Police said they may have missed the fact a man was shot dead because he had recently had surgery that had left wounds in his chest.
Essex police said on Thursday they were now treating the death of underworld figure John “Goldfinger” Palmer as murder, after classifying it as non-suspicious for six days. The force has referred the matter to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
The body of Palmer, 64, was discovered by his family at an address in South Weald, Brentwood, on 24 June. Police said on Thursday that officers and paramedics who attended the scene judged the death to be non-suspicious, or that he had died from natural causes.
An Essex police spokesperson said Palmer had injuries to his chest area from recent surgery.
The implication is that the injuries somehow made it harder for police to spot the bullet wound.
The wound was discovered during a postmortem examination and the death reclassified as a murder.
The IPCC said: ”We have been informed by Essex police that they will be making a referral in relation to this case.”
Palmer was cleared of handling proceeds from the £26m Brink’s-Mat bullion raid at Heathrow in 1983. He earned the nickname “Goldfinger”.
In 2001, he was jailed for timeshare fraud, after building a multimillion-pound business that cheated thousands of Britons who wanted a holiday home in the sun.
Palmer had spent the last eight years on bail following his arrest in Tenerife in 2007, where he was charged with fraud, firearms possession and money laundering.
DCI Simon Werrett, who is leading the murder investigation, said: “My team would like to speak to anybody who was around Sandpit Lane between 4pm and 6pm on Wednesday 24 June. The area is rural, but is often used by dog walkers and joggers.
“Did you see any people or suspicious vehicles in the area? Did you witness anything out of the ordinary?”
He added: “Officers are at the scene making enquiries and I would urge anyone with information, no matter how small, to come forward.”
Anyone with information should contact Essex police on 01245 282103.
