Police make international appeal on Woolmer murder by AFP

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Event:

ICC World Cup 2006/07

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DateLine: 27th March 2007

 

Detectives probing the murder of Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer made an international appeal Tuesday in a bid to track down everyone who visited the victim's hotel in the days before his death.

 

Jamaica's deputy police commissioner Mark Shields said investigators had set up a 24-hour international hotline for anyone with information about the murder of Woolmer, who was found strangled in his hotel room on March 18.

 

Shields said police had yet to make a significant breakthrough and were anxious to hear from anyone who had been at Kingston's Jamaica Pegasus hotel in the 72 hours before Woolmer's body was discovered there.

 

"What I need to do is to identify everybody in the hotel from Friday through to Sunday when Bob's body was found, in an effort to establish everybody's movements during that period of time," Shields told reporters.

 

"Not just as suspects but as potential witnesses -- people who may have heard something, seen something within the hotel that raised their suspicions, that so far they haven't come forward with.

 

"The important thing is that we get to those people and give them an opportunity to come forward and talk to us," Shields said. "Nothing can be overlooked in a case like this."

 

Shields urged any cricket fans or tourists who had since returned from the cricket World Cup to their home countries to dial the international hotline (+1-876-927-5000) or contact their local police.

 

"You can call the number 24/7 to give information. If you don't want to call internationally, call your local police if you're now back at home in your own country," he said.

 

Woolmer's naked body was found in his room at the hotel after Pakistan had been sensationally dumped out of the World Cup after a shock defeat to Ireland.

 

The 58-year-old former England international's killing has been linked to match-fixing although Shields has repeatedly stressed investigators are keeping all lines of enquiry open.

 

Meanwhile Shields said police would not rush the result of toxicology tests carried out on Woolmer's body, which have been ongoing for over a week.

 

"I spoke to the leader of the forensic laboratory this morning," Shields said. "She assured me she will work as quickly as they can. I asked her how long will it take and she answered 'When it's ready.'

 

"I have to respect their professionalism and wait until they tell me they have the results."

(Article: Copyright © 2007 AFP)