UNI

Kingston (Jamaica), Mar 23: The murder plot in Bob Woolmer's mysterious death thickens as police sources now revealing that the Pakistan caoch could have been strangulated in his bath as the bones on his neck had broken and there were cut marks on his throat.

Quoting police sources, Jamaican media on Thursday reported that fresh evidence has surfaced which suggest Woolmer was strangled in his room at the Pegasus hotel, New Kingston, between Saturday night and Sunday morning.

"A bone in the neck, near the glands, was broken, and this suggests that somebody might have put some pressure on it,'' the officer told The Gleaner.

"We are now treating this as a homicide.'' Radio Jamaica also claimed that the former England cricketer could have been strangulated.

"I made contact with the ongoing investigation. Police will tell the public and journalists that the cause of death was strangulation,'' a reporter said.

'The Gleaner' also said Woolmer was found unconscious ''just after 8.00 am'' and not at 10.45 am on Sunday as earlier stated by Pakistan team media manager Pervez Mir, although the manager of the hotel said the information was ''grossly inaccurate''.

The investigating officers are understandbly tight-lipped as to the causes of the tragic death, maintaining that they are yet to receive the results of the toxicology and histology analysis from Woolmer's tissue sample.

In the latest development, the Jamaican police have decided to seek a second pathological opinion besides seeking help from Scotland Yard of London to solve the mystery.

A pathologist from the United States is being flown in to Jamaica to verify the first pathological report made by Government pathologist Dr Ere Sheshiah, which, however, proved inconclusive as to the causes of Woolmer's death.

"Following consultations involving representatives from the Government of Jamaica and the police, a decision was taken to seek the opinion of a second pathologist,'' a release from the Jamaica Constabulary Force director of communications, Karl Angell, said last night.

Two detectives from London's top police service are expected to arrive in Jamaica before the end of the week to solve the mystery behind the tragic death of Woolmer, who holds an English passport.

Media reports also said the police had interviewed the hotel staff and studied the tapes of video surveillance cameras, besides interrogating the Pakistan team members last night.

There was also speculation that the players would not be allowed to leave Jamaica as initially scheduled on Saturday.

As per the schedule, the players were slated to move to Montego Bay on Thursday and they were to spend two days thre before flying out for home via London.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Mark Shields, however, said the police had only shared the autopsy report with the team management and questioning the players was a routine in such cases.