International Cricket Council Chief Executive Malcolm Speed (right) addresses a news conference with Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mark Shields, in Kingston, yesterday. Pakistan's cricket coach Bob Woolmer was murdered in his hotel room after the team's shocking World Cup loss to Ireland, Jamaican police confirmed yesterday.

Daraine Luton, Staff Reporter

BOB WOOLMER died from asphyxiation after being strangled by his attacker or attackers inside his Jamaica Pegasus hotel room in New Kingston between Saturday night and Sunday morning, police confirmed last night.

A statement from the Commissioner of Police, Lucius Thomas, read by Karl Angell, Director of Communications for the Jamaica Constabulary Force, confirmed Gleaner reports yesterday that Mr. Woolmer was strangled.

"The Jamaican police are now in possession of the official post-mortem report from the government pathologist who conducted the autopsy on the late Mr. Woolmer," Mr. Angell read."The pathologist report states that Mr. Woolmer's death was due to asphyxia as a result of manual strangulation."

He added: "In these circumstances, the matter of Mr. Robert Woolmer's death is now being treated by the Jamaican police as a case of murder."

No suspect, no motive

The police said they had no suspect at the time, nor a motive for Mr. Woolmer's murder. They, however, said more than one person could have been involved in the killing.

"It would take some force because Bob was a large man and, therefore, it would have taken some significant force to subdue him and cause strangulation. We do not know at this stage how many people were in the room, it could be one or more people that could be involved in this murder," Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Mark Shields said.

Police say Woolmer, 58, was found unconscious in his hotel room at approximately 10:45 a.m. by a maid, 16 hours after Pakistan, which entered the ICC Cricket World Cup ranked at No. 4, crashed out of the tournament after losing to the lowly placed Ireland at Sabina Park on Saturday. The Gleaner reported yesterday, however, that his body was in fact discovered closer to 8:00 a.m.

Refused to comment

Pakistan cricket team manager Talat Ali, yesterday refuses to answer questions from the media after being fingerprinted and interviewed during police investigations into the murder of Pakistan's coach Bob Woolmer, at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel, New Kingston. - Photos by Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

Well-placed police sources had told The Gleaner on Wednesday that the cause of Woolmer's death was known by them, but that DCP Shields refused to comment on the suggestion of strangulation until last night.

Yesterday, police spent several hours interviewing all members of the 22-man Pakistan delegation at the hotel before fingerprinting them. Talat Ali, manager of the Pakistan team who showed the media the ink residue on his fingers, told journalists that the Pakistan team is cooperating with the police.

"We are trying to cooperate. Wewant the facts. He was part of us. We want to see all of this over as soon as possible," Mr. Ali said, moments after being fingerprinted.

The police say there was no sign of forced entry into Mr. Woolmer's room and Commissioner Thomas' statement last night suggested that Mr. Woolmer's killer or killers may have been known to him.

"It is our belief that those associated with or having access to Mr. Woolmer may have vital information that would assist this inquiry. We appeal to these individuals to come forward now to assist us with our investigations," his statement said.

Free to leave

DCP Shields said the Pakistani delegation was interviewed because the police are ruling nothing out. He, however, said there was no reason to stop them from leaving the country on Saturday as planned.

"There is no reason at all why anybody at this stage will be detained or stopped from leaving the country," DCP Shields said.

It remains to be seen whether Mr. Woolmer's body will leave the country with the players on Saturday as Mr. Shields has said this is a decision that will be taken by the coroner.

Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Owen Ellington, who is chairman of the Local Security Committee, has said that "security at official hotels connected with the ICC CWC 2007 is being continuously assessed and reviewed through a process supported by the intelligence community".

Chief Executive Officer of the ICC, Malcolm Speed, who spoke at yesterday's press conference, said the World Cup will not be disrupted.

daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com