[1] Receiving half a million visitors each year,[1] Koh Tao is especially popular with backpackers and known for its marine life and scuba diving. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller's bodies were found on a beach in Koh Tao in September 2014 Two Burmese migrants convicted over the killings had their death sentences reduced to life. After unsuccessfully trying to find their possessions, they walked towards Mau Mau's house through the shortcut, which resulted in them being caught on CCTV. [11][19] Several other suspects were also named, amid pressure to produce results, a new one every other day. The Koh Tao murders involved the death of two British tourists in Thailand in 2014. [51][56][57] They argued that the defendants, since they were vulnerable as illegal migrant workers, were scapegoated by the police for the crime. Miller had scratches on his back and water in his lungs indicating drowning. Many raised concerns that contamination cast doubt upon the forensic evidence: officials, journalists and tourists were seen walking around the crime scene, and Thai police did not use trained or independent specialists to collect forensic evidence. Virat Asavachin (Mr Ban) 2002; Deaths have been explained away by the authorities as unfortunate accidents or suicides. Rockefeller Audio 2022. The murders on Koh Tao, a laid-back haven for divers, sullied Thailand's image in the tourism industry, which accounts for about 10 per cent of the country's economy. Their parents must be going through hell just like we are and we have been for the last almost two years. [66], On 24 December 2015, Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo were found guilty of murdering Witheridge and Miller by the three judges, and were sentenced to death. [1] After initially failing to find a match to one of the migrant workers, the police focused their attention on Western tourists related to the victims. [1][15][16] Miller's body was found floating in the water, and Witheridge's on the beach;[17] the bodies lay approximately 20 metres apart and 30 metres away from their hotel (Ocean View Bungalows). 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. She was found dead in her bungalow with a mix of medication and alcohol in her system in 2015 - leading the coroner to ascertain she died of an accidental overdose. Nick Pearson, from Derby, was found floating in the sea on New Year's Day 2014. [26][27] However, her clothes were not tested for DNA. These are the first pictures of the British tourists murdered on a paradise beach in Thailand. Doubts lingered over the conviction of two migrant Burmese workers for the rape and murders, Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo (also known as Win Zaw Htun). The trial provided an obvious example of Scientific Fraud being used to convict two scapegoats. Defence lawyers had asked for the samples to be independently verified but have now been told there is nothing left of them to re-test. She was dedicated, ambitious and would have made an amazing difference to the lives of many families through her chosen career as a Speech and Language Therapist. Posts on social media said Dallemagne had booked a ticket to Chumphon province, on the mainland, and that her luggage arrived after her death, raising questions of her intentions to take her own life. Fears over the safety of idyllic Koh Tao were heightened after the killings of Brits Hannah Witheridge and David Miller in 2014. [47] Thailand's National Human Rights Commission attempted to investigate the allegations, but police representatives did not appear at four scheduled meetings. The coroner concluded there was not enough evidence to say where or how he met his death. In August 2020, Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo had their death sentences commuted to life in prison to commemorate King Vajiralongkorn's birthday and to show his "clemency". Picture: Viral Press/Australscope Mr Sachathamakul's wife, Anshoo. Bernd's cousin Christina said: ''We cannot accept what the Thai authorities on the island are telling us. [62] They were both also charged with entering the country illegally, to which Wai Phyo had already confessed. He had been dead about 10 days and had left to go snorkeling alone on November 8. My Facebook page is called KOH TAO DEATH ISLAND. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. [5][6] Both were students who were backpacking in Thailand. It has a population of around 1,500 people and the main settlement is Ban Mae Hat. The defendants have repeatedly stated their innocence over the murders, with the defence alleging they were framed. It is always challenging to bring ACCURATE & RELIABLE information about violent crime on Koh Tao because too many people are frightened to speak out publicly and still others try to SHOOT THE MESSENGERS . Hotel owner Rakeshwar Sachathamakul has been found dead along with his wife in a luxury resort on Koh Tao. [29][30] The police initially speculated about who the culprit might be, alleging various individuals of perpetrating the crime without clear evidence. He said at the time: "We don't know how or why she died. 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. The families of Miss Witheridge and Mr Miller are now returning to the UK. They think our country is beautiful and safe and they can do whatever they want, wear bikinis wherever they like, the prime minister said. The father of murdered British backpacker Hannah Witheridge has wept as graphic photos of her body lying on a Thai beach were shown in court. Dec. 24, 2015. Nick Pearson 2014; [87][88] The protests angered Thailand's prime minister, who believed the demonstrations were a plot "instigated" to hurt the government. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Also, he noted that the several pieces of rope which were used in the suspected suicide appeared to be different which might suggest that the death was not caused by suicide. The robbery took place on Koh Tao island's Sairee beach at the same spot where islanders found the disfigured bodies of David Miller, a 24-year-old from Jersey, and Hannah Witheridge, a. This story was huge at the time in the UK as they were both British. Thai police have publicly hit back at foreign media allegations that their forensics investigation into the highly-publicised 2014 murder case on Koh Tao did not meet international standards. There were no signs he was suicidal. On February 16, 2015, Russian tourist Valentina Novozhyonova, 23, vanished from her hostel on Koh Tao. The . [28], Due to concerns the murders might affect foreign tourism into Thailand, the national authorities sought to expedite the investigation into the murders. The police were under pressure to produce results quickly, which affected how they conducted their investigation. senseless" photos of the crime scene, they say, which show her body . Photographs of the bodies . Disturbing online photos leave family of backpacker Hannah Witheridge disgusted By Sophie Goddard 9 Oct 2014 Rex Features Last month, the tragic revelation that backpackers Hannah Witheridge, 23,. [25] There were no known eyewitnesses to the murders. He was travelling Southeast Asia with a friend after completing a six-week work placement in Australia with a mining company,[6][8][9] and arrived in Thailand in August. The relevant standard in this case was ISO 17025. We beg that Hannah and David are afforded privacy and dignity through the removal of these pointless and insensitive reminders. ", Mrs Miller said: "It's been hard, very hard. [4], The victims of the murders were Hannah Witheridge, a 23-year-old from Hemsby, England, and David Miller, a 24-year-old from Jersey, a Crown Dependency. Photo: Royal Thai Police . 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[30] Thailand's National Human Rights Commission said "the circumstances surrounding the arrest of the two Myanmar workers were dubious, leading to impressions the suspects were not aware of their rights and that justice had not been done". He said that the victim had been drunk to the extent that he was unable to control himself, he would not have been able to tie himself up so tightly that he died of suffocation. They also found a suicide note at the scene. A fascinating, cinematic, multigenerational history of the Cuban mob in the US from "America's top chronicler of organized crime"* and New York Times bestselling author of Havana Nocturne. But, his sister Maria and the family told the BBC they would not rely on what Thai police said as there was still speculation over the circumstances surrounding the death - and that they had received 'different versions' of what might have happened. Post-mortem examinations showed that the young backpackers, who had met on the island while staying at the same hotel, both suffered head wounds and that Hannah had been raped. The Backpacker Murders of Koh Tao. SUPAPONG CHAOLAN DNA tests have failed to provide a match. 2023 BBC. But although David's family called the verdict 'justice', the trial. [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. For a second day in a row Taiwan has reported a large-scale air force incursion, escalating tensions in the region. Elise Dallemagne 2017; Zaw Lin was said to have entered between 2011 and 2012, and Wai Phyo in 2012. She was found dead in her bungalow with a mix of medication and alcohol in her system in 2015 - leading the. Ms Taupin did note however that the document that the prosecution relied upon was an Unendorsed Report in that it had no seal or stamp certifying that it had been produced by an accredited laboratory and in accordance with international standards. But many cases appear very suspicious according to family members and insufficiently investigated. On Thursday, the New York District Attorney released crime scene photos showing blood spatter and the knife allegedly used by nanny Yoselyn Ortega to kill two young children in her care. A few days later, staff checked her room to discover her mobile phone, passport and camera had all been left behind. Associate Professor Charnkanit Krittiya Suriyamanee, a criminologist and lecturer at the faculty of social science and humanities of Mahidol University, said he doubted the suicide theory citing some irrelevant evidences, according to Chiangrai Times. (415 ratings) Regular Price: 38.99 USD. Hannah Witheridge 2014; Police have, however, agreed to hand over the garden hoe which was the murder weapon, along with a shoe and a plastic bag. "We're more and more thinking that the police information is not the right explanation.". [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". Dimitri Povse 2015; The Koh Tao murders involved the death of two British tourists in Thailand in 2014. Phone records showed that Elise called her mother on Skype on April 17, 2017, before leaving Koh Phangan on a Ferry on April 19. Mr Sachathamakul & # x27 ;, the trial provided an obvious example of Fraud. ( Mr Ban ) 2002 ; Deaths have been for the samples to independently... Hannah and David are afforded privacy and dignity through the removal of these and... Called the verdict & # x27 ; s wife, Anshoo 's been,... 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