Murder inquiry 'imminent' into Woolmer death

Last Modified: 22 Mar 2007
By: Simon Israel

Senior Jamaican police sources have told Channel 4 News a murder inquiry is imminent into the death of cricket coach Bob Woolmer.

For four days, speculation has been mounting about how Bob Woolmer died.

The front pages of Jamaican newspapers this morning were reporting the discovery of neck injuries, finger marks and a fracture.

Channel 4 News has been told by a highly placed source that a report from a second pathologist in Florida into Mr Woolmer's death has confirmed foul play.

Though there is still no official confirmation of this by the police, who will only say they are treating the death as "suspicious", we have been told they will announce a murder inquiry imminently.

Today Mr Woolmer's widow, Gill, said she doesn't believe theories of suicide and that she doesn't rule out murder.

Mr Woolmer's last public appearance was on Saturday. He watched his team get knocked out of the World Cup, losing unexpectedly to Ireland.

The next morning, he was found in his hotel room and later pronounced dead in hospital.

On Tuesday, Jamaican police said the first post-mortem examination proved inconclusive.

And yesterday, police said Mr Woolmer's death was being treated as suspicious.

There've been all sorts of theories - did the horror of defeat push frenzied fans over the edge? Had Mr Woolmer uncovered a match-fixing scandal within the game?

Cricket insiders though are bewildered by talk of murder.

The Pakistan squad was preparing to leave for Montego Bay today.

All of them have been interviewed by the police - and it's been reported they have all been fingerprinted.

Jamaica's deputy police commissioner Mark Shields told Channel 4 news tonight he was waiting for a final report from the pathologist, before making any further statement on Woolmer's death.

Mr Shields refused to be drawn on reports that Woolmer could have been the victim on foul play, saying he needed to "focus on the investigation."

He said he had received "full cooperation" from those involved in the investigation, and there had been "no reason" to detain anybody. He went on: "I think the investigation is effective as can be; there has been a huge amount of cooperation.

"Everyone wants the same thing, to find out what happened to Bob Woolmer."

Background

The 58-year-old was found unconscious in his hotel room in Kingston on Sunday morning and died in hospital later that day.

It followed the shock defeat of Pakistan by debutants Ireland in the Cricket World Cup - one of the biggest upsets in the history of the 32-year tournament.