Despite claims of a fall, he had no broken bones. Six weeks on . It is believed they were tortured, then burned, before being chopped . Their explanations as to why these kids have died just dont add up- you dont have to be a pathologist or a doctor to know what weve been told is nonsensical.. Read about our approach to external linking. Constance Marten seen leaving court after appearing before magistrates charged with manslaughter of baby, Constance Marten and Mark Gordon blow each other a kiss in dock before court hears dead baby was found in bag in shed, Mum identified after dead baby is found on Canford Heath, Thai police covered up what really happened, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Bernd Grotsch 2017; Friends and family remain suspicious of the police investigation and the insistence that Dimitri committed suicide, especially as his hands were tied behind his back. "I only had my suspicions, his body came back to me without a wallet or anything on him. Hiroshi 2002; [29][30] The police initially speculated about who the culprit might be, alleging various individuals of perpetrating the crime without clear evidence. Their bodies were found on a beach on the island of Koh Tao last September. Through their own investigation, and talking to witnesses Mr. Annesley discovered that the room where his daughter was staying was given to someone else "three hours after her body was taken. Creepy There is a big chance you will fall in love with this little paradise. However, the event did not materially affect tourism to the island over the following years. While police ruled out foul play, Nick's family, who say officers did not investigate a single witness, believe he was murdered. Resting in the Gulf of Thailand, a two-hour ferry ride north of Koh Samui, Koh Tao is best known for its incredible marine life, which over the years has attracted a small but buoyant expat. With crystal-clear waters, perfect sandy beaches, palm trees and great nightlife. Police recovered the body and took it to the neighboring island of Koh Phangan. On 15 September, the bodies of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found on Sairee Beach on the island of Koh Tao, between 4 and 5am, a few hours after their deaths. 2040 / 2557", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Koh_Tao_murders&oldid=1135707447, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 26 January 2023, at 10:00. Mr Zaw and Mr Wai (also known as Win Zaw Htun), both 22 and migrants from Myanmar, also known as Burma, were arrested several weeks later. [76], The International Commission of Jurists said "the defense must be afforded adequate time and facilities to explore whether the alleged destruction of evidence in this case was appropriate and unavoidable, and to test the prosecution case overall." Stock photos, 360 images, vectors and videos. From: kohtao. He had been dead about 10 days and had left to go snorkeling alone on November 8. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, "This Septic Isle: Backpackers, Bloodshed and the Secretive World of Koh Tao", "Links revealed between police and migrants on Koh Tao", "Police: Still no suspect in killings of Britons on idyllic Thai island", "Thai king commutes death sentence of UK pair's killers", "Thailand: Hannah Witheridge 'raped by two men before being killed', "Thailand backpacker murders: David Miller and Hannah Witheridge - two lives cut short", "Thailand murders: Victims' families talk of senseless killings", "Hannah Witheridge's family pay tribute to "beautiful, intelligent, loving young woman", "British backpackers murdered in Thailand named as Hannah Witheridge and David Miller", "Thailand murders: Amnesty International call for police torture probe", Koh Samui Provincial Court No. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? The two men were convicted and sentenced in 2015 and the verdict was upheld by an appeals court in 2017 and the Supreme Court in August 2019. "They said they were going to cremate him the next day - I had to call the Home Office to stop the cremation. [4][11][14] Their bodies were discovered on Sairee Beach a few hours later, between 4 and 5am, by a mute Burmese beach cleaner. She added: "They didn't do any investigation at all. Direct quotations from the trial are unavailable, as the judges did not permit the public to take notes. The families of Miss Witheridge and Mr Miller are now returning to the UK. "Another one of my sons was there with him, he was absolutely distraught looking at the police just laughing at him. "What we're after are some answers- whether we are going to get them or not I don't know. [11] The two met in Koh Tao while staying at the same hotel. Thailand's paradise island murder mystery continues to baffle police, BBC's south-east Asia correspondent reports from Koh Tao. With crystal-clear waters, perfect sandy beaches, palm trees and great nightlife. An English human rights activist by the name of Andy Hall asked me to put him in touch with the Melbourne forensic expert, Jane Taupin which I did. Bernd's cousin Christina said: ''We cannot accept what the Thai authorities on the island are telling us. [58] Ostensibly, Wai Phyo changed jobs at the end of September and was travelling by boat to Surat Thani for his new job on the day he was arrested. Thailands prime minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, questioned the attire and behavior of foreign female tourists shortly after the killing of two British backpackers, David Miller and Hannah Witheridge on the island in 2014. However, at that time I was already aware of other tourist deaths on the island. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Burmese migrant workers made up an additional 5,000, around 2,000 of these being illegal immigrants who bribe local police by paying 500 baht each month. The two men deny murdering Miss Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, and David Miller, 24, from Jersey. Koh Tao Mayor Chaiyan Thurasakul said the website is accused of damaging Koh Taos reputation by calling it Death Island. Lightboxes. They weren't looked down upon or treated poorly at all. None of the families believe that the way the police said they died is actually how they died and they are all very unhappy with the investigation. Aug 2014 - Dec 20217 years 5 months. [10], Witheridge and Miller travelled and arrived on the island separately on 25 August. The Samui Times believes that it is in the best interests of any visitor to the island to be aware of the numerous tourist deaths and the fact that many families of those who died on the island are not satisfied with police investigations.. Police investigators have released photographs and clearer video footage of an unidentified man they believe could be a key to resolving the Koh Tao double-murder case and are asking the. [1] Police revealed that the samples from Witheridge's body were used up,[62][27] but were able to provide DNA samples from the murder weapon. Top Rotherham Self-Guided Tours & Rentals: See reviews and photos of Self-Guided Tours & Rentals in Rotherham, England on Tripadvisor. The evidence in the form of this Unendorsed Report would have been ruled as inadmissible in US courts and other Western courts. At the end of the trial's third day, the judge said police had informed him all the samples taken on the island were "finished" - meaning they could not be analysed again. The Koh Tao murders involved the death of two British tourists in Thailand in 2014. UK reporter Suzanne Buchanan has thoroughly investigated the cases alongside the deaths of Belgian Elise Dellemange, Swiss Hans Peter Suter and French Dimitri Povse -who also were also found dead under mysterious circumstances. The defendants have repeatedly stated their innocence over the murders, with the defence alleging they were framed. Two weeks later, two illegal Burmese migrant workers were blamed for the deaths, primarily on the basis of DNA evidence, and confessed following an hours-long interrogation. On Tuesday, new details emerged as police investigated the death of a wealthy billionaire industrialist and his wife on Ko Tao last Friday. Tony Witheridge bowed his head as bloody images of his daughter's body were shown on the third day of the trial of Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo. I'm asking if they wear bikinis in Thailand, will they be safe? Administratively it is a subdistrict (tambon) of Ko Pha-ngan District (amphoe) of Surat Thani Province. There were no signs of fighting or a struggle, nor were foreign objects or substances that could cause loss of consciousness found in the body.. [14][22] The police moved the bodies to prevent them being swept up in the rising tide. [31][65] Jane Taupin, an Australian forensic scientist brought in by the defence, claimed that the timeline of DNA extraction was dubious; a rapid analysis of DNA samples had happened in less than 12 hours,[34] which she said was unusual because "extracting DNA from mixed samples was difficult and time-consuming". British woman, Christina Annesley, 23, was found in a room at the In Touch Resort on Jan 21, 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/03/world/asia/thailand-koh-tao-death-island.html#:~:text=But%20among%20some%20foreigners%2C%20Koh,began%20calling%20it%20Death%20Island.&text=She%20accused%20the%20police%20of,up%20crime%20on%20the%20island. However, no toxicology report was conducted. In pictures: Thailand beach murders Show all 12 It has also been claimed that vital DNA evidence linking the two suspects to the death of Miss Witheridge no longer exists - so cannot be retested.. [59] The defence struggled to find members of the public willing to testify at the trial, as many feared retribution,[1][60] hence their alibi was not considered convincing by the court. The country's prime minister, who had been phoning the national police chief daily for updates on the investigation, said "this should not have happened at all, as it will affect Thailand in the eyes of the international community". Frenchman, Dimitri Povse, 29, was found hanging from the beam of a rented house on January 1, 2015. [48][35] A 900-page police report was produced to guide the prosecution's case, but the defence were not allowed to see the report until the trial began. We are like one big family, weve been through this journey for the past seven years together. 1. 2023 BBC. CTN News. The bricklayer from Newport, Isle of Wight, was found at the bottom of the pool at the Sunset Bar at Sairee Beach in January 2016. There is an alternative bus and ferry service run by Songserm, which is the cheapest way to get from Bangkok to Koh Tao. Koh Tao, where Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were murdered, is steeped in paradoxes. 24, after their battered bodies were found on a beach on the southern resort island of . It will take a bit of time to find loopholes to appeal. Elise Dallemagne 2017; [11][19] Several other suspects were also named, amid pressure to produce results, a new one every other day. The hoe was then used to knock Witheridge unconscious, after which the defendants used force to hold her down and took turns raping her, before killing her with the hoe. We admit that in the past, there was a mafia there that took advantage of tourists. Hannah was raped before she was killed. Thai authorities claimed he was drunk and fell, but his family believes he was murdered.. Nick's father, Graham, had been the last person to see him when he walked with his son back to where the family was staying. Both victims had been hit several times on the head; Witheridge had been raped, and Miller had been drowned. Im asking if they wear bikinis in Thailand, will they be safe? [21][73], The death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment on 14 August 2020 following a royal decree to commemorate King Vajiralongkorn's birthday and "illustrate the king's clemency". I am a legal practitioner in Perth, Western Australia who has been following events on Koh Tao very closely since the time of the murders of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller on 15 September 2014. Thaiger Video Monday, March 7, 2022 Less than a minute We've all heard about the 2014 backpacker murders of two British tourists in Koh Tao, Thailand. Elise's mother Michele van Egten says she does not believe the Thai police's version of events amid fears authorities are working to suppress speculation about the many murders on the island. [72] The Supreme Court of Thailand upheld the sentence in August 2019, stating that the police handled the case correctly and the forensic evidence was "clear, credible, and detailed". What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? Eight days later locals living near Tanote Bay found Elise's body after becoming suspicious of a monitor lizard going back and forth into the jungle. Nick Pearson, 25, was found floating in an island bay, at the foot of a 50ft drop on New Years Day 2014. Hannah was also raped in the attack. Alexandr Bucspun, 33, from Moldova, was found dead in the sea off Had Sai Ree on Koh Tao on Tuesday, October 9, 2018. Informacin detallada del sitio web y la empresa: joanromans.com, +49803921568627, +34972573012, +34643318517 Focs i Estufes Romans - Joan Romans The hearing was told that a post-mortem examination in Thailand showed that Mr Miller had a number of small bruises on his face and legs and gave a cause of death of head injuries and drowning. Both entered through the Ranong Province, allegedly without presenting themselves at a port of entry and without possessing a passport. A millionaire hotel tycoon and his wife have been found dead in a luxury resort on Koh Tao, colloquially known as Death Island. Cart. They had been brutally beaten to death just a few feet away from their hotel rooms. Its just really shoddy investigation work- I personally think theres something going on on that island. It followed her reporting on the case of a British girl who was allegedly raped on the same beach. He had recently returned to the island after building up a motorbike rental business. Koh Tao is in the Chumphon Archipelago. [62] They were both also charged with entering the country illegally, to which Wai Phyo had already confessed. [44] In December 2014, the suspects were each indicted on five charges: premeditated murder, killing to conceal a criminal offence, rape, illegal entry into Thailand, and staying in the country without permission. The families have opened up in Sky's new documentary, Death On The Beach, saying they believe Thai police covered up what really happened to their loved ones. ", Mrs Miller said: "It's been hard, very hard. Silje Mathisen 2014; Also on the list of unexplained tourist deaths are French Dimitri Povse, 29, who was found hanged in a bungalow on New Year's Day 2015. We are furious that we have not been able to have an approved independent forensic examination.". [48], The guilty verdict resulted in widespread protests in Myanmar. When Nick Pearson died the police didnt go to his room, they didnt interview anybody. Police received the initial report at 4.45pm on Friday. Hi there! The body of his 55-year-old mother was only found later when rescue services arrived at the scene. In 2018 in Cancn alone, there were 540 murders. Some sources also refer to Wai Phyo as Win Zaw Htun. The last known video footage of the Russian woman showed her walking to Chaloke Hin Kao bay and never coming back. But "Turtle Island" has its dark side. Download videos of River diver on Depositphotos Millions of high-quality, royalty-free stock videos, footage and clips at affordable prices. [25] There were no known eyewitnesses to the murders. Investigators had no theory to explain her unexpected stopover on Koh Tao on her way back to the mainland and the capital Bangkok. [15] Experts have considered the forensic investigation to have been incompetent, and to have possibly framed the suspects. Attempted murder by Thai diving instructor, Santi Khokpool in the Fishbowl Beach Bar, Koh Tao on 28-year-old British tourist on 15 August 2020. [31] A British defence lawyer, Felicity Gerry QC, said the trial was "far too rushed and unfair to the defense". British tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found dead Monday, September 15, on a beach in Koh Tao, a popular resort island in Thailand. Two of the victims were dismembered and disposed of in plastic bags. [39] Following an interrogation, during which police say Zaw Lin admitted he had entered the country illegally, Zaw Lin was arrested and his clothes and motorcycle were seized as evidence. A police officer told the trial of the severe injuries Miss Witheridge suffered and evidence she had been raped. [67][21][68] The conviction was primarily guided by the DNA evidence,[67][69] and the court said it did not consider their confessions in making the judgement. While collecting forensic evidence, tourists and locals were allowed to walk on the beach. The head of the country's Central Institute of Forensic Science found that the DNA on the hoe did not match the defendants. It has over 100 hotels and resorts and was deemed the busiest diving centre in Southeast Asia in 2014. [35][84] Despite not initially being permitted to assist with the investigation,[33] British police observers including homicide detectives from the Metropolitan Police and a forensics expert were eventually permitted into Thailand to observe the investigation. The discovery of the bodies last September sparked a major police investigation and intense local and international pressure to find those responsible. It leaves Khao San Songserm at either 1800 or 1900. The images shown to the court were graphic, reports Jonah Fisher in Thailand. [1][31] Pornthip Rojanasunand, a Thai forensic scientist, testified at the trial that the crime scene was poorly managed. Koh Tao, Thailand, Serial killers, Unexplained murders WARNING CONTAINS SOME DISTURBING IMAGES OF DEATH The island of Koh Tao, off the coast of Thailand, is often described as a paradise. Hannah Witheridge 2014; It was said the pair went swimming on the same beach earlier that night, and when they got out of the water they found their clothes had disappeared. They stated they were driven by a desire to rape the victim following sexual arousal when they saw the couple kissing on the beach. Death sentences in Koh Tao killings commuted. A 28-year-old British guy. They told me 'you need to stop reporting on it if you want to stay here, they are getting fed up with you now, No one put a gun to my head but I was told by multiple sources that if I didnt stop reporting on it thered be trouble- it wasnt safe for me anymore.". Miller had scratches on his back and water in his lungs indicating drowning. Since then the Samui Times has been inundated with . Koh Tao murders 1 language Sairee Beach The Koh Tao murders involved the death of two British tourists in Thailand in 2014. The court has now been told that vital DNA evidence cannot be retested. The police were under pressure to produce results quickly, which affected how they conducted their investigation. The families of the young Brits who mysteriously lost their lives in Koh Tao have vowed to find out the truth and say something dodgy is going on., The grieving families have formed a support group following the death of their children on the Thai island, dubbed death island.. [51][56][57] They argued that the defendants, since they were vulnerable as illegal migrant workers, were scapegoated by the police for the crime. [71], A lawyer for the men, Nakhon Chomphuchat, said "we will appeal as soon as we can, we have just got a copy of the court's verdict. For example, she discovered that one of the DNA labs that conducted tests at the time only had accreditation to do paternity tests and not criminal profiling in a capital murder case. Elewana Tortilis camp is situated in the Western part of the Amboseli ecosystem, in the 30.0000-acre Kitirua Conservancy, bordering the Amboseli National Park in Kenya. A coroner ruled in 2017 said that there is "no evidence" to suggest Luke was murdered. [95] The mayor of the island, Chaiyan Turasakul, announced a new police station and staffed it with 40 full-time officers, compared to five previously. They suggested that she mixed antibiotics with alcohol- as much as that would make the antibiotics less efficient or make you feel bad, its not going to kill you.