Bob Woolmer's body begins long journey home

Malaysia Sun (ANI) Friday 27th April, 2007

Kingston (Jamaica), Apr.27 : The body of former Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer has begun its long journey home, more than a month after he was discovered dead in the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel after his team's exit from the Ninth World Cup.

The body is expected to arrive in Cape Town, South Africa, by Sunday, Jamaican Police officials said.

The casket bearing Woolmer's embalmed body left early on Thursday for the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston. It is scheduled to arrive at London's Heathrow Airport on Saturday, then land in Cape Town the following day, said Mark Shields, Deputy Police Commissioner.

A team of Jamaican police officers are to travel to South Africa in early May "to speak with the relatives of Woolmer and have talks with the South African Police," said Karl Angell, a spokesperson for Jamaica's Constabulary Force.

Woolmer's body was held in a legal limbo for weeks after a post-mortem examination determined that the former England international was strangled to death. The Kingston coroner in charge of the case ruled that Woolmer's body could not be released until after an inquest that had been scheduled to begin April 23 had been completed.

The inquest, however, was cancelled following concerns of a lack of police resources as the Cricket World Cup semi-final game was to be played at Sabina Park on the following day, police said.