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. [15] Experts have considered the forensic investigation to have been incompetent, and to have possibly framed the suspects. Bernd Grotsch 2017; At least eleven European tourists have died or disappeared there since 2014 and it is now described as Death Island or Murder Island. Despite claims of a fall, he had no broken bones. The discovery of the bodies last September sparked a major police investigation and intense local and international pressure to find those responsible. [42][43] Early police reports said Miller's mobile phone was also found in Zaw Lin's home,[44][45] although the media had previously reported the phone was handed to police by a friend of the victim. The two men deny murdering Miss Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, and David Miller, 24, from Jersey. 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. He said more security cameras would be installed on beaches. 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. Staff checked her room to discover her mobile phone, passport and camera had all been left behind. How are they ever going to get closure and justice if they dont know what happened? Chrissie's heartbroken dad Boyne Annesley started investigating more deaths in Koh Tao. Buchanan who left Thailand in 2016 after receiving death threats for her reporting, reached out to the victims' families and formed a support group. 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. 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. One of the men Mau Mau resided nearby. It doesn't necessarily mean they are transgender, or that they are doing drag, they just live as women. 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.". Zaw Lin was said to have entered between 2011 and 2012, and Wai Phyo in 2012. It covers an area of about 21 km2. Police concluded she wanted to break a deep-diving record at more than 24 meters. [49] Wai Phyo was also charged with stealing Miller's phone. "They said they were going to cremate him the next day - I had to call the Home Office to stop the cremation. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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 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.. "I have no proof that Ben was murdered. Yearly, many professional photographers visit this lodge to capture herds of elephants crossing the dry lake in search of water . An inquest had been held in 2014 as his death was being treated as suspicious. He was found hiding on the boat later on 2 October. That is awful. [3] The murders were the first cases of homicide on the island in over eight years. [2] In 2014, the island had a population of around 5,000 locals. 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. We have done our own investigation and we are sure she was murdered. From the beginning, the Thai police had difficulty securing the crime 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. Martin Totland Frilans. [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. However, at that time I was already aware of other tourist deaths on the island. Thailand's paradise island murder mystery continues to baffle police, BBC's south-east Asia correspondent reports from Koh Tao. [82][83] The UK government expressed concerns with the investigation, and summoned a Thai diplomat in London to discuss them. And at least six young Brits have all died in suspicious circumstances on the small island of Koh Tao, leading their loved ones to label it "Death Island". Buy images; Sell images; Lightboxes; The bodies of Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, were found on a beach on Koh Tao in September 2014. . Hi there! From: kohtao. View our online Press Pack. 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. 2145/2559, "Two British tourists found dead on Thai island of Koh Tao", "Suspects in Thai Tourist Murders Face Dubious Trial", "Manhunt underway after brutal murder of 2 British tourists on Koh Tao", "Thailand's paradise island murder mystery", "What the Murder of Two British Tourists Tells Us About Thailand's Dark Side", "Thailand's Supreme Court upholds death penalty for men convicted of murdering British backpackers", "Koh Tao DNA evidence & international standards", "Thai court upholds death penalty for murder of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller", "Thailand backpacker murders: Burmese workers sentenced to death", "Thailand beach murders: A flawed and muddled investigation", "Koh Tao murders: DNA matches, confessions obtained, crime re-enacted", "Hearings Open Into Killings of Two British Tourists on Thai Island (Published 2014)", "Thai king commutes death sentence for Myanmar men in British tourist murder case", "Burmese men confess to killing British tourists on Koh Tao, Thai police say", "The Investigation Into Thailand's Backpacker Slayings Is Officially a Farce", "Migrants accused of murder of British couple in Thailand recant confessions", "Thai Dictator Faces Ire Over Murder Probe", "Koh Tao murder suspects plead not guilty", "Burmese pair to be executed for murder of British tourists on Koh Tao, Thailand", "2 Sentenced to Death in Killing of British Tourists in Thailand (Published 2015)", "Thailand murders: Two men found guilty and face death for UK killings", "Thai beach murders: Convicted men lose death sentence appeal", "Thai beach murders: Death sentence upheld by Supreme Court", "Backpacker's family 'grateful' for Thai king's clemency", "Koh Tao pair claim they were tortured before confessing", "Thai beach murders: DNA investigation into death of British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller 'incompetent at best', "Koh Tao murders: suspects in killing of David Miller and Hannah Witheridge say they were framed", "Koh Tao's dark side: dangers of island where Britons were murdered", "Thai Paradise Gains Reputation as 'Death Island', "Foreign Office calls in Thai diplomat over murder inquiry concerns", "Thailand murder suspects can't have British police report: UK judge", "Thai officials on alert as Myanmar protests spread", "Prayut lashes out at Myanmar Koh Tao protestors", "Thailand's Migrant Worker Woes Exposed in Koh Tao Murder Case", "Govt vows "high-tech" defence against hackers", "Island killings prompt stiffer worker rules", "Contesting narratives: the Koh Tao tourists murders", "Unofficial translation of Koh Samui Provincial Court No. German Bernd Grotsch's body was found at his home deep in the jungle in the Mae Haad part of Koh Tao. [64], Several CCTV cameras near the crime scene were reported to be nonfunctional, and cameras near the pier were not checked by the police. Find the perfect agent pastime stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. In January 2014, 25-year-old Nick Pearson was found dead in the sea below a cliff while visiting the island. Cart. [48], The guilty verdict resulted in widespread protests in Myanmar. 8.4K views 2 years ago Dedication to 20 foreigners who died on Koh Tao. Aran Klaewklong, a security guard from Big Blue Diving shop, told police he found a mobile phone, clothes, a hotel key, shoes and an ID on the beach at 1.30 am during a beach patrol. Or is Koh Tao just unlucky for visitors or is there something more sinister happening on the beautiful Thai island and haven for Scuba divers? "What we're after are some answers- whether we are going to get them or not I don't know. Dimitri Povse 2015; He also had given no indications before his death, that he had suicidal thoughts. "There was no compassion at all- he had to go down to identify the body which he couldn't do and while he was sitting there the police were just laughing. The mum of Ben Harrington Pat was never convinced by the local police's explanation that her 32-year-old son broke his neck when he crashed into an electricity pylon on a night-time moped ride in August 2012. Aug 2014 - Dec 20217 years 5 months. Both entered through the Ranong Province, allegedly without presenting themselves at a port of entry and without possessing a passport. Both were found dead on the bottom of a swimming pool at a seaside resort on Koh Tao in Surat Thani. Rocio Gomez; 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..

Paul Mitchell Color Wheel, Duck Ragu Recipe Jamie Oliver, Bomb Found In Georgia 2021, Once Upon A Time: Journey To Neverland Disney Plus, Alexandrea Martin Mason Dean, Articles K