Death of a Codebreaker

‌

Episodes

‌

Episodes

6. Justice for Gareth

In the sixth and final episode of Death of a Codebreaker, Dr Sian Williams asks what justice for Gareth Williams would look like. She hears from Jim Frazer, the forensic scientist who carried out a review into the case 11 years ago as well Angela Gallop who has reviewed dozens of cold cases over the years. She asks if advances in DNA and scientific techniques could help detectives finally solve the mystery of how Gareth Williams died. And she questions whether it's time to put the security force...

Dec 05, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast

5: Private Passions

Young Welshman Gareth Williams was found naked inside a relatively small bag in his bath in 2010. And another theory is that he was the victim of a bizarre sex game gone wrong. There are suggestions he may have had an interest in Claustrophilia - pleasure derived from being in a confined space. But how much evidence is there? Here Dr Sian Williams looks at what we know and don't know about Gareth's private life. Death of a Codebreaker is presented by Dr Sian Williams with contributions in Episod...

Nov 28, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast

4: Russia

With so many unanswered questions, different theories about what exactly happened to young Welshman Gareth Williams in summer 2010 remain rife. One suggestion is that he was assassinated by a rogue state. A former KGB intelligence officer, an ex-Government Minister and the wife of murdered dissident Alexander Litvinenko all suspect Russian involvement. But would the Kremlin really go to such lengths? Death of a Codebreaker is presented by Dr Sian Williams with contributions in Episode 4 from fro...

Nov 21, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast

3. Unanswered Questions

The inquest into codebreaker Gareth Williams' death threw up many still-unanswered questions about the circumstances surrounding how he died. Here, Dr Sian Williams examines more closely some of the evidence that came to light during the eight-day hearing and, given the nature of the young Welshman's work for the security services, asks if we will ever know some of the most crucial detail! Journalist and executive producer Ashley Byrne joins Sian as they work through some of the evidence from th...

Nov 14, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast

2. Body in a Bag

From the outset, one big question has haunted detectives looking into the death of young Welshman Gareth Williams. How could his body have ended up locked inside a relatively small bag in the bath at his apartment in Central London?! In this episode Dr Sian Williams hears from two people who have attempted to lock themselves inside a similar size holdall but with altogether different outcomes Death of a Codebreaker is presented by Dr Sian Williams with contributions from Lewis Allsop, Wayne Wrig...

Nov 07, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast

1. The Cursed Genius

Young Welshman Gareth Williams was a child prodigy who became a talented mathematician and codebreaker working for GCHQ, MI6 and the intelligence services but in the summer of 2010 he was found dead in a bag in the bath at his apartment in London. In this first episode Sian Williams looks at what we know about Gareth and reminds listeners of the bizarre nature and circumstances of his death. Death of a Codebreaker is presented by Dr Sian Williams with contributions by Dyfan Rees and Tracy Cardwe...

Nov 07, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast

Death of a Codebreaker…. Coming soon

Dr Sian Williams leads a team charting the story of the Welsh codebreaker whose naked and decomposing body was found inside a bag in his bath at his flat in Central London in August 2010. Mystery still surrounds how and why Gareth Williams, from Anglesey, died - not least how he ended up inside the North Face sports bag in the first place. There were no fingerprints on the bag, on the padlock or in the bath. Gareth’s death continues to baffle police with speculation as to the cause ranging from ...

Oct 31, 2023•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast