Police officers have made "significant progress'' in their investigation of a murder which they believe may lead to the six-month-old case being solved.

The news comes after the detective leading the investigation into the mysterious killing of homosexual Glen Calvin Wolffe launched an appeal for fresh information.

Mr. Wolffe's body lay undiscovered at his house in Heathcote Hill, Sandys, for several days. Despite attempts by officers to piece together his final movements, the investigation continues to draw a blank.

Yesterday, Det. Chief Insp. Carlton Adams spoke to The Royal Gazette in a bid to appeal to the people of Bermuda for help in catching the killer.

He said he was pleased with the response so far and was upbeat that progress made would lead to the conclusion of the case.

"We are confident the case can be cracked as a result of the progress that has been made,'' he said.

"We have interviewed 200 people in this inquiry and we have spoken to his friends, associates and colleagues, along with anyone who thought they could assist us. We have had a reasonable amount of co-operation from people.

"But I would now like to take this opportunity to renew my appeal for information.

"I want to reach the people who may be afraid to come forward and talk to us.

If people feel they have information they think is important they can call and talk to me. I will treat their co-operation with strict confidence.'' Police launched the murder inquiry, which appears to be motiveless, after Mr.

Wolffe's body was found by a family member on November 17.

For several weeks, Det. Chief Insp. Adams released very little information about the case, except to say that Mr. Wolffe, who had a teenaged son, was brutally murdered by an attacker using a weapon.

Police have high hopes of catching Wolffe's killer Yesterday, he revealed that Mr. Wolffe died as the result of some sharp force injuries on various parts of his body.

He added: "We think we have found the weapon. It is quite possible Mr. Wolffe knew his murderer, but we don't know for sure, so we have to keep an open mind.'' And the detective said he did not think Mr. Wolffe's death was the result of a killer specifically targetting men at random, or that his death was the result of a sex game gone wrong.

He added: "I don't see anything that suggests there is an individual out there who might be targetting males, but we have to keep a close eye on what is happening.

"We have had a good look at Mr. Wolffe and we have not been able to identify any person who could be described as an enemy. He was a likable person, as far as we know. He had a really likable personality.

"He had a few very close friends, but tended to be close with family members more. We know he was very close to his mother.'' Mr. Wolffe, 43, who lived alone, was definitely seen alive by family members on the Friday before the discovery of his slain body, although one person has told officers they spotted him on the Saturday.

He was known to frequent clubs around Hamilton, but during the few days before he died he was not seen with anybody out of the ordinary.

Det. Chief Insp. Adams said he had no descriptions of possible suspects and no details of people he needed to identify and rule out of the inquiry.

At the time of his death, Mr. Wolffe, who was known as "Bugsy'', worked as a stonemason and was described by his neighbours as a "quiet man'' who lived in a peaceful area.

But the dead man had previous convictions for attempting to murder one of his former homosexual lovers and for molesting a schoolboy.

He had pleaded guilty at Magistrates' Court in August, 1996, to touching the private parts of a 14-year-old boy.

In November, 1986, he was sentenced at Supreme Court to eight years in prison for breaking into the home of one of his former gay lovers and stabbing him seven times in the chest.

Mr. Wolffe's lawyer described the attack as a "crime of passion''. The court heard the pair were lovers for just under a year, but that Mr. Wolffe had attacked the man after hearing that he was planning to marry a woman.

Mr. Wolffe said in court that he was provoked into the attack by the man's treatment of him and that he had banged on his door for two hours before breaking in.

Det. Chief Insp. Adams renewed his appeal and said Mr. Wolffe's family could rest assured that the inquiry would continue until justice was done.

He added: "I will acknowledge that it has taken some time and it will take, perhaps, more time, but, at this point, I feel confident that we can resolve it.

"However, I can't be governed by the time it takes. We will persevere, though.

"Bugsy was murdered. He deserves, and his family deserves, to get closure of this.

"The only way this is going to happen is if we can resolve the question of who has taken his life.

"I intend to persist with this until we are able to bring someone before the courts.

"I don't know how long that is going to take, but I assure everyone that we will continue until the killer is found.'' Anyone with information is asked to call Police on 299-4315, or, alternatively, call Crime Stoppers, where they can report information anonymously, on 1-800-623-8477.