Dennie Quill, Contributor

On May 11, I wrote a somewhat tongue-in-cheek article titled 'Whither the Pegasus strangler'. The intention was not to make light of the matter, rather it was an attempt to shine the spotlight on the various missteps in the investigations into Bob Woolmer's death. I hate to say I told you so, but here we are a month later digesting the official news that the diabetic former Pakistan coach died of natural causes. He was not strangled. He was not poisoned. He was not poisoned then strangled.

When the moment of truth came, Mark Shields, the man so consumed with vanity that he could not allow a microphone to go by, didn't have the courage to face the press by himself. Suddenly, Commissioner Lucius Thomas found his voice. I believe that Shields, the lead investigator who declared on national television: "I am 100 per cent certain that Woolmer was murdered" could not have kept his job in any well-run corporation, let alone a country that accepts that it has accountability to its citizens. But this is Jamaica where no one takes responsibility and few are accountable. The result is that Shields shall quietly live out the remaining two years of his lucrative contract.

Been wrong in finding

Dr. Ere Seshaiah says he has been doing autopsies since 1995, what no one asked him was whether he had ever been wrong in any of his previous findings. One wonders how many of the goodly doctor's cases could benefit from a second opinion. No doubt he is ill-equipped, but three against one - I must accept the overwhelming evidence that he was wrong and the doctor should be given his marching papers. But this is Jamaica. He will keep his job.

Long before the overseas independent pathologists made their findings known, two detectives from Pakistan came to Jamaica. After viewing the totality of evidence, they concluded there was no foul play. Presumably, these detectives were privy to the same information available to Mark Shields. But these Pakistani detectives were savvy enough to know that a murder investigation cannot rest solely on the opinion of a pathologist, for if that were the case, police investigators would simply sit back and await a post-mortem report. However, the Pakistanis understood that an investigation has many sides - one has to consider circumstantial evidence, physical evidence, motive, etc. It was obvious from the circumstances in which Woolmer was found unconscious in his room that he fell ill. His blood pressure instrument was on the floor, he was vomiting, etc. He fell as he was trying to make it to the bathroom, where most people head when theyare in distress. He was found in the doorway of the bathroom.

Speculation of woolmer

There is another very serious aspect to this case. I recall reading in one of our local newspapers a report that an arrest in the Woolmer case was imminent. I acknowledge that rumours and speculation are often reported in the press as fact; however, it was never contradicted, so I have to assume that this was another officially sanctioned leak. I listened keenly to hear if any reporter would ask the question of Mr. Shields. So did the police identify a suspect? Had there been no independent findings would Mr. Shields have arrested someone? By the way, Shields reported that the CCTV footage was providing valuable information. Did the CCTV footage show any suspicious visitor(s) to Mr. Woolmer's room? Since the Pakistani team members were all gone, one assumes that some local person could have been slapped with the charge of murder. Thank God for second opinions. So while Bob Woolmer's widow, family and friends may now rest easier, what about justice to locals? Can we be confident in the strength of the detective work being carried out by Mark Shields and other imported experts? Can we be confident in post-mortem reports prepared by Dr. Seshaiah?

We live in an increasingly media-savvy age and people can always see beyond the hype and work out what is really going on, that's why there was public scorn on the announcement that Bob Woolmer had been murdered. In this sordid affair, the only person who escapes blame is Mark Shields.