They are said to have confessed to the crime but later retracted their statements. Verdicts in the case are not expected until October. 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. Shelley Bot 2017; [28], Due to concerns the murders might affect foreign tourism into Thailand, the national authorities sought to expedite the investigation into the murders. 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. A great number of Western backpackers have died under unexplained circumstances on this tiny tropical island in the past years. 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. 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. Stock photos, 360 images, vectors and videos. Thailand's paradise island murder mystery continues to baffle police, BBC's south-east Asia correspondent reports from Koh Tao. Hi there! "So my suspicions are that it was a mugging that went wrong. The families dont believe a word of the Thai police investigation. "I got him home and they had a proper postmortem - most of his bones were broken but the one bone that wasn't broken was his neck and there was no evidence of his face looking towards his back. The head of the country's Central Institute of Forensic Science found that the DNA on the hoe did not match the defendants. My YouTube channel is called KOH TAO MURDERS DEATH ISLAND. The island of Koh Tao, off the coast of Thailand, is often described as a paradise. The convictions were mired in controversy, with supporters of the two men arguing they had been framed because their initial confessions were made under duress. Photographs of the bodies have been circulating on the internet. On Thursday the 29 th of August 2019, the Supreme Court of Thailand handed down its decision to uphold the death penalties for Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, the Burmese migrant workers found guilty of the rape and murder of British holidaymaker Hannah Witheridge and the murder of fellow countryman David Miller in September 2014 on Koh Tao in Thailand. [47][75][12] Human Rights Watch said the case was "profoundly disturbing" and called for the verdict to be reviewed in a "transparent and fair appeal process". [4][11][14] Their bodies were discovered on Sairee Beach a few hours later, between 4 and 5am, by a mute Burmese beach cleaner. We beg that Hannah and David are afforded privacy and dignity through the removal of these pointless and insensitive reminders. 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. Deaths have been explained away by the authorities as unfortunate accidents or suicides. The discovery of the bodies last September sparked a major police investigation and intense local and international pressure to find those responsible. But they were skeptical and he was fit and healthy at the time of his death. Koh Tao is a small and beautiful island in Southern Thailand, approximately 21 km, 30 km north of Koh Phan Gan and about 70 km from the Chumphon town. [88][89] Hacker group Anonymous published a video on 3 January 2016 criticising the verdict. Picture: Viral Press/Australscope koh tao murders crime scene photos. The two are charged with the murder of David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, on . Our kids all died on Koh Tao 'death island' - cops claim they were accidents but we think they were MURDERED Aliki Kraterou Published: 13:58, 19 Mar 2022 Updated: 15:34, 19 Mar 2022 The. [10][32] They highlighted a British tourist who had shared a room with Miller as a suspect, labelling it a "crime of passion"; he became the subject of a nationwide manhunt before the police quickly dropped the lead. Some sources also refer to Wai Phyo as Win Zaw Htun. What really happened there? Both victims had been hit several times on the head; Witheridge had been raped, and Miller had been drowned. Samyak Choudhary; and 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. He told the Sun Online: "We want justice. Some were murdered, some died in suspicious circumstances and some died in avoidable accidents. [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". Koh Tao is in the Chumphon Archipelago. Controversially, Surat Thani governor Auaychai Innak dismissed as untrue some foreign news reports which claimed reptiles had eaten half of Dallemagne's body. Yoshie Sazawa (Sharlyn) 2004; Exclusive location in the Kitirua Conservancy. On February 16, 2015, Russian tourist Valentina Novozhyonova, 23, vanished from her hostel on Koh Tao. In 2014, Koh Tao was the site of the brutal double murders of two British backpackers, but theirs weren't the only suspicious backpacker deaths. 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. 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. It would be impossible, some of the boulders are so big they would have stopped him but he didnt have a single broken bone. [31] Media reports speculated that was because the defence was wary of calling on foreign experts fearing it could appear as undermining the Thai justice system, and could bias the judges against their case. Martin Totland Frilans. 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. 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 member of staff told police he heard four to five cries of someone in shock approximately 10 minutes . 2040 / 2557, Regional Court of Appeal VIII No. Only if they are not beautiful." 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. There were no signs of a struggle or rape or other human DNA. The evidence in the form of this Unendorsed Report would have been ruled as inadmissible in US courts and other Western courts. The body had to be identified using dental records and previous X-rays. These included backpackers Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, who were found murdered on the . 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. Both were found dead on the bottom of a swimming pool at a seaside resort on Koh Tao in Surat Thani. Rockefeller Audio 2022. Hannah was also raped in the attack. [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". The Koh Samui Provincial Court has set 24 December as the date to deliver its judgement on two Myanmar men, Zaw Lin and Zaw Ein Htun (aka Wai Phyo), who are accused of murdering two British tourists on Thailand's Koh Tao Island on September 15 last year. [52] The suspects were defended pro bono by two lawyers from the Lawyers Council of Thailand. 2023 BBC. 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.. For other inquiries, Contact Us. By. All times AEDT (GMT +11). [70] Wai Phyo was also convicted of theft for allegedly stealing a phone and sunglasses from Miller's body. A coroner ruled in 2017 said that there is "no evidence" to suggest Luke was murdered. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? A royal commutation does not require an admission of guilt. They claim they did not receive an autopsy report and say his body was sent against their wishes to the same Bangkok hospital that carried out botched reports on the bodies of two Brits murdered on the same island in 2014. 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.. He announced that he had "ordered all security-related agencies to track down those who are behind the Myanmar demonstrations". 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. [50], An 18-day trial began on 8 July 2015 in the Koh Samui Provincial Court. 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. Investigators had no theory to explain her unexpected stopover on Koh Tao on her way back to the mainland and the capital Bangkok. Derby coroner Louise Pinder said there was not enough evidence to say how he died and recorded an open verdict. The Koh Tao murders involved the death of two British tourists in Thailand in 2014. "What we're after are some answers- whether we are going to get them or not I don't know. The DNA analysis in the case, which was not subject to independent oversight or verification, was provided to the court as a one-page summary with four supporting pages, some of it handwritten with amendments. [42] In the trial, the prosecution said the phone was found smashed at the home of a friend of Zaw Lin's. These illegal workers often reside with friends on the island, making it difficult to identify them. It covers an area of about 21 km2. Four months later, eight bodies were found after a cartel murder spree. Cart. British Bricklayer Luke Miller, 26, was found at the bottom of a swimming pool at the Sunset Bar at Sairee Beach on January 6, 2016. They had been brutally beaten to death just a few feet away from their hotel rooms. Create an account. They stated they were driven by a desire to rape the victim following sexual arousal when they saw the couple kissing on the beach. From: kohtao. [46] The police then forced the suspects to re-enact the murder in front of media,[34] a move condemned by legal experts as prejudicing a fair hearing. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? He said more security cameras would be installed on beaches. When Nick Pearson died the police didnt go to his room, they didnt interview anybody. Our family have been further traumatised by reports that there are numerous unnecessary and senseless photographs circulating across the internet. Its just really shoddy investigation work- I personally think theres something going on on that island. They also raised concerns with the absence of legal counsel prior to the confession, as well as difficulties with translation and interpretation. It has a population of around 1,500 people and the main settlement is Ban Mae Hat. [11] The two met in Koh Tao while staying at the same hotel. [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. [51][21] The trial was attended by external observers, including representatives from Amnesty International and the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. [93] Amid the investigation, Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul visited Koh Tao on 28 September 2014 in an attempt to reassure tourists. Police have, however, agreed to hand over the garden hoe which was the murder weapon, along with a shoe and a plastic bag. They also found a suicide note at the scene. Top Kurunegala Forests: See reviews and photos of Forests in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka on Tripadvisor. Photograph: Alamy. It is not known who released the photos from the crime scene. [6] Miller had just completed his undergraduate degree in civil and structural engineering at the University of Leeds and was starting a masters degree. [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). I was told on more than one occasion that I needed to take down this stuff from the paper. [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. "We asked for a copy of the CCTV footage and they said it was destroyed. Valentina Novozhenova 2017; Theres a disproportionate amount of suspicious deaths on that island- and the link is that none of the families believe the police investigation or the information theyve been given. Read about our approach to external linking. [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. 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. Bernd's cousin Christina said: ''We cannot accept what the Thai authorities on the island are telling us. It followed her reporting on the case of a British girl who was allegedly raped on the same beach. Zaw Lin, front, and Wai Phyo (also known as Win Zaw Htun), rear, arrive at the court in Koh Samui, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, Mother who killed her five children euthanised, Bakhmut attacks still being repelled, says Ukraine, Zoom boss Greg Tomb fired without cause, Alex Murdaugh jailed for life for double murder, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus. [5][6] Both were students who were backpacking in Thailand. They said Wai Phyo found the mobile phone dropped on the beach, and so he kept it. It has over 100 hotels and resorts and was deemed the busiest diving centre in Southeast Asia in 2014. New Zealand's Minisrty of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) says 185 Kiwis are registered as being in the flood affected areas of Koh Samui and Koh Tao and parts of southern Thailand, including . [85][15][86] Prayut said that British and Burmese government representatives were "limited to observation" and had to "respect our processes". "Thai courts make little allowance for the feelings of relatives," he said. A Thai/Indian couple circa June 2021. 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 images shown to the court were graphic, reports Jonah Fisher in Thailand. 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. The university graduate, who was two weeks into a four-month backpacking trip round South East Asia, was found dead on her bungalow in January 2015. Both entered through the Ranong Province, allegedly without presenting themselves at a port of entry and without possessing a passport. Hannah Witheridge was seen walking through Koh Tao with a group of friends - all of whom are thought to be British - just hours before being brutally murdered +17 View gallery The 23-year-old. Direct quotations from the trial are unavailable, as the judges did not permit the public to take notes. [1][4][24] Witheridge's body indicated she had been raped. Silje Mathisen 2014; Khao San Lomprayah - 2100 arrives Koh Tao 0845 > check prices for Bangkok to Koha Tao night bus and ferry and book now. The governor of the island said he had instructed the district chief to file criminal charges against the local online news outlet Samui Times in 2017 after it ran an article that questioned the police account of deaths and referred to Koh Tao as Death Island.