Mystery of death case police chief The Chinese police chief who had been investigating the death of a British businessman suspected of being a spy allegedly sought a secret meeting with British officials hours before he tried to defect to the US. Wang Lijun had been looking into the case of Neil Heywood, whose death in November was attributed to alcohol poisoning but is now suspected to have been murder. However, in February Mr Wang tried to defect, hardening the belief among some of Mr Heywood's friends that he had discovered a cover-up.