‘Mystery of spy’s death might never be solved’

MEMBERS of the secret services are expected to come under scrutiny as detectives redouble their efforts to solve the mystery of spy Gareth Williams’ death.

MI6 came under fire as a coroner 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.

Police strongly suspect a member of MI6 or GCHQ was in his flat the day he died and will take DNA samples from up to 50 of his colleagues, it was reported.

Giving her narrative verdict in the inquest into the 31-year-old’s death, Dr Fiona Wilcox said he was probably killed and it “remained a legitimate line of inquiry” that the secret services may have been involved in the death.

But the 21-month investigation has yet to yield a culprit, with forensic experts still hoping for a breakthrough from DNA tests on a green towel discovered in his kitchen.

Dr Wilcox said: “If a third party was present at the time of his death, in my view that third party would have to have been someone he knew or someone who was there without an invitation.”

Dr Wilcox warned it was unlikely the mystery would “ever be satisfactorily explained” and was unable to deliver a verdict of unlawful killing as a result.

But she 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.”

As the eight-day hearing at Westminster Coroner’s Court ended, relatives spoke out for the first time about their grief being “exacerbated” by MI6’s “reluctance and failure” to assist the police inquiry.