Zaw Lin was not convicted of this charge because he held a work permit for the two years preceding the murders. 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. It is believed they were tortured, then burned, before being chopped . [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. There have been suspicious reports of hand-sized bruises found on Lukes shoulders. And on Koh Tao there are around 5,000 Burmese conspicuous by the golden streaks of thanaka paste, a traditional sunscreen and beauty product, garnishing their cheeks who build hotels, sweep. Therefore, we would like to take this opportunity to ask that Hannah be allowed a well-deserved day of privacy on Friday whilst we join her many friends in a celebration of her life.. [38] Both men were 22-year-old illegal migrant workers from Rakhine, Myanmar, who worked in the hospitality industry. [26][27] However, her clothes were not tested for DNA. 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.. [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". 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. The evidence in the form of this Unendorsed Report would have been ruled as inadmissible in US courts and other Western courts. Bernds family in Ingolstadt, Germany, said that the authorities told them he had died of heart failure or had been bitten by a snake. From: kohtao. In accepting the 2nd retrial plea, sought by the family of Hiromu Sakahara, who died of illness aged 75 while serving his term in 2011, the Osaka High Court said . Father weeps at Thai murder photos. The court has now been told that vital DNA evidence cannot be retested. As the Witheridge family prepares for Hannahs funeral, her parents, Sue and Tony Witheridge, released this statement: Time makes the pain of this horrendous tragedy no easier to bear. The autopsy stated he had drowned. Here are the names of some of the other outsiders who died on Koh Tao: Ian Jacobs 2000; [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". An inquest had been held in 2014 as his death was being treated as suspicious. Hotels near The Heart of Chechnya Hotels near State Gallery named after A. Hannah Witheridge 2014; [15], Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo retracted their statements following a visit from a consular lawyer for Myanmar and said they had made their statements under duress, after they had allegedly been beaten, left naked in a freezing room, and threatened with electrocution and an extrajudicial killing. ", The dad added that some of the witnesses they spoke to were "too frightened" to come forward which shows "how the culture is.". In 2018 in Cancn alone, there were 540 murders. A royal commutation does not require an admission of guilt. That is awful. 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 images shown to the court were graphic, reports Jonah Fisher in Thailand. [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. 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. Today, we have gotten rid of them.. He said more security cameras would be installed on beaches. Amnesty International has demanded the Thai authorities investigate the torture allegations after one suspect reportedly said he was beaten and threatened with electrocution. [5][6] Both were students who were backpacking in Thailand. 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. I was told on more than one occasion that I needed to take down this stuff from the paper. [5][40] The commutation was welcomed by Miller's family. Hannah was a University of Essex student from Hemsby in Norfolk, UK, and David was a civil and structural engineering graduate, from Jersey. Death sentences in Koh Tao killings commuted. 8.4K views 2 years ago Dedication to 20 foreigners who died on Koh Tao. Sun 23 Nov 2014 10.54 EST. 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. He originally moved to the island in the late 1990s but left in 2016 after becoming frustrated with the corruption and hostility towards foreign business owners. I have created a Facebook page and a YouTube channel dedicated to looking into tourist deaths on Koh Tao. If you are interested, I have further information on my social media accounts. [63] They plead not guilty to the charge at the trial, but Wai Phyo changed his plea to guilty during the proceedings. Available for both RF and RM licensing. [90][91], The 2014 murders, along with other deaths and disappearances of tourists, led to British tabloids labelling Koh Tao as "Death Island". Elise Dallemagne 2017; [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. Nick Pearson, 25, was found floating in an island bay, at the foot of a 50ft drop on New Years Day 2014. Last modified on Wed 29 Nov 2017 23.45 EST. Thai authorities claimed he was drunk and fell, but his family believes he was murdered.. Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo (also known as Win Zaw Htun). Nick Pearson, 25, was found floating in an island bay, at the foot of a 50ft drop by scuba divers in the sea after he disappeared following a night out with his family on New Year's Eve. He was found hiding on the boat later on 2 October. "So my suspicions are that it was a mugging that went wrong. The following morning the family raised the alarm when Nick failed to answer the door. We are furious that we have not been able to have an approved independent forensic examination.". Suter had been a regular snorkeler and his death was totally unexplained. The suspects however have withdrawn their confessions to the murders and claimed Thai police forced the admissions through torture. Nick Pearson 2014; [11], An autopsy revealed that both victims were hit by a hard object resulting in head and face wounds. 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. Hiroshi 2002; Its just really shoddy investigation work- I personally think theres something going on on that island. 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. 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. [51] The defence provided a separate explanation for the events on the night. But "Turtle Island" has its dark side. Get latest News Information, Articles on Thailand Vs Indonesia Live Streaming Updated on December 27, 2018 19:20 with exclusive Pictures, photos & videos on Thailand Vs Indonesia Live Streaming at Latestly.com - Page 18 Chrissie's heartbroken dad Boyne Annesley started investigating more deaths in Koh Tao. Koh Tao murders: 'Asian man' seen on CCTV sought for q uestioning Probe into murder of two Britons on Koh Tao Manhunt on Koh Tao after tourists found brutally murdere d on beach British tourists murdered, stripped on Koh Tao beach Topics: Bangkok, Features Join the Coconuts conversation with a comment. [77], An opinion piece in Bangkok Post wrote that "practically no one believes [Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo] really brutally murdered English tourists", adding "in Thai media of all kinds, the consensus is that Win and Zaw Lin are scapegoats. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller koh tao, Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo koh tao, dimitri povse koh tao, christina annesley koh tao, Valentina Novozhyonova koh tao, luke miller koh tao, Elise Dallemagne koh tao, Bernd grotsch koh tao, Alexandr Bucspun koh tao, The frightening case of the Trailside Killer David Carpenter, The Yosemite National Park Sightseer Murders and the two faces of evil, The mysterious Koh Tao - Death Island in Paradise, Exclusive members-only articles on StrangeOutdoors.com, The coroner concluded there was not enough evidence to say where or how he met his death. 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. [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. The Koh Tao murders involved the death of two British tourists in Thailand in 2014. 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.". A member of staff told police he heard four to five cries of someone in shock approximately 10 minutes . [62] They were both also charged with entering the country illegally, to which Wai Phyo had already confessed. The police were under pressure to produce results quickly, which affected how they conducted their investigation. My Facebook page is called KOH TAO DEATH ISLAND. [29][30] The police initially speculated about who the culprit might be, alleging various individuals of perpetrating the crime without clear evidence. Both entered through the Ranong Province, allegedly without presenting themselves at a port of entry and without possessing a passport. Two of the victims were dismembered and disposed of in plastic bags. Her mother, Michele claimed that Elise used a fake name of 'Elise Dubuis' to check into the Triple B Bungalows next to Mae Head Pier on Koh Tao. I was good friends with a few and they were all restaurant/bar owners. (Washington D.C., February 27, 2023) - The Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) in Riyadh, used to prosecute "terrorism" cases in Saudi Arabia, has charged six former prominent SCC judges and four former judges of the High Court, the country's supreme court, with "high treason" - a crime punishable by death in Saudi Arabia - in its first secret hearing of the case on February 16, 2023, said . [54] They argued that the defendants intended to kill Miller, using a hoe to hit him multiple times on the head. Post-mortems found that Hannah had died from head wounds, while engineering student Mr Miller suffered severe blows to his head and drowned. Xi Jinping's power grab - and why it matters, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, Snow, Fire and Lights: Photos of the Week. In September 2014, two European backpackers, Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found murdered on Sairee Beach on Thailands island of Koh Tao. While collecting forensic evidence, tourists and locals were allowed to walk on the beach. Koh Tao--a small island in the Gulf of Thailand, surrounded by pristine beaches, swathed in sunshine, and a mecca for tourists, divers and backpackers. Tony Witheridge bowed his head as bloody images of. [85][15][86] Prayut said that British and Burmese government representatives were "limited to observation" and had to "respect our processes". View our online Press Pack. 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. But among some foreigners, Koh Tao has taken on a more sinister reputation. [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." To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Island authorities sued the online news site for violating the Computer Crime Act, which outlaws uploading false information online. Koh Tao Murders: No DNA match with Warot in first test results By Coconuts Bangkok Oct 31, 2014 | 5:40pm Bangkok time Preliminary results today found no link between Warot Tuwichian and DNA police say was collected from the scene of two murders on Koh Tao last month. 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. 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. Only if they are not beautiful. He later apologized, saying that he meant only that foreign visitors should be careful. The bungalow is 50ft above the ocean, theres nothing but massive granite boulders between his bungalow and the ocean so how did he managed to tumble all the way down there? 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. Save up to 30% when you upgrade to an image pack. "At first, we accepted what the Thai authorities had said because we knew no different. Frenchman, Dimitri Povse, 29, was found hanging from the beam of a rented house on January 1, 2015. 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. [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. Ms Witheridge, from Hemsby in Norfolk, and Mr Miller, from Jersey, were murdered on the popular holiday island on September 15. [1][11][18] A bloody hoe, believed to be the murder weapon, and a wooden club were found near the bodies,[19][4][14] along with three cigarette butts and a used condom. The families dont believe a word of the Thai police investigation. She added: "They didn't do any investigation at all. Investigators had no theory to explain her unexpected stopover on Koh Tao on her way back to the mainland and the capital Bangkok. HARROWING photos of the corpses of English backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller have surfaced online, traumatising their families. Buchanan told the Sun Online: They all died in really mysterious circumstances- the Thai version of Christina Annesleys death was that she died of natural causes, she's 23! 0 0. A judge found the workers guilty and sentenced them to death despite questions about DNA evidence and the police handling of the case. Bernd had also recently separated from his wife, Oey, a Koh Tao native, with whom he had a seven-year-old daughter, Bene, who had been living for the last two years with his sister, Monica, in Germany. [93] Amid the investigation, Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul visited Koh Tao on 28 September 2014 in an attempt to reassure tourists. We have done our own investigation and we are sure she was murdered. We admit that in the past, there was a mafia there that took advantage of tourists. "Then I started thinking what's going on here?". Pathologist Dr. Michael Biggs told the hearing that there were many injuries on Nick's body, including to the head, limbs, and face. [87][88] The protests angered Thailand's prime minister, who believed the demonstrations were a plot "instigated" to hurt the government. Phone records showed that Elise called her mother on Skype on April 17, 2017, before leaving Koh Phangan on a Ferry on April 19. Rockefeller Audio 2022. "What we're after are some answers- whether we are going to get them or not I don't know. They also raised concerns with the absence of legal counsel prior to the confession, as well as difficulties with translation and interpretation. Martin Totland Frilans. 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. He started another business in neighboring island Koh Phayam before returning in March 2018 to "tie up loose ends". 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.
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