Tim Reid in Kingston
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Police investigating the murder of Bob Woolmer are to order a second post-mortem examination to guard against claims that the first report alleging strangulation is defective.
The move came as Woolmer’s personal effects were released to his wife in South Africa, apart from his mobile phone and laptop computer, which were being examined for possible clues as to who killed the Pakistan cricket coach.
Mark Shields, the Deputy Commissioner of Jamaican police, said that a second post mortem would preempt likely claims by a defence lawyer at a murder trial that the local pathologist who concluded that Woolmer was throttled had made mistakes. “If we arrest someone and charge them, the defence counsel will want a second post mortem,” Mr Shields said.
By ordering a follow-up examination now, probably by flying in a pathologist from the US, Mr Shields will be able to release Mr Woolmer’s body for burial in South Africa without waiting for an inquest, which could be weeks away.
It also removes the possibility of having to exhume the body if a defence team tries to cast doubt on the findings of Ere Seshaiah, the Kingston pathologist who concluded that Woolmer was killed by “manual strangulation”.
Although there is no evidence that Mr Seshaiah bungled the post mortem, allegations have been privately levelled by former Test players in the Caribbean and officials of the International Cricket Council that Woolmer, 58, was in fact not murdered but died of natural causes.
Asked about these claims, Mr Shields said that he was in possession of evidence from the crime scene that had not been made public and that made murder a certainty. “There is very clear evidence of murder,” he said.
Woolmer, a former England Test player, was found murdered in his hotel bedroom hours after Pakistan had been knocked out of the Cricket World Cup by Ireland.
Most of the Pakistani team left London yesterday to fly home. Angry fans greeted vice-captain Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf in Karachi.
In Kingston, Mr Shields gave warning that there could be no quick solution to the case. He added that Jamaican officials were poring over hours of closed-circuit TV footage taken from Woolmer’s 12th-floor bedroom, “frame-by-frame”.
Mr Shields said that match fixing was just one avenue of inquiry. He added: “I know a lot more about match fixing than I did a week ago.”
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I think Mr. Shield himself is not clear about the investigation and his team. That is the reason why they are trying to bring in Schotland Yard to investigate the case. What a pitty! Our sympathise to the family of late Bob Woolmer.
Qasim Z Khan, Lahore, Pakistan
Apart from all the contradicting reports,i am pretty sure that the investigating team will surely come up with the identification of the murderer.I feel that Mr.Mark Shileds is a very intelligent person and this is not a new thing for him.Although it is taking time,but we will see the results soon.May be they are avoiding many detials from media due to the worldcup.I have great confidence on the investigating team and hopefully we will know the killer shortly.
Kim, Gurgaon, India
It is a pity the Jamaican state is often far less willing to allow second autopsies, or observations of autopsies performed by state pathologists, in the cases of the hundreds of people killed each year by the Jamaican security forces. Many of these occur in circumstances suggesting extra-judicial killing (with official accounts by police often differing from eye witness, forensics and ballistics evidence) and yet no police officers have been convicted of murder in such circumstances. Lack of forensic evidence is a significant factor resulting in the apparently complete impunity for Jamaican police officers who, in the absence of a credible and efficient justice system and workable witness protection, often seem to perceive their role in inner-city Kingston as acting as judge, jury and executioner. That, and the views of many that, dem killed by police, dem all a gunmen a fi dead.
Lilla, Johannesburg, South Africa
If you can't find a murder, just prove that it was not a murder after all. Jamican police is bungling up this police inquiry from the very start. 10 days now and they still dont know the time of death, took 8 days to decide to have a look for CCTV footage. Either their detective work is totally pathetic or their government force them to cover this thing up in order to protect their reputation by saving the world cup. Mark my words, this second autopsy will prove that Bob comitted suicide, Jamican will raise a statue of Bob somewhere, his family a decent compensation, and a school named after Bob in somewhere in Pakistan.
And the real culprits? They have just done a OJ.
Shame on you Jamican Police and Government.
Carl Hungus, Oxford, UK
yeah they should doubly make sure of whether he was murdered or not as I can see conspiracy theorists jumping on this one in years to come like the JFK assasination : well by saying the murder charge was made to bring about blame on the captain of the Pakistan team and use him as a scape goat for Bob Woolmer's untimely death . I suppose it's nothing like JFK scenario actually but you take my point last thing we need are endless documentaries about incompetency of pathologist post-mortem fiasco !!and how American cia are yet to blame again for murder in Jamaica or some nonsense !!!
Andy, London,
Apparently the CCTV footage was recorded on vhs tape which is used again and again, thereby losing quality each time. It needs to be transferred to a digital format for enhancement by a specialist in that field. Unfortunately I guess that's going to take a lot of time.
Alan, Oswestry, UK
I hope that the police are given enough time to conduct a proper investigation and are not pressured by either the media or public into convicting someone of something that is clearly a tragic accident, if someone had wanted bob woolmer dead do you think they would of left him unconcious in his hotel room. i dont think so.
paul, leeds, england
i am disappointed with the lack of movement as regards the CCTV footage, surley they should be able to identify people by now if not why the hell have we got CCTV in the first place, if it does not help to solve crime. If it does not then get ride of it all together as it has no purpose in modern society.
Charlie, newyork, nevada
It is necessary to have the top personnel investigating this , and top pathologists giving second opinions- with the evidence (presumably forensic) that Mark SHIELDS says has been left there must be enough to convict , so that Bob can be laid to rest with the dignity with which he lived his life. Police, however, must not bow to media pressure and make hurried arrests- any conviction must be firm so no offfender can walk!!! Wer owe it, not only to Bob, but to all decent men so sportsmen and persons in other walks of life can be true to themselves and decency without fear of having their lives ended in such horrific circumstances
Pam NEWLYN, Rochester, England