Voice of Russia : Second Thoughts: British intelligence and damage containment

Second Thoughts: British intelligence and damage containment

The discovery of a British MI6 agent naked inside a padlocked bag in his bath; the death in London of a former Russian security services officer by polonium 210 poisoning; ex-CIA whistleblower Edward Snowden; and the death – apparently by suicide – of a UK-based Russian oligarch, have something in common, says VoR’s Jim Ensom.

November 18, 2013

The body in the bag

Gareth Williams was a bright, good-looking, fit and healthy code breaker working for the British surveillance centre GCHQ on secondment to the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6.

Three years ago, he was found dead inside a padlocked holdall in his bath. At his inquest, the coroner, Dr Fiona Wilcox, delivered a narrative verdict saying: “The cause of his death was unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated. I am therefore satisfied that on the balance of probabilities Gareth was killed unlawfully.”

She had heard from experts who had repeatedly failed to padlock themselves into bags identical to his holdall. One expert said escapologist Harry Houdini "would have struggled" to pull off the feat.

The coroner said that Williams’ iPhone had been mysteriously wiped of all data just hours before he died in August 2010.

She also said that the forgetfulness of some employees at MI6 “stretched probability”.

Police disagree with coroner

This week, however, the Metropolitan Police – having re-opened its own investigation – had concluded that Williams had died by accident by climbing naked into the holdall and padlocking it from the outside during some strange ritual.

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

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

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

But Hewitt said police were satisfied that it was "theoretically possible" for a man to lock himself in the bag.

"The point is that we're satisfied that theoretically you could achieve that," he told reporters.

"Gareth's physical stature, Gareth's strength - my belief is that it would have been possible for him to do that."

"Most of the fundamental questions in relation to how Gareth died remain unanswered," he said.

"It is unlikely that his death will ever be satisfactorily explained."

MI6 “always has been, and always will be, very, very secretive” - Dorril

Dr Stephen Dorril is the author of MI6: 50 Years of Special Operations. He says: “Even if MI6 had no involvement in the mysterious death of Gareth Williams, it would still have an interest in covering up the circumstances”.

Writing in the Mirror this week, he said MI6 has always tried to keep its work away from public scrutiny.

“It has a history of not releasing documents, not co-operating with inquiries fully. So people are entitled to be suspicious of any information that does come out. And it doesn’t want people digging too deeply into the actual work Gareth Williams was engaged in.

“He operated in an area involving GCHQ and its liaison with MI6, and probing questions would lead on to the sensitive nature of these operations, particularly in the light of the Edward Snowden revelations”.

"We know from the former CIA man’s leaks how important GCHQ is to British intelligence gathering and that there is extensive monitoring of emails, phones and every kind of digital traffic".

Snowden, an employee of defence contractor Booz Allen Hamilton at the National Security Agency (NSA), disclosed that the US National Security Agency was tapping internet data globally under a programme called PRISM and that the UK’s surveillance agency, GCHQ, had access to it under a programme called Project Tempora.

Litvinenko, British intelligence and his death

Alexander Litvinenko was an officer of the Russian FSB security service, who, in 1998 accused the Russian authorities of conspiring to assassinate the tycoon Boris Berezovsky. Litvinenko was arrested on charges of exceeding his authority and acquitted in 1999. He was re-arrested in 2000, but again the charges were dropped. He was dismissed from the FSB.

He left Russia and was granted asylum in the United Kingdom where he worked as a journalist and for the British intelligence services.

On November 1, 2006 at 3.30pm he met Mario Scaramella, a security consultant and academic nuclear expert, in the Itsu suchi bar in Piccadilly.

An hour later, he met two Russian men – Dmitry Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoy, both ex-FSB officers – in the Millennium Hotel.

Litvinenko complained of illness that evening and was admitted to hospital. He suffered a slow and agonising death from radioactive polonium-210 poisoning.

He died in University College Hospital on November 23, 2006. Seven years on, his inquest proper has yet to begin.

No inquest, no public inquiy

Sir Robert Owen, Her Majesty’s Assistant Coroner for Inner North London, has said he is having some difficulty starting an inquest into Litvinenko’s death because the Foreign Office is invoking every legal action it can to prevent MI5 and MI6 evidence being heard.

Sir Robert had previously told the inquest that his request for a public inquiry – which would have been able to hear some evidence in camera (closed court) – had been turned down.

The Foreign Secretary, William Hague, had invoked Public Interest Immunity to prevent the testament of the security services – MI5 and MI6 –being heard at the inquest. Under the rules, a coroner has no right to hear that evidence.

However, Sir Robert had appealed for the inquest to be turned into a public inquiry which would have been able to 'hear' the evidence, but not necessarily in public.

That was denied by the Lord Chancellor, Chris Grayling MP, a conservative politician who sits in David Cameron's cabinet alongside William Hague.

The Litvinenko family called for a judicial review of the refusal, saying it showed "utter contempt".

That judicial review request has yet to be heard.

Berezovsky’s death and the silence that followed

Boris Berezovsky, the self-made billionaire – said to be worth $3 billion – was a former academic who built his fortune with investments in oil, cars, aluminium, and the media.

He played an integral part in Vladimir Putin’s rise to power in 2000. However, he fell from favour following a crackdown on many oligarchs for tax evasion. Berezovsky fled to England in 2000, where he lived until his death.

He was found dead in his bathroom at his mansion in Mill Lane, Ascot, west of London on Saturday March 23, 2013.

Friends of Boris Berezovsky have claimed that the Russian oligarch was strangled to death despite a post-mortem examination which showed no sign of a struggle and that he died with a ligature around his neck, consistent with hanging.

The inquest was opened and adjourned on March 28, after a brief police statement in which a spokesman confirmed: “The results of the post-mortem examination, carried out by a Home Office pathologist, have found the cause of death is consistent with hanging. The pathologist has found nothing to indicate a violent struggle”.

The inquest proper into Berezovsky’s death has – like Litvinenko’s – yet to get underway.

Officially, the police are still awaiting the results of toxicology tests.

Police sources have told me that the length of time between his death and the start of his inquest – supposedly in the new year – is unusual and cannot be put down to toxicology results, which would normally be available within 48 hours, or in the case of very specialised testing, four to six weeks.

What a state of affairs

We will probably never know how MI6 operative Gareth Williams died, naked in the padlocked bag.

Nor who killed Alexander Litvinenko, as the British government is doing the best it can to stymie the coroner’s inquest and made a political decision to turn down a public inquiry.

The death of Boris Berezovsky remains a mystery, especially as the police seem to think it was a straightforward suicide by hanging. Still no inquest.

But this is Britain for you. If you can keep a secret, you keep it in the bag.

(Voice of Russia)

West End Extra : Police challenge coroner’s ruling on MI6 death – but ‘how can you lock yourself in a bag by accident?’

Police challenge coroner’s ruling on MI6 death – but ‘how can you lock yourself in a bag by accident?’

by WILLIAM McLENNAN | November 15, 2013

THE death of an MI6 code-breaker who was found naked inside a locked holdall in the bath of his Pimlico flat was a “tragic accident” that was not “in any way related to his work”, according to Scotland Yard.

Last year an inquest found it was likely Gareth Williams, who was 31, had been “unlawfully killed” at his home in Alderney Street in August 2010.

But Detective Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt said this week that they disputed the coroner’s findings and said: “It is a more probable conclusion that there was no other person present when Gareth died.”

No major breakthrough has been made by police but, instead, they reached the conflicting conclusion after reanalysing existing evidence and carrying out further interviews with 27 members of the security services who worked with Mr Williams.

The long-running police investigation has been dogged by speculation about the involvement of the security services in his death and several blogs have sprung up dedicated to the so-called “Alderney Street Mystery”.

It was the “talk of Lupus Street” for weeks after the death, and the announcement on Wednesday was said to have left Pimlico residents “baffled”.

DAC Hewitt denied having the “wool pulled over my eyes” by the security services and said MI6 had co-operated with the investigation.

He said it was now proven that it is “theoretically possible” for somebody to lock themselves in “the exact holdall, with the same type of lock, and in the configuration in which Gareth was found”.

Announcing the end of the Metropolitan Police Service’s investigation, DAC Hewitt nevertheless said it was impossible to rule out the involvement of a third party. He said: “The reality is that for both hypotheses there exist evidential contradictions and gaps in our understanding.”

Mr Williams’s family disagree with the Met’s conclusion and said the coroner’s ruling “accurately reflects the circumstances of Gareth’s death”.

After an inquest, held in Marylebone in April last year, coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox said: “The cause of his death was unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated.

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

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

Mr Williams, who was originally from Wales, worked for the Government Communications Headquarters in Cheltenham but was living in Pimlico while on secondment at MI6 in Vauxhall.

During the inquest last year it was suggested that the two-bedroom flat near the junction with Warwick Way was used as a safe house for MI6, also known as the Secret Intelligence Service, SIS.

This was denied by security services, but at the inquest Anthony O’Toole, the lawyer for Mr Williams’s family, suggested there was evidence that “since 2003 the tenant of the flat has been the secretary of state”– in other words that it had been occupied continuously by agents from MI6 since that year.

At the inquest last year, Mr O’Toole asked if it was “possible that it may have been known to certain parties as being the residence of SIS”.

Pimlico resident Murad Gassanly told West End Extra: “When it first happened it was the talk of Lupus Street, in the shops and so on, and everyone was quite shocked that it was in their neighbourhood and so close.

“I think people are talking about it again today, but they’re just baffled. How can you lock yourself in a bag by accident?”

Mr Williams was not been well known in Pimlico and this week police said: “He was without doubt a private person who was very close to his family and had few other close friends.”

He was said to go for walks around Belgravia and regularly visit Dover Street market in Mayfair.

International Business Times : James Bond - Not: MI6 Spy Accidentally Kills Himself

James Bond - Not: MI6 Spy Accidentally Kills Himself

By Sigrid Salucop | November 15, 2013

James Bond is known for being calm and liking his Martini "shaken not stirred" but while the coolest spy in the history of espionage movies is British, some British spies are not as lucky as James Bond.

According to Inquisitr, Scotland Yard is to announce the cause of death of an MI6 Secret Service agent. Gareth Williams, who was found inside a large sports bag three years ago, inspired a number of theories about his death. Reports Wednesday is a contradiction of previous reports that Williams died in the hands of another person.

British investigators say that Williams locked himself inside the bag by mistake. His remains were found in 2010 after friends reported that they were not able to contact Williams for several days. The bag was found in a safe house of the SIS.

Who is Gareth Williams?

Gareth Williams may be known for his death -naked inside a bag in the bath, but he wasn't just a spy according to sources. Williams also worked as a codebreaker at GCHQ. It's also revealed that he was keen on escapology. The spy was a Mathematician from Wales who worked for GCHQ. After his stint at GCHQ, he was seconded to the MI6.

Gareth Williams Inquest

An inquiry in 2012 resulted to coroner Fiona Wilcox saying that the spy was likely to have been "unlawfully killed". They reportedly assumed that it was impossible for a person to get into such a bag and lock himself in.

According to The Guardian, Wilcox said that there were no sign of injuries on Williams's body. He was also found to not have been involved in any type of struggle. Wilcox added that he was free from drugs or alcohol.

A BBC report after the 2012 inquest notes however that the Metropolitan Police considered the MI6 worker's death to be "suspicious and unexplained". The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), whom Williams worked closely before his death, also took a look into the case. In December of 2010, police released information that the spy had visited bondage Web sites.

Martin Hewitt of the Met Police said that it was "theoretically possible" that Williams padlocked the bag while he was inside it. The Deputy Assistant Commissioner added that "many questions remain unanswered" considering the British spy's death.

To contact the editor, e-mail: editor@ibtimes.com

Panorama (Armenia) : 'Spy found in bag not killed'

'Spy found in bag not killed'

November 14, 2013

Gareth Williams, the MI6 codebreaker found dead inside an externally locked bag in his apartment in 2010, was probably not killed as previously believed, London's Metropolitan Police said Wednesday, citing a lack of evidence otherwise, according to CNN.

Taking a different position from a coroner's report last year that said it was likely someone killed Gareth Williams, London's Metropolitan Police said its three-year investigation suggested that Williams most likely locked himself inside the large bag.

"We believe that it is a more probable conclusion that there was no other person present when Gareth died," Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt said.

But the Met said that despite its investigation, there remained insufficient evidence to be definitive on how Williams died.

"There are holes in what we understand about the circumstances of Gareth Williams' death," Hewitt said, admitting that some of the evidence is "odd."

This includes the lack of Williams' DNA on the padlock used to lock the large red bag his body was found in and the lack of hand prints on the edge of the bath where it was found, he said.

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

The case has gripped the British public since Williams, known for his mathematical genius and code-breaking talent, was found dead at age 31 in August 2010.

Among the theories aired by UK media were that Williams might have died at the hands of foreign intelligence agents or as a result of a kinky sexual encounter gone wrong. Added to that speculation was the discovery of women's clothes, wigs and cosmetics in Williams' apartment.

At the inquest into his death last year, coroner Fiona Wilcox shot down that speculation, saying she thought Williams bought them out of an interest in fashion, rather than any sexual motivation.

Other reports about the "body-in-a-bag spy" detailed how two experts spent days trying to figure out whether Williams could have contorted himself in such a way as to lock himself into the North Face holdall bag, with a key to the padlock inside.

Video of two experts trying to recreate the scene was showing to the court. One had tried 300 times without success, but neither ruled out definitively the possibility Williams could have somehow done it alone.

"It is now proven that it is theoretically possible for a person to lock themselves in that exact holdall, with the same type of lock, and in the configuration in which Gareth was found. It is important to note that this fact was found to be a possibility by the inquest," Hewitt said.

Meanwhile, family members suggested Williams had been murdered by killers versed in the "dark arts" of espionage.

Referring to speculation that Williams' flat might have been forensically cleaned by unknown people responsible for his death, Hewitt said Wednesday that a deep-clean would have removed all traces of Williams' DNA as well that of visitors to his flat.

He said 10 to 15 traces of DNA had been found that were too insignificant to use to build a full profile and said advances in forensic science could "present opportunities for progress." For the time being, however, there are "no active lines of enquiry that it is proportionate to pursue."

Williams' family expressed their regret that mystery still surrounds his death but said they agree with the coroner's verdict "on the basis of the facts at present known."

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

The family reiterated their disappointment that Williams' employers at MI6 had not checked on his welfare when he failed to attend work on August 16, 2010.

Williams was finally reported missing by a co-worker on August 23, more than a week after the normally punctilious employee had last shown up at work.

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

The family also noted that the Met's investigators "were at last able to interview directly members of (UK intelligence agencies) GCHQ and SIS."

Addressing media, Hewitt disputed a suggestion that police had been "blindsided" in their investigation by intelligence agencies but acknowledged that their method of interaction had improved during the investigation. "We didn't get it right at the beginning," he said.

Initially, he said, the only Met officers to deal with the intelligence agencies were those in SO15 -- or counterterrorism command. The SO15 officers had assessed Williams' vetting and personnel files and found nothing relevant to the case.

After the inquest, the senior investigating officer in the case personally requested and was granted access to the files and came to the same conclusion, Hewitt said.

"The investigation into Gareth's death will remain under review, and any new significant information or evidence will be robustly investigated," he said.

"If it is possible for us to give his family more answers we will do so."

Express : Family blast MI6 as police say spy died in 'bizarre accident after locking himself in bag'

Family blast MI6 as police say spy died in 'bizarre accident after locking himself in bag'

THE family of body-in-a-bag spy Gareth Williams blasted MI6 chiefs yesterday as a Scotland Yard investigation failed to solve the mystery of his death.

John Twomey | November 14, 2013

Despite extensive inquiries, detectives can only say the codebreaker “probably” died alone in a bizarre accident.But his grieving relatives still believe the 31-year-old fitness fanatic was murdered by an unknown assassin who left his naked body padlocked inside a sports holdall in his bath.They condemned his superiors at the spy agency for failing to raise the alarm until he had been missing for 10 days.By the time his body was discovered, his corpse was already decomposing and it has not been impossible to establish a cause of death.
His family said in a statement: “We are naturally disappointed that it is still not possible to state with certainty how Gareth died, and the fact that the circumstances of his death are still unknown adds to our grief.

Her verdict prompted a renewed inquiry by Scotland Yard and a senior detective released the findings yesterday after consulting Mr Williams’s family.

For the first time, murder squad detectives have had direct access to Mr Williams’s vetting and personnel files rather than having to go through a liaison officer from the Yard’s counter-terrorism command.

Since the inquest, officers have interviewed 27 members of MI6 or GCHQ.

There is no suggestion his death is linked to his work.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt said: “Despite extensive inquiries, no evidence has been identified to establish the full circumstances of Gareth’s death beyond reasonable doubt.”

But he added: “Our view is the most probable scenario is that Gareth was alone when this accident happened.”

Police suspect the spy locked himself into the red North Face holdall - possibly during a lone sex game or as an experiment in escapology - and suffocated when he could not get out.

Scotland Yard said yesterday Coroner Dr Wilcox now accepts that findings of the police and the conclusion that Mr Williams probably died alone by accident.

But there will be no new inquest and her original verdict still stands. Mr Williams’s family has previously said they believe some agency specialising in the “dark arts” is linked to his death.

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

A series of vital questions remained yesterday which the Yard investigation has failed to answer.

• If the spy locked himself inside the bag, why is there no trace of his DNA on the padlock?

• If he lowered himself into the bag in the bath, why didn’t he leave his palm prints on the bath rim?

• It is theoretically possible for a person to lock themselves inside into such a bag but where is the conclusive evidence that Mr Williams did so?

• Why was the heating switched on in the middle of summer?

• Up to 15 DNA traces found in the modest apartment remain unidentified so who left them?

Mr Hewitt dismissed reports that the flat had been subjected to some kind of “forensic clean” as fingermarks and DNA going back several years have been recovered.

The veteran detective also rejected the idea MI6 had “pulled the wool over his eyes” and said the spy agency had fully co-operated with the Yard.

Mr Williams, who worked for GCHQ and was on secondment to MI6, was deeply interested in women’s fashion and had a collection of women’s designer clothes worth around £15,000 in his flat.

Most of the garments were still in boxes and none of it had been worn. He had taken two college courses in clothing design.

Mr Hewitt said yesterday: “I am satisfied that the existence of the clothing has not direct bearing on the circumstances of Gareth’s death.”

Extensive examination of the spy’s phones and laptops failed to shed any light on the mystery.

Inquiries revealed Mr Williams as an intensely private person with few close friends.

But Mr Hewitt said: “The universal view of colleagues was of a conscientious and decent man with a few well known hobbies such as his cycling and climbing.

“There is no evidence of any animosity towards Gareth and it has not been possible to identify anyone with a motive for causing him harm.” Forensic work to identify the unknown DNA traces is continuing and the Yard says the case will be kept under regular review.

ABC : Mystery Still Surrounds Bizarre 2010 Spy Death in London

Mystery Still Surrounds Bizarre 2010 Spy Death in London

By Jean-Nicholas Fievet | November 13, 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Josh Halliday | November 13, 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

November 13, 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bath

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'Endless speculation'

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

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

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

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

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

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

~~~

Danny Shaw | Home affairs correspondent, BBC News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Police think Gareth Williams was alone

By Evann Gastaldo, Newser Staff | November 13, 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

--Editors: Lindsay Fortado, Anthony Aarons

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘Conscientious, Decent’

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

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

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

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

--Editors: Lindsay Fortado, Anthony Aarons

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

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

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

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

November 13, 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Copyright © 2013 euronews

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

U.K. Spy Found in Locked Bag Died by Accident, Police Say (1)

By Jeremy Hodges | Bloomberg News | November 13, 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘Conscientious, Decent’

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

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

Williams’s family said they were disappointed over MI6’s failure “to take even the most basic inquiries concerning Gareth’s welfare when he failed to attend for work.”
STORY: An iPhone Tester Caught in Apple's Supply Chain

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

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

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

ITV : Police: MI6 spy death remains a mystery

Police: MI6 spy death remains a mystery

by Lucy Manning - UK Editor | November 13, 2013

Reconsidering all the original evidence and following new lines of inquiry, police say there is still insufficient evidence to be definitive on the circumstances of Gareth Williams' death.

They say it is theoretically possible for a person to lock themselves in a bag with the sort of lock used.

They outlined:

There is no evidence to support the theory there was a forensic clean of fingerprints

There is no evidence of a third person in the flat

No evidence of forced entry

Police say they have had full support from security services and there is nothing to support the theory that Mr Williams' death was related to his work.

His interest in womens' clothes fuelled much speculation, they say, but the clothing had no bearing on the circumstances of his death.

Officers say Mr Williams was a very private person, who was close to his family and had few close friends. He was concientious and was a decent man with hobbies.

Police explained no evidence has been identified that could establish the full circumstances of Mr Williams' death beyond reasonable doubt.

They say, on balance, their probable conclusion is that no person was present when he died and there is insuffient new evidence to re-open an inquest.

There are no more active lines of inquiry but police say the case will remain under review.

~~~

Family disappointed over codebreaker's death mystery

The family of Gareth Williams have said they are "naturally disappointed" it is not possible to state with certainty how the codebreaker died.

They said in a statement they back the coroner's verdict that Gareth was probably unlawfully killed over the latest police conclusions.

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

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

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

~~~

Police: Wool hasn't been pulled over eyes on spy death

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt said MI6 worker Gareth Williams' death was "most probably" an accident, although he admitted: "No evidence has been identified to establish the full circumstances of Gareth's death beyond all reasonable doubt."

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

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

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

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

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

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

~~~

'Gaps in understanding' over MI6 spy's death

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt, of the Metropolitan Police, says there remains "gaps in understanding" regarding the death of MI6 worker Gareth Williams.

But he has concluded, following two years of investigation, that it is "most probable" that the codebreaker was alone at the time of his death.

[video here]

~~~

No request for spy inquest verdict to be quashed

No request has been made to the Attorney General's office for him to apply to the High Court to have the inquest verdict into the death of Gareth Williams quashed.

Today, after a two-year investigation, the Metropolitan Police concluded it is "most probable" that no-one else was present when the MI6 codebreaker died. An earlier inquest concluded Mr Williams was "probably" killed unlawfully.

~~~

Police defend MI6 spy death findings

November 13, 2013

Police insist they have not had the wool pulled over their eyes by intelligence services after concluding there was no foul play in the death of codebreaker Gareth Williams.

Following a two-year investigation by the Metropolitan Police, officers concluded it was "most probable" the MI6 worker was alone at the time of his death.

Their conclusions starkly contradict those of Dr Fiona Wilcox, who ruled at an inquest last year that the spy was "probably unlawfully killed".

Mr Williams, 31, was found dead in the locked bag in the bath at his flat in Pimlico, central London, on August 23, 2010.
An expert attempts to get himself inside a similar holdall, as part of a demonstration played during the inquest. Credit: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire

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

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt, of the Metropolitan Police, said: "I do not believe that I have had the wool pulled over my eyes. I believe that what we are dealing with is a tragic unexplained death.

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

However he admitted: "No evidence has been identified to establish the full circumstances of Gareth's death beyond all reasonable doubt."

Mr Williams's family still believe that he was unlawfully killed, and released a statement to say that they were "naturally disappointed" about the lack of conclusions in the case.

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

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

– Gareth Williams' family statement.

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

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

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

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

His family expressed anger that MI6 took so long to check what had happened to him.

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

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

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

Watch Lucy's report on the verdict: [video here]

IOL News (Zambia) : British spy ‘killed himself by accident’

British spy ‘killed himself by accident’

AFP | November 13, 2013

London - A British intelligence analyst whose naked body was found zipped in a holdall three years ago most likely killed himself by accident, police said on Wednesday.

A fresh review of the so-called “spy in the bag” case has concluded that Gareth Williams, 31, was not murdered but had climbed into the bag without assistance.

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

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

The police findings contradict the conclusions of a coroner who concluded at an inquest last year that Williams was “probably” the victim of another person.

Hewitt refused to speculate whether Williams' death at his flat in London in August 2010 was linked to his alleged interest in escapology and bondage.

He said: “It is now proven that it is theoretically possible for a person to lock themselves in that exact holdall, with the same type of lock, and in the configuration in which Gareth was found.

“It is important to note that this fact was found to be a possibility by the inquest.”

Williams' naked and decomposing body was found in a padlocked North Face holdall in the bathtub at his flat in the upmarket Pimlico district of London.

He was a codebreaker for the British eavesdropping agency GCHQ who had been seconded to the MI6 foreign intelligence service.

His death sparked a fierce debate about whether he had been murdered because of his work. No one has been arrested over the death.

Al Jazeera : UK spy found dead in locked bag 'not murder'

UK spy found dead in locked bag 'not murder'

Police say MI6 worker Gareth Williams, whose body was found in a padlocked bag, died accidentally and on his own.

November 13, 2013

A British spy whose naked, decomposing body was found padlocked in a bag in his bath probably died accidentally on his own, police in the UK have said, rejecting conspiracy theories that his death was the work of foreign agents.

The Metropolitan Police's deputy assistant commissioner, Martin Hewitt, said on Wednesday that investigations suggested it was likely Gareth Williams, a code-breaker working for MI6, had not been murdered.

"Most probably, it was an accident," Hewitt said. "I'm convinced that Gareth's death was in no way linked to his work."

In May last year, a coroner concluded that Williams was probably killed unlawfully by another person.

Williams, 31, worked as a code breaker at the GCHQ but was on a three-year secondment to MI6, which deals with foreign espionage matters. His remains were found inside a zipped and padlocked red hold-all at an intelligence service "safe house" close to MI6's headquarters.

His body had laid undiscovered for a week. Tests found no traces of alcohol, drugs or poison in his body. Detectives found no palm prints on the side of the bath nor any traces of his DNA on the padlock.

Hewitt admitted the original police investigation had been flawed, and after the inquest they pursued new lines of inquiry. But detectives found no evidence anyone had been in the flat when he died.

He rejected suggestions the flat could have undergone a "forensic clean" to remove traces of any killers.

Despite the fact that there had always been doubt that someone could have locked themselves in a bag, as a number of experts tried and failed, Hewitt said they now believed this was what Williams had done, though he had not intended to kill themselves.

"It's theoretically possible for someone to do that. It is a more probable conclusion that there was no other person present," said Hewitt.

Source: Reuters

NBC : British spy found padlocked in bag in bathtub died accidentally, police say

British spy found padlocked in bag in bathtub died accidentally, police say

By Michael Holden, Reuters | November 13, 2013

LONDON -- A British spy, whose naked, decomposing body was found padlocked in a bag in his bathtub, probably died accidentally on his own, police said on Wednesday, rejecting conspiracy theories that his bizarre death was the work of foreign agents.

In May last year, a coroner concluded that Gareth Williams, who was working for Britain's external intelligence service MI6 when he was found dead at his home in August 2010, was probably killed unlawfully by another person.

His spy background and the fact that expensive, unworn women's clothes were found at his flat provoked a wide range of "weird and wonderful" theories, London Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt said, but further investigations now suggested it was more likely he had not been murdered.

"Most probably, it was an accident," Hewitt told reporters. "I'm convinced that Gareth's death was in no way linked to his work."

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

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

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

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

Instead, they found make-up, a long-haired wig and unworn women's clothes and shoes worth around 20,000 pounds ($31,900). They also found images of transvestites, a picture of Williams wearing only boots, and evidence of visits to sexual bondage websites on his computer.

"This is a case where there's been enormous theorizing and speculating...and weird and wonderful stories," Hewitt said.

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

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

He ruled out any suggestion that Williams interest in women's clothing or his work as a spy had played a part, and said they did not believe he had meant to take his own life.

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

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

He could not categorically rule out anyone else being involved and said any new evidence would be followed up.

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

Hewitt denied suggestions Britain's spies had simply staged an elaborate cover-up.

"I do not believe I have had the wool pulled over my eyes."