IT was a sporting whodunnit that stunned the world.
Bob Woolmer, Pakistan’s national cricket team coach and one of the most respected figures in the sport, was found dead in his Jamaican hotel room – just hours after his team’s humiliating exit from the 2007 Cricket World Cup.
Bob Woolmer was an iconic former English cricketer who was highly respected in the sport[/caption]
He was in charge of the Pakistani team when they suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Ireland[/caption]
Former EastEnders star Don Gilet is set to play the role of DI Mervin Wilson[/caption]
What followed was one of the most bizarre investigations in sporting history.
First, it was ruled a heart attack. Then, a bombshell twist – police declared it was murder, claiming Woolmer had been strangled.
In the following weeks and months, DNA samples were taken from the entire Pakistan squad, match-fixing theories exploded, and the cricket world was thrown into chaos.
Theories surrounding the ‘killers’ included Islamist extremists, furious sports fans and betting cartels who had lost a fortune.
The baffling circumstances surrounding Woolmer’s death have inspired the hit BBC crime drama Death in Paradise.
The series is set to return tonight with former EastEnders star Don Gilet playing DI Mervin Wilson.
But nearly two decades later, questions still linger.
Final moments
March 17, 2007, should have been just another day in cricket history. Instead, it became the start of one of its darkest chapters.
Bob, a former England cricketer turned renowned coach, was leading Pakistan through the World Cup in the West Indies.
That day, his team suffered a humiliating defeat to Ireland – who were 8-1 outsiders – in one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. Pakistan was eliminated, sparking outrage from fans back home.
The shocking loss led to a huge uproar in Pakistan, with many blaming Bob[/caption]
Pakistan’s cricket team looked downcast and disappointed after the shocking results[/caption]
Bob was found dead in the bathroom of his hotel room[/caption]
Woolmer, 58, was asked at a press conference if he would resign from his post and told journalists he would “sleep on it.”
He then retreated to his room at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica, with CCTV footage showing him returning alone at 8:30 PM.
He sent a couple of emails, reportedly wrote a few pages of his autobiography and made a brief phone call.
By the following morning, he was dead.
At around 10:45 AM on March 18, a maid knocked on Bob’s door in room 374 but when she got no response, she used her key and stepped inside.
The scene was grim. Woolmer’s body lay sprawled on the bathroom floor. Vomit was found nearby and his face was discoloured, suggesting he had been dead for several hours.
The hotel staff immediately called for medical help and Bob was rushed to the hospital, but doctors declared him dead shortly after arrival.
As the shocking news reverberated through the sporting world, some assumed that he had killed himself as a result of the thrashing his side received in the match.
A waitress who took food up to his room later told police that he seemed distraught. She said: “His eyes were red, like somebody who had been crying.”
But his death was initially ruled as a heart attack. In the days that followed, the cricket world was struck with grief as dozens of tributes poured in for the iconic figure.
But then the investigation into Bob’s death took a sinister turn.
Murder bombshell
Three days after Bob’s death, Jamaica’s Deputy Commissioner Mark Shields dropped a huge bombshell[/caption]
A pathologist ruled that Bob had been killed by strangulation[/caption]
Members of the Pakistani team, seen here at a memorial for Bob were questioned by cops[/caption]
Three days after Bob’s death on March 21, Jamaica’s Deputy Commissioner of Police Mark Shields dropped a bombshell.
A post-mortem report suggested Bob had not died of natural cause, but had instead been murdered.
Pathologist Dr Ere Seshaiah’s report concluded that the hyoid bone in Woolmer’s neck was broken, a definite sign that he had been strangled.
“The pathologist report states that Mr Woolmer’s death was due to asphyxia as a result of manual strangulation,” he told stunned reporters.
Shields had spent three decades at Scotland Yard and was even involved in investigating the £5million plot to kidnap Victoria Beckham in 2002.
After going to Jamaica to lead the investigation into four civilians killed by Jamaican police, he decided to remain in the Caribbean nation.
Now he was tasked with solving the mystery of Woolmer’s death.
With all the uncertainty of the case, Shields quickly established that Bob had not killed himself.
He had sent an expressive email to his wife Gill complaining about the match. Although he expressed disappointment, it was determined that he did not sound depressed.
The case immediately turned into an international murder probe. Police sealed Bob’s room, combed through CCTV footage, and ordered forensic examinations.
One of the most peculiar aspects of the case was that there were no signs of a struggle or any future moved out of place.
Pakistani children lit candles during a prayer ceremony in memory of Bob[/caption]
Cops combed through CCTV footage showing Bob on the night he died[/caption]
On the streets of Pakistan, effigies of Bob were burned[/caption]
When the post-mortem report found traces of a sleeping pill in Bob’s system, questions were raised as to whether he had been poisoned. Tests found that he had traces of insecticides in his system.
Some suspected that a killer had slipped something into his drink before he was strangled. Others speculated that he had been forced to take it.
Yet, forensic tests were inconclusive, leaving room for more theories.
As rumours ran rife, the entire Pakistan squad was questioned and their DNA samples were taken. Some players reportedly felt like suspects, rather than witnesses.
At one point, police suggested that multiple people must have been involved in Bob’s alleged killing – and there were plenty of potential suspects.
With Pakistan’s humiliating exit from the tournament, match-fixing theories erupted.
One of the most widely believed theories was that Bob was murdered because he was about to blow the lid off a massive match-fixing scandal.
The former coach had already spoken out about corruption in cricket and some believed he had crucial information that would implicate powerful figures in the sport’s underbelly.
But that was not the only theory that was floated around.
Pakistan’s World Cup loss had sent shockwaves through their cricket-obsessed country.
In the streets of Pakistan hundreds of cricket fans gathered to express their anger and frustration at the humiliating way the team had crashed out of the World Cup.
People even burned effigies of the coach and yelled: “Death to Woolmer”.
Some wondered if a rogue fan – furious over the defeat – had attacked Bob in his hotel room. Others suspected tensions within the squad, though no evidence ever emerged.
Religious extremists were also among the suspects. The Pakistani cricket team consisted mostly of Muslims, and Bob had openly criticised them as being more concerned with “praying than playing” which may have enraged fundamentalists.
On March 24, as the Pakistan team were about to board a plane home, captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, assistant coach Mushtaq Ahmed and team manager Talat Al were pulled aside for questioning over alleged ‘ambiguities’ in their statements.
At the same time DPC Shields held a press conference where he suggested Talat had used a false name at the Pegasus hotel after Woolmer’s death and the Mushtaq had unexplained cuts to his face.
Sensational U-Turn
The world was stunned when Jamaican cops announced that Bob’s death was not murder after all[/caption]
Mark Shields shocked the world when he announced that Bob’s death was a result of natural causes[/caption]
Bob’s wife Gill at a memorial ceremony for her husband[/caption]
But just as it seemed a murder case was unfolding, authorities suddenly backtracked.
On June 12, 2007, Jamaican police made another shocking announcement – Bob Woolmer had not been murdered after all.
The new official cause of death was listed as natural causes.
A panel of international pathologists had re-examined Bob’s body and found that his enlarged heart and diabetes had likely caused his sudden collapse.
Bob’s condition meant that he was susceptible to coughing fits after eating rich foods and it was determined that the lasagne he had ordered from room service contributed to his death.
Investigators also believed that the fact that Bob’s body was found slumped with his back to the bathroom door meant he was alone when he died.
The insecticide found in his system was ruled as coming from a can of fly spray used during his post-mortem examination.
The murder investigation was abruptly dropped.
Bob’s widow, Gill Woolmer, accepted the new findings. “We realise that this investigation has been problematical given the circumstances and the media spotlight”, she said in a statement.
“We hope this matter will now be closed and that our family will be left to grieve in peace.”
Death in paradise star on role
Ex EastEnders star Don Gilet replaces Ralf Little as the main detective of the hit show Death in Paradise.
He will play DI Mervin Wilson who arrives in Saint Marie from London.
The 57-year-old is best known for playing serial killer preacher Lucas Johnson in Walford.
He was introduced to Paradise fans during the show’s Christmas special.
Don made his first TV debut on the Channel 4 dating show Streetmate, where he was interviewed as the friend of a participant.
His first breakout role was in 2001 as Johnny London in Babyfather
Don has had a taste of Hollywood success, acting alongside Jason Statham in last year’s action thriller The Beekeeper.
He adopted an American accent for the role.
Don is very private when it comes to his love life but was formerly married to actress Tracy Whitwell. They share a 17-year-old son Flynn.
He was recently romantically linked to Happy Valley star Siobhan Finneran, although they’ve not confirmed their relationship.
Don, who has also starred in Holby City, said his new role felt “like a deeply loved and incredibly precious jewel has been placed in my hands”
But some experts weren’t convinced.
Professor Lorna Martin, one of South Africa’s leading pathologists, publicly criticised the investigation, suggesting that crucial evidence had been missed.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Mark Shields – who had led the investigation – defended the police’s decision to initially treat the case as murder.
Later in 2007, an inquest was held in Jamaica. After hearing weeks of evidence, the jury reached an open verdict, meaning they couldn’t determine how Bob had died.
Nearly two decades later, Bob Woolmer’s death remains one of cricket’s most perplexing mysteries.
Was it truly natural causes? Or did powerful forces cover up a murder?
Shields now works as a security consultant, offering advice to tourists visiting Jamaica about how to keep themselves safe from criminals.
Death In Paradise
The circumstances surrounding Bob’s death inspired Death in Paradise[/caption]
Former EastEnders star Don Gilet will make his debut when the show returns tonight[/caption]
The bizarre circumstances of Bob’s death inspired TV writer Robert Thorogood to develop a show inspired by the case.
The BBC detective series, set on the fictional island of Saint Marie, follows a British investigator solving baffling murder cases in a tropical paradise.
Since its debut, Death in Paradise has become one of the BBC’s most successful and enduring series.
The show was originally led by Ben Miller as Detective Inspector Richard Poole, a stuffy, no-nonsense British detective struggling to adapt to island life.
However, in a shocking twist, Poole was murdered at the start of season three.
He was replaced by Kris Marshall as DI Humphrey Goodman, followed by Ardal O’Hanlon as DI Jack Mooney, and Ralf Little as DI Neville Parker.
A Pakistani cricket fan holds out a sign in memory for the team coach Bob Woolmer[/caption]
The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, where Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer was found dead in his room[/caption]
