Woolmer courted bookie?

Police are investigating whether Boob Woolmer had a discussion with a bookmaker in his hotel room hours before he was strangled.

This is one of the latest theories surrounding the death of the Pakistan coach on March 18 at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel.

"That's something that we've heard of and something we are checking and we are establishing who was in every single room," said DCP Mark Shields yesterday at a press briefing.

"We now have a name (of the alleged bookie) and we will check that but I can't find anything at the moment from the people that we've interviewed that would substantiate that claim."

According to The Guardian newspaper in London, a senior Pakistan government official said three bookies had checked into the Pegasus hotel before the start of the World Cup. The official said two Pakistan players told Jamaican police that Woolmer had an argument with one of the bookies and threw him out of his room shortly before his murder.

Specualtions rife

Speculations of the killer(s) and motive for Woolmer's death have been rife, and have ranged from the players to book- makers to a hit man.

"We've had lots of speculations and that's (bookmaker) one piece of the speculation but it will not be dismissed until we can either substantiate it or dismiss it," said Shields.

Shields also said he will continue viewing images from the hotel's security cameras and that there are "no specific suspects", and that the investigation could take months.