Woolmer murder still unsolved

Police are appealing for help from the public today, with Bob Woolmer’s killer or killers still at large.

Ten days after the coach was found dead in his hotel room, it is still unclear whether the police are any closer to determining who was involved with the tragedy.

“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,” said Deputy police commissioner Mark Shields.

“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.”

Police are leaving no stone unturned in their investigations and are currently examining Bob Woolmer’s computer for clues.

“We have Bob Woolmer’s computer. We are looking at what is on the hard drive,” Shields said.

Media speculation is rife on the story, with rumours and innuendo being splashed out on the front pages of newspapers around the world. Reports have been circulating that three Pakistan fans who spent time with the squad, were suspects in the case and were wanted for questioning.

Shields, however, slammed the media for the reports, saying they were “unhelpful” and “totally wrong”.

“The reality as I’ve said before is that there are many potential suspects in this investigation and even more potential witnesses, and we are nowhere near the stage of being able to start naming names in terms of suspects,” he said.

Shields also ruled out the possibility of a local being involved: “It seems highly unlikely a Jamaican has walked off the street, gone up to the 12th floor in a secure lift, gone along to his room, got into his room without any sign of forced entry, murdered him and then not stolen anything at all.”

The Pakistan players have also been ruled out as suspects and would now be treated as witness, according to police.

“It’s fair to say they are now being treated as witnesses,” Shields said.

“I have got no evidence to suggest it was anybody in the squad.

“There is still a very strong possibility that (Woolmer) knew the person or persons.”

Meanwhile, the captain of the home side, Brian Lara, has called for the 2007 World Cup to be dedicated to the slain coach.

“It’s important for the teams and the officials involved to ensure that the World Cup continues in the same vein that it set out at the beginning,” Lara told the media.

“The circumstances are unfortunate but I am sure that the Jamaican officials will ensure that things are handled correctly and get to the bottom of everything.”

“But as cricketers, we have to make sure that we play the game to the best of our ability and ensure the World Cup is a success because that’s what he would have wanted us to do.”