Developments delay Woolmer inquest

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(CNN) -- The coroner's inquest into the death of Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer in Jamaica last month has been delayed due to "significant" new developments in the police investigation, officials said.

Woolmer's body was found lifeless in his hotel room on March 18, the morning after one of the biggest upsets in modern international cricket -- Pakistan's elimination from the cricket World Cup by Ireland.

Four days later, police declared the cause of the 58-year-old former England batsman's death to be murder by manual strangulation.

His death overshadowed the entire tournament, prompting speculation that it was linked to match-fixing or someone within the Pakistan team.

"The coroner wishes that these 'new and significant developments' be pursued with the utmost urgency, taking into account that the (police) officer in charge has advised that these new developments are critical to the progress and the eventual result of the investigations themselves," the statement issued by the Jamaican Ministry of Justice said Thursday night.

Under the circumstances, the statement said, the coroner's inquest into Woolmer's death will not start next Monday as originally scheduled. Another date would be set depending on the outcome of the police investigation of the new developments.

The coroner said an inquest had to be held before the body could be turned over to his family in South Africa.

CNN's attempts to contact the officer in charge of the investigation, Deputy Police Commissioner Mark Shields, were unsuccessful, but the Jamaican daily newspaper The Gleaner was able to reach him.

"My principal concerns were (that) to conduct an inquest at this stage may seriously hinder the progress of the criminal investigation, including the potential for the suspect or suspects to be alerted as to the progress of the investigation," Shields told the newspaper.

"It might also prejudice a jury trial and the investigation is still at an early stage and is extremely complicated and holding an inquest now would be premature."

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