Gareth Williams: The Spy in the Bag

In August 2010, Gareth Williams, a 30-year-old code breaker for MI6, was found dead inside a red North Face carry-all bag, padlocked shut, in the bathtub of his own London apartment. The bag was zipped and secured with a padlock, and the key was found underneath his body inside the bag. There were no usable fingerprints, footprints, or DNA on the lock, zipper, or tub rim. The heat in the flat had been turned up, accelerating decomposition and making forensic testing harder. The bag in the tub meant decomposition fluids drained away, preventing the smell of decay from alerting neighbors. The case has never been solved.

The man and the compartments

Gareth Williams was a mathematical prodigy from North Wales who worked for the British government. At the time of his death, he was on a three-year assignment with MI6, the UK’s foreign intelligence service, and his contract was about to expire in days. He was quiet, punctual, and private. He loved fashion, rock climbing, cycling, and running. He was close with his sister, Carrie, who reported him missing after not hearing from him for days. When a police officer entered his flat, the first thing he noticed was a woman’s wig hanging off a chair. The apartment was clean and staged-looking. On the living room table lay a newspaper clipping: “The top five regrets of the dying.” Next to it were a laptop, SIM cards, and four mobile ph