police "found a large holdall in the bath in the en suite bathroom of the main bedroom.

"The holdall was padlocked shut and inside was a lifeless body, and it appeared that the body was in an advanced state of decay."

Dr Knapman refused to allow the body to be released for burial and adjourned the inquest for a week while police investigations continue.

The coroner's account was confirmed by Det Chief Insp Jacqueline Sebire, who is leading the investigation into the death.

DCI Sebire said: "This remains an unexplained death. We would appeal for any witnesses who saw Mr Williams in any circumstances after August 11 onwards until the 23rd when he was discovered."

BBC : Body of MI6 worker Gareth Williams 'locked in bag'

Body of MI6 worker Gareth Williams 'locked in bag'

September 1, 2010

The body of an MI6 employee found at his flat was padlocked into a sports bag, an inquest has heard.

Gareth Williams, 30, originally from Anglesey, was discovered dead in the bath at his home in Pimlico, west London, on 23 August.

A post-mortem examination was unable to establish how Mr Williams died.

At the opening of the inquest into his death at Westminster Coroner's Court, the coroner revealed the body was locked inside a sports holdall.

Dr Paul Knapman told the hearing that the information he had from the police was that Mr Williams' body was in a large holdall in the bath of an en-suite bathroom of the main bedroom.

The hearing was told that the body was in an advanced state of decomposition.

The inquest has been adjourned.

BBC Home Affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said details of the padlock "clearly indicates someone else was involved" in the incident.

'Maths genius'

The body was discovered when officers broke into the Alderney Street flat after colleagues said Mr Williams had not been seen for at least 10 days.

Police are treating the death as "suspicious and unexplained".

Toxicological tests are being carried out to ascertain whether Mr Williams - described as a "maths genius" - had traces of drugs or alcohol in his system.

On Saturday police warned it could be several days before the tests, which also hope to detect signs of asphyxiation or poisoning, are concluded.

'Very private person'

Mr Williams is believed to have lain undiscovered for a lengthy period, with the last confirmed sighting of him alive on 15 August.

His family has issued a statement which said: "Gareth was a generous, loving son, brother, and friend, and he was a very private person.

"He was a great athlete, and loved music.

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

Mr Williams, a keen cyclist, graduated with a first class degree in maths from Bangor University aged 17.

He worked at the government listening post GCHQ in Cheltenham and was on secondment to MI6's headquarters on the bank of the Thames in London.

Sun : Spook had to be ID'd by photo

Spook had to be ID'd by photo

By ANTHONY FRANCE, Crime Reporter | September 1, 2010

THE body of murdered MI6 spook Gareth Williams was in such an "advanced state of decay" it had to be indentified from a family photo, a court heard yesterday.

The brilliant code breaker, 31, was found padlocked in a holdall in his bath.

Police spared his family the ordeal of seeing his body by asking for a recent snap instead.

An inquest was told that despite two post mortems police still don't know the cause of his death.

Mr Williams was found in the en-suite bathroom of his £400,000 flat in Pimlico, Central London on August 23 — half a mile from MI6's HQ on the Thames.

Police broke into his flat after colleagues said they had not seen him at work, Westminster Coroner's Court heard.

Mr Williams who worked for GCHQ, the Government's eavesdropping base in Cheltenham, was on secondment to the Secret Intelligence Service.

Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, who is leading the murder investigation, was asked by coroner Dr Paul Knapman whether the police needed the public's help to solve the case.

DCI Sebire replied: "This remains an unexplained death. We would appeal for any witnesses who saw Mr Williams in any circumstances after August 11 onwards until the 23rd when he was discovered."

Earlier, the coroner had outlined the brief facts of the case.

He said: "I have a résumé here which says to me that on Monday August 23, police were called to check on the welfare of Gareth Williams at his home address as he had not been seen at work.

"At about 6.30pm that evening I understand police entered the premises. They found a large holdall in the bath in the en suite bathroom of the main bedroom.

"The holdall was padlocked shut and inside was a lifeless body, and it appeared that the body was in an advanced state of decay.

"Following this various specialist departments of the Metropolitan Police were called and it was confirmed it was a male and, as we have heard, the description matched Gareth Williams.

"The Homicide and Serious Crime Command were much involved."

He added: "A post-mortem was carried out at that time. We will call that the first post mortem. It was performed by Dr Ben Swift on Wednesday August 25th.

"This failed to establish the cause of death and so further tests are being carried out."

Mr William's parents Ian and Ellen and sister Ceri, 28, were not in court for the opening.

Coroner's officer Kim Bedwell said: "I'm satisfied that the deceased is Gareth Wyn Williams, aged 31. He was a single man, a civil servant.

"Identification was confirmed by comparison of the deceased with a recent photograph that was supplied by the next of kin."

Dr Knapman concluded the hearing by saying to DCI Sebire: "As always the family will be anxious to have the body released following post mortem.

"We have talked about this and I am not inclined to allow this to occur at the present time. What I'm going to do is adjourn this case for one week.

"No doubt we can be in touch about how any tests and enquiries are going."

Mr Williams' parents who live in Anglesey, North Wales, believe he was murdered.

Uncle William Hughes, 61, said: "I saw Gareth a couple of months ago when he came home for a cycling event and he was in good spirits.

"He was just the same as he always was — friendly, happy and well balanced.

"From the family's point of view, we'd be absolutely amazed if he had any suicidal thoughts. He just wasn't that kind of person.

"He was always very steady. He was a quiet person, but he was a happy one. There'd been no shift in his personality."

Daily Post : Anglesey code-breaker was 'padlocked' into a holdall

Anglesey code-breaker was 'padlocked' into a holdall

September 1, 2010

THE decomposing body of Anglesey code-breaker Gareth Williams was found padlocked shut in a holdall in a bath in his flat, an inquest heard today.

The cause of death is yet to be established after he was discovered in the Government flat on August 23, Westminster Coroner’s Court heard.

Police broke into the top floor flat in Alderney Street, Pimlico, central London, after Mr Williams failed to appear at work for several days.

Coroner Dr Paul Knapman revealed he was found in a bag which was "padlocked shut" and the corpse appeared to be in an "advanced state of decay", a court spokeswoman said.

A post mortem examination carried out on August 25 failed to establish a cause of death and investigations are continuing, the court heard.

The inquest was adjourned to September 8.

Dr Knapman will be kept informed of how the investigation is progressing and consider when to release the body so a funeral can take place, the court spokeswoman said.

There were no members of his family in court.

Mr Williams, 30, was last seen alive eight days before his corpse was discovered.

Police have not said whether the sighting was made on CCTV or came from another source.

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

Officers are still trying to determine if he was asphyxiated, poisoned or if drugs or alcohol were present in his system.

A pathologist found Mr Williams was not stabbed or shot and there were no obvious signs of strangulation.

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

New York Times : Britain: Inquest Into Spy’s Death

Britain: Inquest Into Spy’s Death

By Ravi Somaiya | September 1, 2010

The body of a British spy, found dead in his apartment in London last month, had been padlocked into a gym bag and put in the bathtub, officials said Wednesday at the inquest into the man’s death, but how he died is not yet certain. The Westminster coroner, Dr. Paul Knapman, said that the body of the missing intelligence officer, Gareth Williams, 30, above, was discovered in an “advanced state of decay” on Aug. 23. A pathologist found that Mr. Williams had not been stabbed or shot, and that there were no obvious signs of strangulation, said a spokeswoman for the Westminster Coroner’s Court. A post-mortem exam last week failed to establish a conclusive cause of death. The inquest has been adjourned until next Wednesday.

Daily Record : Murdered spy's body was found inside holdall which had been padlocked shut, inquest hears

Murdered spy's body was found inside holdall which had been padlocked shut, inquest hears

September 1, 2010

THE decomposing body of British code-breaker Gareth Williams was found padlocked shut in a holdall in a bath in his flat, an inquest heard today.

The cause of death is yet to be established after he was discovered in the Government flat on August 23, Westminster Coroner's Court heard.

Police broke into the top floor flat in Alderney Street, Pimlico, central London, after Mr Williams failed to appear at work for several days.

Coroner Dr Paul Knapman revealed he was found in a bag which was "padlocked shut" and the corpse appeared to be in an "advanced state of decay", a court spokeswoman said.

A postmortem examination carried out on August 25 failed to establish a cause of death and investigations are continuing, the court heard.

The inquest was adjourned to September 8.

Dr Knapman will be kept informed of how the investigation is progressing and consider when to release the body so a funeral can take place, the court spokeswoman said.

There were no members of his family in court.

Mr Williams, 30, was last seen alive eight days before his corpse was discovered.

Police have not said whether the sighting was made on CCTV or came from another source.

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

Officers are still trying to determine if he was asphyxiated, poisoned or if drugs or alcohol were present in his system.

A pathologist found Mr Williams was not stabbed or shot and there were no obvious signs of strangulation.

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

Telegraph : MI6 spy's body padlocked into sports bag, inquest told

MI6 spy's body padlocked into sports bag, inquest told

The body of Gareth Williams, the British spy found murdered in London, had been padlocked into the sports bag in which it was hidden, a coroner has disclosed.

By John Bingham and Richard Edwards | September 1, 2010

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.

The 31-year-old MI6 codebreaker’s body was found in a bathtub at the flat where he had been living, close to the headquarters of the intelligence service. [Police waited almost two hours to get into the flat, which is thought to have been a security services safe house.]

Detectives are still unsure how the Cambridge educated mathematician died 10 days after the discovery last Monday.

They are now awaiting the results of a third post mortem examination and toxicology tests.

It also emerged that police waited almost two hours to get into the flat after being asked to check on Mr Williams who had not been seen for several days.

Opening of an inquest into the death Dr Paul Knapman, the Westminster Coroner disclosed that Mr Williams’s body was found in ensuite bathroom in the flat.

The body was already in “advanced state of decay”, and had to be formally identified with the help of a recent photograph supplied by Mr Williams’s family rather than in person, City of Westminster Coroner’s Court was told.

Mr Williams, whose secret work regularly took him to the US, is known to have been in London since August 11, but last seen alive four days later.

It would be another eight days before officers were sent to flat to check on him as officials made inquiries with his former landlady in Cheltenham, where he had previously worked for GCHQ, the Government’s “listening station”.

Police arrived at the flat in Pimlico at about 4.40pm last Monday but it was not until 6.30pm that they were able to get hold of a key to get inside, Scotland Yard said.

Dr Knapman told the court: “They found a large holdall in the bath in the ensuite bathroom of the main bedroom,” the corner told the court.

“The holdall was padlocked shut and inside was a lifeless body, and it appeared that the body was in an advanced state of decay.”

The death of Mr Williams, who was described only as “single man and civil servant”, is still being treated officially as “unexplained” rather than murder.

With the results of toxicology tests still awaited, the coroner indicated it could be several weeks before his body is finally released for burial.

Guardian : MI6 employee's body was in padlocked holdall, inquest told

MI6 employee's body was in padlocked holdall, inquest told

Cause of Gareth Williams's death yet to be established but inquest officially reveals details for the first time

by Vikram Dodd | September 1, 2010

The body of Gareth Williams, the MI6 employee found dead in his flat last week, was discovered in a large sports holdall which was secured shut by a padlock, an inquest heard today.

His body was in an advanced state of decay and is believed to have lain undiscovered for some days in a bath.

The cause of his death is yet to be established and the bizarre circumstances of his demise, added to his work for the intelligence services, have led to speculation about his lifestyle and how he came to die. The opening of the inquest was the first chance for details of his death to be made public officially.

Williams, 31, was found on 23 August at his flat in Pimlico, London, half a mile from the headquarters of MI6, Britain's foreign intelligence service. He was an expert in codes and was on secondment to MI6 from his usual job at GCHQ, the government's "listening post" based in Cheltenham.

Coroner Dr Paul Knapman, sitting at Westminster coroner's court, said: "I have a resumé here which says to me that on Monday August 23rd police were called to check on the welfare of Gareth Williams at his home address as he had not been seen at work.

"At about 6.30pm that evening, I understand police entered the premises. They found a large holdall in the bath in the en suite bathroom of the main bedroom.

"The holdall was padlocked shut and inside was a lifeless body, and it appeared that the body was in an advanced state of decay."

A post mortem examination carried out on 25 August failed to establish a cause of death and investigations are continuing, the court heard. A pathologist found Williams was not stabbed or shot and there were no obvious signs of strangulation. Detectives are awaiting the results of toxicology tests to see if drugs, alcohol or poison can explain the death.

Police say he was last seen alive on 15 August, some eight days before his body was discovered.

Knapman said he would not yet release the body to the family for burial. They were not in court for the opening of the inquest, which was adjourned for one week.

Detective Chief Inspector Jacqueline Sebire, who is leading the investigation, appealed for anyone with information to come forward: "This remains an unexplained death. We would appeal for any witnesses who saw Mr Williams in any circumstances after August 11 onwards until the 23rd when he was discovered."

Knapman added: "Various specialist departments of the Metropolitan police were called and it was confirmed it was a male and, as we have heard, the description matched Gareth Williams. The homicide and serious crime command were much involved."

He added that the first post mortem had failed to establish cause of death "and so further tests are being carried out".

Daily Mail : Body of MI6 spy had been padlocked into a sports bag in bath

Body of MI6 spy had been padlocked into a sports bag in bath

By Charlotte Gill | September 1, 2010

The body of murdered MI6 spy Gareth Williams had been padlocked into a sports holdall in his ensuite bathroom, an inquest heard yesterday.

Police went to his flat and found him dead in the bag in the bath after being asked to check on his 'welfare' because he had not been seen at work.

Coroner Dr Paul Knapman said that the 31-year-old's body would not be released for at least a week while further tests are carried out to ascertain how he met his death.

The first post mortem failed to find a cause of death and police now await the results of toxicology tests which can take weeks.

Detectives hope they will reveal whether the cipher and codes expert was drugged, poisoned or smothered or if alcohol was in his system.

A second 'examination of the body' was conducted earlier this week.

Pathologists are thought to be searching for any evidence which would suggest a professional 'hit' and have been scrutinising the area around his neck.

A seasoned assassin may be able to inflict a 'discreet' neck wound that could kill even though it would not look as obvious as a snapped neck.

Another possibility is that Mr Williams was injected with a deadly toxin.

The inquest at the City of Westminster Coroner's Court heard that Mr Williams's body was in an 'advanced state of decay' and was identified through a photograph provided by his family.

Dr Knapman said: 'On Monday August 23rd, police were called to check on the welfare of Gareth Williams at his home address as he had not been seen at work.

'At about 6.30pm that evening I understand police entered the premises. They found a large holdall in the bath in the ensuite bathroom of the main bedroom. The holdall was padlocked shut and inside was a lifeless body.'

He said the post-mortem examination carried out failed to establish a cause of death.

No members of Mr Williams's family, who live in Anglesey, North Wales, were in court yesterday but coroner's officer Kim Bedwell said they were aware of the inquest being opened.

She described Mr Williams's occupation as 'civil servant' and said he was single.

Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, who is leading the police investigation, appealed for anyone who knew Mr Williams or had seen him in the weeks before he died to contact police.

The cycling fanatic was in London from August 11 and the last confirmed sighting of him was on August 15, eight days before his body was found in his £400,000 flat in Pimlico, central London, half a mile from MI6 HQ.

He had been days from completing a year's secondment at the intelligence service and was due to return to his job at the Government's listening post, GCHQ, in Cheltenham this week.

Dr Knapman adjourned the case for one week until September 8 when he will see 'how tests and enquiries are going'.

He said: 'The family will be anxious to have the body released following post mortem.

We have talked about this and I am not inclined to allow this to occur at the present time.'

Channel 4 : MI6 spy found dead 'padlocked' into sports bag

MI6 spy found dead 'padlocked' into sports bag

September 1, 2010

The body of MI6 codebreaker Gareth Williams was found padlocked into a sports bag, police reveal, as the inquest is delayed amid questions over the cause of his death - which Channel 4 News understands was a "neat job".

British spy Gareth Williams was found padlocked into a sports bag, police revealed, as the inquest is delayed with the cause of death still unknown.

The inquest into the British spy's death has been delayed as police work to establish the cause of Mr Williams' death.

He was last seen alive eight days before his corpse was discovered on 23 August, when the police stopped by his flat for a "welfare check" on him after a GCHQ colleague sounded the alarm when he was not seen at work.

Police broke into the top floor flat in Alderney Street, Pimlico, central London, to find Mr Williams' body "padlocked shut" in a sports bag in a bath.

Westminster Coroner's Court heard that the corpse appeared to be in an "advanced state of decay".

A post mortem examination carried out on 25 August failed to establish a cause of death and investigations are continuing, the court heard.

The inquest was adjourned to 8 September.

Coroner Dr Paul Knapman will be kept informed of how the investigation is progressing and consider when to release the body so a funeral can take place, the court spokeswoman said.

On Friday, Mr Williams' family broke their silence to say they have found speculation over whether his sex life could be linked to his death "very distressing". There were no members of his family in court today.

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

Officers are still trying to determine if he was asphyxiated, poisoned or if drugs or alcohol were present in his system.

A pathologist found Mr Williams was not stabbed or shot and there were no obvious signs of strangulation.

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

Guardian : MI6 officer's body was found locked in sports holdall, says coroner

MI6 officer's body was found locked in sports holdall, says coroner

Inquest into Gareth Williams's death hears his remains were in advanced state of decay when discovered at a safehouse

by James Meikle | September 1, 2010

The body of an MI6 officer found in a London flat had been padlocked into a sports holdall and was in "an advanced state of decay", an inquest heard today.

Gareth Williams, 30, a codebreaker on secondment from GCHQ Cheltenham, was discovered in an MI6 safehouse last month, eight days after he had last been seen.

A postmortem examination failed to establish a cause of death, but toxicological tests are being carried out to establish whether drink, drugs or poisoning were a factor. A pathologist has found that Williams was not stabbed or shot and there were no obvious signs of strangulation.

At the opening of the inquest into his death, the Westminster coroner, Paul Knapman, revealed that the body was locked inside a sports holdall, according to a coroner's court spokeswoman.

Knapman told the hearing the information he had received from police was that Williams's body was in a large holdall in the bath of an en-suite bathroom of the main bedroom. The inquest was then adjourned until next Wednesday.

Knapman would be kept informed of how the investigation is progressing and will consider when to release the body so a funeral can take place, the spokeswoman added.

There have been conflicting reports over what led to Williams's death, but his family have complained about the "horrible and completely fictitious accounts of his death" in the media.

Daily Star : GARETH WILLIAMS: THE 'PERFECT MURDER'?

GARETH WILLIAMS: THE 'PERFECT MURDER'?

By Jerry Lawton | September 1, 2010

SPY Gareth Williams may have been the victim of the “perfect murder” by an expert assassin who used a martial arts death grip.

Police still have no idea how he died, nine days after his body was found stuffed inside a sports bag.

Pathologists are examining the MI6 agent’s neck to see if he could have suffered a “pressure blow” so subtle it did not show up during his post-mortem.

Medics believe it could explain how Gareth, 31, was apparently murdered without the culprit leaving any clue to the method.

There are no marks around his neck indicating he had been throttled. His body shows no signs of a struggle, or puncture marks to suggest he was injected with poison.

The post-mortem failed to determine how he died and detectives are so baffled they have still not been able to officially declare the case a murder.

They hope the results of toxicology tests on the body due later this week will shed some light on the mystery.

But a source told the Daily Star: “At the moment it looks like he was the victim of the perfect murder. There is an increasingly worrying possibility we may never know how he died.”

Detectives probing his background for clues have had their efforts blocked by the security services. Officers are tracing calls on a number of mobile phone SIM cards found at his Government flat in Pimlico, central London.

They are also checking big transactions involving Gareth’s bank accounts.

UK Wired : Body of MI6 worker Gareth Williams 'locked in bag'

Body of MI6 worker Gareth Williams 'locked in bag'

September 1, 2010

The body of an MI6 employee found at his flat was padlocked into a sports bag, an inquest has heard.

Gareth Williams, 30, originally from Anglesey, was discovered dead in the bath at his home in Kensington, west London, on 23 August.

A post-mortem was unable to establish how Mr Williams died.

At the opening of the inquest into his death at Westminster Coroner's Court, the coroner revealed the body was locked inside a sports holdall.

Dr Paul Knapman told the hearing that the information he had from the police was that Mr Williams's body was in a large holdall in the bath of an en-suite bathroom of the main bedroom.

The body was discovered when officers broke into the Alderney Street flat after colleagues said Mr Williams had not been seen for at least 10 days.

Police are treating the death as "suspicious and unexplained".

Toxicological tests are being carried out to ascertain whether Mr Williams - described as a "maths genius" - had traces of drugs or alcohol in his system.

The inquest has been adjourned.

Independent : Spy's decayed body had been 'padlocked' in bag

Spy's decayed body had been 'padlocked' in bag

PA | September 1, 2010

The decomposing body of British code-breaker Gareth Williams was found padlocked shut in a holdall in a bath in his flat, an inquest heard today.

The cause of death is yet to be established after he was discovered in the Government flat on August 23, Westminster Coroner's Court heard.

Police broke into the top floor flat in Alderney Street, Pimlico, central London, after Mr Williams failed to appear at work for several days.

Coroner Dr Paul Knapman revealed he was found in a bag which was "padlocked shut" and the corpse appeared to be in an "advanced state of decay", a court spokeswoman said.

A post mortem examination carried out on August 25 failed to establish a cause of death and investigations are continuing, the court heard.

The inquest was adjourned to September 8.

Dr Knapman will be kept informed of how the investigation is progressing and consider when to release the body so a funeral can take place, the court spokeswoman said.

There were no members of his family in court.

Mr Williams, 30, was last seen alive eight days before his corpse was discovered.

Police have not said whether the sighting was made on CCTV or came from another source.

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

Officers are still trying to determine if he was asphyxiated, poisoned or if drugs or alcohol were present in his system.

A pathologist found Mr Williams was not stabbed or shot and there were no obvious signs of strangulation.

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

Express : BODY OF SPY WAS PADLOCKED IN BAG

BODY OF SPY WAS PADLOCKED IN BAG

September 1, 2010

The body of British code-breaker Gareth Williams was found padlocked shut in a holdall in a bath in his flat, an inquest has been told.

The cause of death has not yet been established.

Mr Williams was found dead by police who broke into the Government-owned flat in Alderney Street, Pimlico, central London, on August 23, Westminster Coroner's Court heard.

Mr Williams, 30, had failed to appear at work for several days and had not been seen for eight days when his body was found.

Coroner Dr Paul Knapman said he was found in a bag which was padlocked shut and the corpse was in an "advanced state of decay", a court spokeswoman said.

A post-mortem examination carried out on August 25 failed to establish a cause of death and investigations are continuing.

The inquest was adjourned to September 8.

Dr Knapman will be kept informed of how the investigation is progressing and consider when to release the body so a funeral can take place, the spokeswoman said.

Officers are still trying to determine if Mr Williams was asphyxiated, poisoned or if drugs or alcohol were present in his system.

A pathologist found Mr Williams was not stabbed or shot and there were no obvious signs of strangulation.

Daily Mail : Body of MI6 spy had been padlocked into a sports bag in bath

Body of MI6 spy had been padlocked into a sports bag in bath

By Charlotte Gill | September 1, 2010

The body of murdered MI6 spy Gareth Williams had been padlocked into a sports holdall in his ensuite bathroom, an inquest heard yesterday.

Police went to his flat and found him dead in the bag in the bath after being asked to check on his 'welfare' because he had not been seen at work.

Coroner Dr Paul Knapman said that the 31-year-old's body would not be released for at least a week while further tests are carried out to ascertain how he met his death.

The first post mortem failed to find a cause of death and police now await the results of toxicology tests which can take weeks.

Detectives hope they will reveal whether the cipher and codes expert was drugged, poisoned or smothered or if alcohol was in his system.

A second 'examination of the body' was conducted earlier this week.

Pathologists are thought to be searching for any evidence which would suggest a professional 'hit' and have been scrutinising the area around his neck.

A seasoned assassin may be able to inflict a 'discreet' neck wound that could kill even though it would not look as obvious as a snapped neck.

Another possibility is that Mr Williams was injected with a deadly toxin.

The inquest at the City of Westminster Coroner's Court heard that Mr Williams's body was in an 'advanced state of decay' and was identified through a photograph provided by his family.

Dr Knapman said: 'On Monday August 23rd, police were called to check on the welfare of Gareth Williams at his home address as he had not been seen at work.

'At about 6.30pm that evening I understand police entered the premises. They found a large holdall in the bath in the ensuite bathroom of the main bedroom. The holdall was padlocked shut and inside was a lifeless body.'

He said the post-mortem examination carried out failed to establish a cause of death.

No members of Mr Williams's family, who live in Anglesey, North Wales, were in court yesterday but coroner's officer Kim Bedwell said they were aware of the inquest being opened.

She described Mr Williams's occupation as 'civil servant' and said he was single.

Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, who is leading the police investigation, appealed for anyone who knew Mr Williams or had seen him in the weeks before he died to contact police.

The cycling fanatic was in London from August 11 and the last confirmed sighting of him was on August 15, eight days before his body was found in his £400,000 flat in Pimlico, central London, half a mile from MI6 HQ.

He had been days from completing a year's secondment at the intelligence service and was due to return to his job at the Government's listening post, GCHQ, in Cheltenham this week.

Dr Knapman adjourned the case for one week until September 8 when he will see 'how tests and enquiries are going'.

He said: 'The family will be anxious to have the body released following post mortem.

We have talked about this and I am not inclined to allow this to occur at the present time.'

Sky TV : MI6 Worker's Body 'Padlocked Shut' In Bag

MI6 Worker's Body 'Padlocked Shut' In Bag

September 1, 2010

The body of codebreaker Gareth Williams was found padlocked shut in a holdall in a bath in his flat, an inquest hears. Sky's Martin Brunt has more.

[video at the link]

Daily Mail : Was MI6 spy victim of the perfect murder?

Was MI6 spy victim of the perfect murder?

By Charlotte Gill and Emily Andrews | August 31, 2010

Pathologists are investigating whether MI6 spy Gareth Williams could have been the victim of the ‘perfect murder’.

There are no signs of a violent struggle on the body of the cipher and codes specialist and it is possible that the cause of his death will never be fully discovered.

Doctors examining the body of the 31-year-old for clues are focusing on any evidence which would suggest a professional hit and are scrutinising the area around his neck, sources said.

A seasoned assassin may be able to inflict a ‘discreet’ neck wound that could kill even though it would not look as obvious as a snapped neck.

Detectives are keenly awaiting the results of toxicology tests in the hope they will reveal some clues as to how Mr Williams died.

They could indicate whether the cycling fanatic was smothered or if he was drugged.

One theory is that he could have been injected with a deadly toxin which is not immediately identifiable by toxicologists.

In the 2006 poisoning of former Russian spy Alexander Litvenenko, it took weeks for investigators to discover that the killer substance was polonium 210.

Using high-tech ‘cell site analysis’, police are also trawling through hundreds of numbers for mobile phones which were used in the close vicinity of Mr Williams’s flat at the time he is thought to have died to see if any names registered to the phones throw up clues.

The technique will also help detectives piece together his last movements by tracking his mobile phone.

Such analysis can pinpoint where a phone was used to ‘cells’, an area which can be as precise as 200 square yards.

Police are also sifting through Mr Williams’s SIM card records to trace every call that he made.

Officers on the case have yet to discover a motive for his murder.

There is no evidence so far to suggest that he was gay and Scotland Yard has denied speculation that gay paraphernalia was discovered in the flat where his body was found or that there is any link to a male escort.

His family and friends reacted furiously to ‘untruths’ that he led a colourful homosexual lifestyle, claiming the rumours could be government smears aimed at discrediting him.

They have told police that Mr Williams was a private, reserved man who was close to his family and loved his job.

He was found dead last Monday at his £400,000 flat in Pimlico, central London, just half a mile from the headquarters of MI6. His body was discovered in the bath stuffed into a sports holdall.

One line of inquiry is that Mr Williams could have died in an accident and that his body was later moved for some reason.

Although it is highly likely that he was murdered, the Metropolitan Police continue to describe his death as ‘suspicious and unexplained’.

Mr Williams is said to have played an important role in the development of a highly sensitive and secret electronic intelligence gathering system called Echelon and was helping with a new system to monitor internet phone calls such as Skype.

There have been no arrests in the case so far.

On Friday Scotland Yard issued an appeal to anyone who knew Mr Williams or may have seen him in the eight days before his body was found to come forward.

Telegraph : Spy murder case could be too sensitive for court

Spy murder case could be too sensitive for court

By John Bingham | August 31, 2010

The true explanation for the murder of Gareth Williams, the MI6 codebreaker found dead in a bath, may have to be kept secret even if his killer is found and put on trial, lawyers have warned.

The intense secrecy surrounding the investigation has prompted speculation that any future court case could be the first murder trial in British legal history to be held entirely behind closed doors.

Mr Williams, 31, an employee of GCHQ, the government’s “listening post” in Cheltenham, Glos, who was working on secondment to MI6 in London, was found dead at a flat in London last week.

No one has been arrested and police have been investigating Mr Williams’s background as well as his movements in the days before his death.

But it is thought that the unique level of sensitivity around the case – with the dead man, his workmates, his movements and even the flat where he was found all linked to the security services – could make any future court case virtually impossible to try in public.

Lawyers said that powers already available under the criminal procedure rules 2005 could be used by a judge to hold all or part of any future trial in secret for reasons of national security.

Under a separate procedure the prosecution could even apply for a “Public Interest Immunity certificate” banning sensitive evidence being disclosed even to the defence.

Similar powers were recently used by David Miliband, the former Foreign Secretary, in an attempt to prevent three senior judges disclosing details about the treatment of Binyam Mohamed, the former Guantánamo Bay detainee.

In 2008 the case of Wang Yam, a financial adviser accused of murdering Allan Chappelow, an 86-year-old writer, made legal history when it was heard partly in secret.

The public and press were excluded while the defence case was heard, despite objections from Yam’s legal team, on “national security” grounds after a PII certificate was granted, following an application from Jacqui Smith, then the Home Secretary.

With details of the investigation into Mr Williams’s death already clouded in secrecy, lawyers said that a similar approach could be taken in any future court case, with the entire trial potentially held in private.

“The runes are that they are desperate, almost at any cost, to keep this under wraps," said Mark Stephens, a partner at Finers Stephens Innocent, who led a legal challenge in the Binyam Mohamed case.

“It may be that there is a genuine national security interest but that will be very limited.

“What on has to be guarding against is that somebody is claiming national security in the interests of covering up a degree of embarrassment or incompetence or some other interest which isn’t national security.” Dan Hyde, a consultant at Cubism Law, said: “On the face of it there certainly seem to be parallels that can be drawn from the case of Allan Chappelow.

“That was a case where there were public interest immunity issues and as a result it was one of those very rare cases in which the defence was presented in camera, that is in private.

“It seems this is a case that is surrounded by intrigue, you have someone who was working for MI6, his body was found in a bag and the police did not categorise it as a murder inquiry.”

Telegraph : Spy Gareth Williams 'in good spirits' before death, family say

Spy Gareth Williams 'in good spirits' before death, family say

By John Bingham | August 31, 2010

The family of a British spy found dead in a bag in his bath insisted last night he was “happy and in good spirits”, casting doubt on claims his personal or financial problems played a role in his death.


Relatives of Gareth Williams described him as “steady, quiet and well balanced” and said he had shown no sign of any change in recent months.

It came as one former friend of the MI6 codebreaker claimed that he had been plagued by his own “demons”.

Pathologists have been unable to explain how the 31-year-old, whose body was found in a sports bag in the bath of a flat in Pimlico, central London, last week, died.

Remembered by school mates as a “maths genius”, Mr Williams was on a one-year secondment to MI6 from GCHQ, the government’s “listening post” in Cheltenham, Glos, where he worked for almost a decade.

His position regularly took him to the US where he liaised with the National Security Agency and the CIA and he is also reported to have made a number of visits to Afghanistan.

There were no obvious injuries on his body, which is thought to have lain undiscovered for more than a week and further tests are being carried out after a post mortem examination proved inconclusive.

Although detectives are working on the assumption that he was murdered they have not ruled out the possibility that Mr Williams died in a bizarre 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.

William Hughes, 61, Mr Williams’s uncle, insisted there was “no way” he could have taken his own life.

“He just wasn't that kind of person,” said Mr Hughes, who lives near the home of Mr Williams's parents, Ian and Ellen, in Anglesey, north Wales.

“He was always very steady. He was a quiet person, but he was a happy one, there'd been no shift in his personality.”

He added: “I saw Gareth a couple of months ago when he came home for a cycling event and he was in good spirits.

“He was just the same as he always was – friendly, happy and well balanced.”

Police have been interviewing friends and family in an attempt to find possible clues in his background.

But detectives have played down lurid claims that Mr Williams, remembered as a solitary figure despite his heavy involvement in competitive cycling, could have died in some form of sexual game.

Reports that a series of payments into and out of his bank account remain unaccounted for have also been dismissed as “speculation”.

This Is London : Spy-in-a-bag tests could show how he died

Spy-in-a-bag tests could show how he died

Justin Davenport, Crime Editor | August 31, 2010

Toxicology test results which could show how British spy Gareth Williams met his death are expected to be revealed within days.

The body of the 31-year-old was found in a sports bag in the bath of his Pimlico flat last week but pathologists have been unable to explain how he died.

The maths genius was on secondment to MI6 in London and was within days of returning to his job as a codebreaker with the Government's GCHQ listening station in Cheltenham.

His work as a cipher and codes specialist regularly took him to the US, where he liaised with the National Security Agency and the CIA, and it is reported that he also made a number of visits to Afghanistan.

His body was found in his flat on Monday, August 23, eight days after he was last seen on Sunday, August 15, though police have refused to say where he was when last sighted.

There were no obvious injuries on his body and police hope that tests could show if he was poisoned, drugged or smothered.

Detectives are working on the assumption he was murdered but have not ruled out the possibility that Mr Williams died in a bizarre accident from an overdose or a sex game that went wrong.

His family, angered at claims that he led a homosexual lifestyle, said some of the rumours could be smears aimed at discrediting him.

They issued a statement saying: “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.”

Express : DEAD MI6 SPY ‘NOT SUICIDAL’

DEAD MI6 SPY ‘NOT SUICIDAL’

By Daily Express Reporter | August 31, 2010

GARETH Williams was not suicidal at the time of his death, his family insisted last night.

The MI6 worker’s uncle said there is “no way” Mr Williams would have taken his own life.

The 31-year-old’s body was found at his flat in Pimilico, central London, last week.

Last night William Hughes, 61, said: “There’s absolutely no way Gareth would have killed himself.”

Mr Hughes, who lives near Mr Williams’ parents in Anglesey, north wales, added: “I saw Gareth a couple of months ago and he was in good spirits. He was the same as always – friendly, happy and well balanced.

“We’d be amazed if he had any suicidal thoughts. He just wasn’t that kind of person. He was very steady.

“He was a quiet person, but he was happy. There’d been no shift in his personality.”

Tech Eye : Top codebreaker intercepted terror emails

Top codebreaker intercepted terror emails

Now mysteriously dead

by Nick Farrell in Rome | August 31, 2010

A British codebreaker, who was found mysteriously dead in his flat, worked with the National Security Agency (NSA) and British intelligence to intercept e-mail messages that helped convict would-be bombers in the UK.

Gareth Williams, 31, helped British and US spooks intercept and examine communications that passed between an al Qaeda official in Pakistan.

According to Wired, he was behind the conviction of three men accused of plotting to bomb transcontinental flights.

Williams worked for the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) helping to break coded Taliban communications. He had just finished a year contract with MI6 when his body turned up stuffed into a duffel bag in his bath. He had been dead for two weeks.

His mobile phone and a number of SIM cards were laid out on a table near the body. The door had not been forced and there was no sign of a struggle. There was no indication that he was up to any bizarre sex games either.

Other than the fact his body had ended up in a duffel bag there were no obvious signs of foul play. Wired points out that it would be difficult for a person to stuff themselves into a duffel bag after they were dead.

If he had been bumped off because of his services to Queen and country you would have expected the phones to be taken. If he had topped himself, he would not have stuffed himself in a duffle bag, if he had been murdered he might have put up a bit of a fight. Sounds like a case for Sherlock. But he is not real.

Advocate : Family Says Dead Spy Not Gay

Family Says Dead Spy Not Gay

By Advocate.com Editors | August 31, 2010

Scotland Yard investigators said Monday that there is no evidence that an MI6 spy who was found dead in his apartment last week was gay.

Gareth Williams, 31, was found dead in his apartment in central London on August 23. Williams's body was found in a bag placed in his bathtub and had been there for several days, according to the Daily Mail. Investigators now say they believe Williams died in a bizarre accident and was placed in the bag much later.

While initial reports said Williams lived a private life and that his family was unaware of his sexual orientation, his family and friends now say there is no evidence to support reports he was gay and that statements to that effect are being used to smear him.

Daily Post : Anglesey spy Gareth Williams cause of death still days away

Anglesey spy Gareth Williams cause of death still days away

By Sara Thomas, Daily Post | August 30, 2010

INVESTIGATORS are still days away from finding out the exact cause of death of British code-breaker Gareth Williams, according to police.

The complicated nature of the tests currently being carried out mean it could be well into next week before police are able to piece together how the Anglesey maths genius died.

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

He was last seen alive eight days before his corpse was found stuffed in a bag at his flat.

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

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

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

Scotland Yard are playing down reports that thousands of pounds had passed through Mr Williams’ bank account shortly before his death as “pure speculation”.

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

Meanwhile, Mr Williams’ family, who live in Valley, hit out at rumours that suggested the dead man was involved in risky sexual practices.

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

Mr Williams, who was on secondment to MI6, was found dead in a sports holdall in the bath of his Government flat last Monday.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Last week a pathologist found Mr Williams was not stabbed or shot and there were no obvious signs of strangulation.

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

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

Officers are examining his mobile phone and financial records.

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

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