GRAPHIC crime scene photos showing the corpses of English backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller have surfaced online, traumatising their families. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. I have created a Facebook page and a YouTube channel dedicated to looking into tourist deaths on Koh Tao. Hannah was also raped in the attack. The prosecution says a DNA match between samples found on Miss Witheridge's body and the two defendants is central to its case. She was later identified by dental records and previous x-rays. [42][48] Amnesty International stated that Thailand "must initiate an independent, effective and transparent investigation into mounting allegations of torture and other ill-treatment by police". The last known video footage of the Russian woman showed her walking to Chaloke Hin Kao bay and never coming back. 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. https://time.com/3955081/thailand-koh-tao-murder-david-miller-hannah-witheridge-zaw-lin-wai-phyo-burma-myanmar/, https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/dark-side-koh-tao-seven-10708561, https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/true-crime-in-the-outdoors/tag/Cases+on+the+Death+Island+of+Koh+Tao, https://www.nist.gov/feature-stories/dna-mixtures-forensic-science-explainer. The body of 48 year old diving instructor Neil Giblin, from Birmingham, UK, was found dead in his rented bungalow on the island after he failed to turn up to a diving . [6] Miller had just completed his undergraduate degree in civil and structural engineering at the University of Leeds and was starting a masters degree. [80][81], The Prime Minister of Thailand, Prayut Chan-o-cha, said "[foreign female tourists] think our country is beautiful and safe and they can do whatever they want, wear bikinis wherever they like. Ten days after he went missing from Sairee Beach on Koh Tao, the body of Swiss tourist Hans Peter Suter, 44, was washed ashore at Talay Ngam beach in Lang Suan district of Chumphon province on Tuesday, November 18, 2014. If you are interested, I have further information on my social media accounts. Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo were sentenced to death for the killings. The pictures, which News Corp Australia will not reproduce, were taken on the beach at Koh Tao, where the pair was hacked to death with a garden hoe, allegedly by two Burmese men who confessed to the bloody crime then withdrew their confessions. But many cases appear very suspicious according to family members and insufficiently investigated. [53], The prosecution's case focused on findings of the police and medical examiner, with an emphasis on the DNA evidence. His family accused the Thai police of a cover-up. [88][89] Hacker group Anonymous published a video on 3 January 2016 criticising the verdict. However, the event did not materially affect tourism to the island over the following years. [85][15][86] Prayut said that British and Burmese government representatives were "limited to observation" and had to "respect our processes". Alexandr Bucspun, 33, from Moldova, was found dead in the sea off Had Sai Ree on Koh Tao on Tuesday, October 9, 2018. Nicola Gissing, who was also on holiday with Luke when he died, has claimed her friends death was no accident. But Elise had disappeared. 'A perfect job' Authorities remain steadfast in their conviction they've found those responsible. We are here for David because of his tragic death. Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk and David Miller, 24, of Jersey were bludgeoned to death with a wooden hoe as they walked back to their hotel room late at night on September 15, 2014, on the popular Sairee Beah. Measuring 21 square kilometres (8sqmi) in area, it is the smallest of three popular tourist islands in the Gulf of Thailand. Now their families are demanding answers. Hannah was a University of Essex student from Hemsby in Norfolk, UK, and David was a civil and structural engineering graduate, from Jersey. On February 16, 2015, Russian tourist Valentina Novozhyonova, 23, vanished from her hostel on Koh Tao. Zaw Lin was said to have entered between 2011 and 2012, and Wai Phyo in 2012. The second man, Wai Phyo,[a] was believed to have left the island by boat the previous night. It has long had a reputation as a home for organized crime, corruption and as a place where the police protected local interests. 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. Dec. 24, 2015. Post-mortems found that Hannah had died from head wounds, while engineering student Mr Miller suffered severe blows to his head and drowned. [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. It will take a bit of time to find loopholes to appeal. 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,. His body was found at the beach at the Hillside Resort on Koh Tao, on January 1, 2014. Elise went 1.5 miles (2.5km) through the jungle to Tanote Bay and took a room at the Poseidon Resort where she booked another ticket for Bangkok leaving on April 24. German Bernd Grotsch's body was found at his home deep in the jungle in the Mae Haad part of Koh Tao. The brutality of the killings made headlines worldwide and cast a shadow across Thailands image as a safe and carefree destination for 20 million foreign visitors a year. An unexplained fire that evening burned down three bamboo huts, including the one Elise had been staying in. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Zaw Lin, front, and Wai Phyo (also known as Win Zaw Htun), rear, arrive at the court in Koh Samui, Blinken and Lavrov meet for first time since invasion, Explosive found in check-in luggage at US airport, Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Whiskey fungus forces Jack Daniels to stop construction, Tulsa massacre survivors granted Ghana citizenship, Seven in hospital from US plane turbulence, Same-sex marriage ban not discrimination - Japan PM, Messages reveal battle over Covid school policy. As we continue with our plans for our beautiful Hannahs party, our thoughts are with David Millers family who are suffering the same indescribable agony. Hundreds dead in horror cough syrup tragedy, Hero Aussie soldier suddenly dies aged 33. Most are running guesthouses, eateries and scuba-diving operations or working as diving instructors. 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. Suter had been a regular snorkeler and his death was totally unexplained. These illegal workers often reside with friends on the island, making it difficult to identify them. Police and court systems were hacked or taken offline in the following days, and a stash of personal information obtained from the court's servers was posted publicly. Rockefeller Audio 2022. Picture: Viral Press/Australscope Mr Sachathamakul's wife, Anshoo. 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. Elise's death is the latest in a string of seven fatalities in three years on the island. Belgian backpacker Elise Dallemagne, 30, was found hanging from a tree on April 27, 2017. 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. SUPAPONG CHAOLAN DNA tests have failed to provide a match. Our family have been further traumatised by reports that there are numerous unnecessary and senseless photographs circulating across the internet. The official story is they were walking back to their hotel at night and were jumped by 2 Burmese men. warriors: come out to play board game; be quiet dark rock pro 4 vs noctua nh-d15; ridgeview road house cursed items; pan seared yellowfin tuna recipes A British man was found dead on Thailand 's notorious Koh Tao - also known as Death Island - on Wednesday. Frenchman, Dimitri Povse, 29, was found hanging from the beam of a rented house on January 1, 2015. Alex was charged with Maggie and Paul's murders days after he was formally disbarred by the South Carolina Supreme Court. Informacin detallada del sitio web y la empresa: smpsotomasyon.com, +902163767779 SMPS OTOMASYON | Plc, Kart, Servo Motor, Src, Panel Tamiri Elise had been traveling around Asia for two years, and before her death had been living at a yoga and tantra retreat on Koh Phangan. The two men deny murdering Miss Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, and David Miller, 24, from Jersey. The suspects however have withdrawn their confessions to the murders and claimed Thai police forced the admissions through torture. Im asking if they wear bikinis in Thailand, will they be safe? [1][4][24] Witheridge's body indicated she had been raped. The Murders The two people killed were Hannah Witheridge and David Miller. [1][15][21], During an hours-long interrogation, during which the police used Burmese food vendors as interpreters[35] because the pair could not speak Thai,[41] the suspects confessed to the murders. Hanspeter Suter 2014; Boyne Annesley believes his 23-year-old daughter Christina Annesley, of Orpington, southeast London, was murdered on Koh Tao Island in January 2015. Elise's bags mysteriously appear to have been loaded onto the ferry she was due to take, and arrived at Chumphon province where she should have caught a bus to the capital. Photo from Sept 15 showing a police officer questioning Christopher Alan Ware, who has re-emerged as a leading suspect in the murder of a young British man and woman on Koh Tao on Monday in. These are the first pictures of the British tourists murdered on a paradise beach in Thailand. What really happened there? Something went wrong, please try again later. Miller had scratches on his back and water in his lungs indicating drowning. They still maintain their innocence, as they did throughout the trial. [93] Amid the investigation, Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul visited Koh Tao on 28 September 2014 in an attempt to reassure tourists. Elise's heartbroken mother, Michele van Egten, has now proclaimed she does not believe police account of events. Nov. 3, 2018. The men, apprehended soon after the pair's bodies were found, initially confessed to the crime only to retract their statements amid claims they were extracted by torture. [38] Both men were 22-year-old illegal migrant workers from Rakhine, Myanmar, who worked in the hospitality industry. Here are the names of some of the other outsiders who died on Koh Tao: Ian Jacobs 2000; [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. In December 2015, the pair were convicted of the murder and sentenced to death. [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. Hannah Witheridge 2014; Passport photos of David William Miller, and Hannah Victoria Witheridge, both 24, were placed on this memorial on Koh Tao on Wednesday. But her parents slammed Thai authorities for failing to investigate the death. [51] This decision was criticised by the Solicitors International Human Rights Group, one of the observers at the trial. [90][91], The 2014 murders, along with other deaths and disappearances of tourists, led to British tabloids labelling Koh Tao as "Death Island". While he claimed she "kissed the gun" and that it was an accidental suicide, others - including . From the beginning, the Thai police had difficulty securing the crime scene. After weeks of investigations, Thai Police have arrested three Burmese man in relation to the murder of two British tourists David Miller and Hannah Witheridge on the holiday island of Koh Tao.The Burmese migrant worker community is on high alert and fears a firm respond to the killings on migrant workers inside Thailand by the Thai officials. Photo: CSI LA. Pol Maj Gen Pornchai Sutheerakhun, director of the Institute of Forensic Science at Police General Hospital in Bangkok, said There were wounds around the neck due to the hanging and some non-fatal bruises in the head, and no drugs were found in the body. He later apologised for the comment after it was met with public backlash. [14][22] The police moved the bodies to prevent them being swept up in the rising tide. (415 ratings) Regular Price: 38.99 USD. Some of these workers said they can earn more money in Thailand compared to Myanmar. 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". I am the former owner and editor of the Samui Times, a news publication on Koh Samui, and covered the stories of the so-called "backpacker murders" and other suspicious . A millionaire hotel tycoon and his wife have been found dead in a luxury resort on Koh Tao, colloquially known as Death Island. Zaw Lin was not convicted of this charge because he held a work permit for the two years preceding the murders. . As investigators descended upon the apartment, one of them picked up a camera and photographed the scene. [55], The defence claimed that the investigation was flawed due to mishandling of forensic evidence, lack of legal representation during interrogations, use of threats and intimidation to secure a confession, and intimidation of witnesses. Pathologist Dr. Michael Biggs told the hearing that there were many injuries on Nick's body, including to the head, limbs, and face. 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. She was part of the sect of the Sathya Sai Baba cult movement, and lived with a self-proclaimed "guru", and left the island on April 17 to return home. But among some foreigners, Koh Tao has taken on a more sinister reputation. She was said to have died of natural causes after mixing antibiotics she was taking for a chest infection with alcohol. The police quickly closed the inquiry, stating that he had drowned whilst swimming. BANGKOK A Thai court sentenced two men from Myanmar on Thursday to death for the murder of two British tourists last year, ending a high-profile trial shadowed . Bitter divisions over Ukraine dominate G20 talks, Greek trains halted as anger over crash grows, Messages reveal battle over UK Covid policy, How 10% of Nigerian registered voters delivered victory, Sake brewers toast big rise in global sales, The Indian-American CEO who wants to be US president, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip. [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. 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. Nick Pearson 2014; "[56] Attempts to appeal the sentence to the High Court in 2017 were unsuccessful. Allegations about police brutality rocked the countrys economy that almost solely relies on tourism. But it was in this idyllic setting that their horribly bludgeoned bodies were discovered, their blood seeping into the sand and staining the water. Taupin was ultimately not allowed to testify by the defence, and these issues were not raised by the defence until their closing statement. Koh Tao Mayor Chaiyan Thurasakul said the website is accused of damaging Koh Taos reputation by calling it Death Island. 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. One of the men Mau Mau resided nearby. [1], A defence team from Bangkok, composed of nearly 20 lawyers, were only permitted half an hour to meet the men; a request by the defence to delay the hearing and allow more time to prepare was denied by a judge at the Koh Samui Provincial Court. Although both of his hands were tied behind the back, the police said he could have done this himself as the rope was tied to one hand and a loop was made so the other hand could be inserted. Russian tourist Valentina Novozhyonova, 23, vanished from her hostel on Koh Tao in March and has still not been found. It has over 100 hotels and resorts and was deemed the busiest diving centre in Southeast Asia in 2014. The island of Koh Tao is located in Southern Thailand. 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. 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