Snake venom 'not used on Woolmer'

By Soutik Biswas
BBC News, Kingston

Some 30 detectives are investigating Mr Woolmer's death

Jamaican police have ruled out the possibility of snake venom having been used to murder former Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer last month.

Some recent media reports suggested Mr Woolmer, 58, may have been injected with snake venom before he died.

"It is not snake venom," deputy commissioner of police Mark Shields, who is heading the investigation, said.

Pathology and toxicology tests were nearly complete and police hoped to have the results soon, Mr Shields said.

Mr Woolmer was killed in his Kingston hotel room the day after his side lost to Ireland in the cricket World Cup.

Mr Shields said speculation about poisoning was "causing a lot of distress" to Mr Woolmer's family in South Africa.

"The priority is to see the truth. We are seeking experts and taking time to conduct a thorough investigation," he added.

CCTV confusion

Mr Shields said CCTV footage from Mr Woolmer's Kingston hotel room had been examined and the police had "an array of photographs which may or may not help in the investigation".

He said reports that the footage showed a man leaving Mr Woolmer's room may be wrong, because cameras on that floor were placed in the hall area near the elevator.

Our hope is that we will reach a conclusion on the case as soon as possible Karl Angell Jamaica police

Mr Shields will soon visit South Africa to see Mr Woolmer's family and talk to police there.

Two officers from Pakistan who went to Jamaica to help with the investigations are now leaving after working with local police for three weeks.

"I am leaving the island fully satisfied with the progress of investigations, which are heading in the right direction," Mir Zubair Mahmood, a deputy inspector general of Pakistan police said.

Match-fixing

Mr Mahmood said Pakistani players or officials would travel to Jamaica for further questioning if required.

Asked whether the incident had anything to do with match-fixing and cricket betting, Mr Mahmood said "every angle has been looked into".

Mr Woolmer's body was due to be flown to South Africa on Thursday after remaining in Kingston for a month, police said.

The only thing police have confirmed is that the cricket coach died "due to asphyxia as a result of manual strangulation" and that the case is being treated as a murder.

Mr Shields will visit South Africa to speak with Mr Woolmer's family

Since then there has been a flurry of unconfirmed media reports from around the world that the former Pakistan coach may have been poisoned by a deadly plant, aconite, or even snake venom before being strangled.

Other reports said the murder was linked to cricket betting, and possible revelations in a book that Mr Woolmer was writing.

"Our hope is that we will reach a conclusion on the case as soon as possible," Jamaica police spokesman Karl Angell told the BBC.

There has been much speculation in the Caribbean that authorities may not want to divulge details of the investigation and bring in any suspects for fear of spoiling the festival mood around the World Cup.

Some 30 detectives are believed to be working on the case. Four officers from Scotland Yard were in Jamaica to assist in the investigation, following a request from local authorities.

But locals have already decided to put the event behind them.

"It's a tricky one, this murder. But life has moved on in Jamaica. There are too many things happening here. I think it was somebody who knew him who killed him," says Harold Ivui, a taxi driver.