[38] Police entered the home the next day; only one of the men, Zaw Lin, was present. [1][4][24] Witheridge's body indicated she had been raped. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. It is believed they were tortured, then burned, before being chopped . Photograph: Alamy. "[78] Another commentary in the paper stated that the "overwhelming public skepticism stems from the police's longstanding notoriety for arresting poor and powerless scapegoats to save rich criminals who can afford to buy their innocence". 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.". 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. GRAPHIC crime scene photos showing the corpses of English backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller have surfaced online, traumatising their families. News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. They also found a suicide note at the scene. Thai police are investigating their deaths as . Read about our approach to external linking. 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. [71], A lawyer for the men, Nakhon Chomphuchat, said "we will appeal as soon as we can, we have just got a copy of the court's verdict. 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. Some of these workers said they can earn more money in Thailand compared to Myanmar. 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". The body had to be identified using dental records and previous X-rays. And the same goes for Luke Millers mum Sara Cotton. [51] This decision was criticised by the Solicitors International Human Rights Group, one of the observers at the trial. 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. However, the event did not materially affect tourism to the island over the following years. He also had given no indications before his death, that he had suicidal thoughts. Rocio Gomez; https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6729031/thailand-koh-tao-island-dad-dead-mystery/, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-30546787, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/09/17/sister-murdered-backpacker-hannah-witheridge-dies-falling-gravely/, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-53797951, https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1282946/police-clarify-koh-tao-death-cases, https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1047575-death-island-riddle%C2%A0-koh-tao-mystery-deepens-as-%E2%80%98healthy%E2%80%99-dad-becomes-tenth-westerner-to-die-in-suspicious-circumstances/, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4680394/Haunting-final-image-Koh-Tao-backpacker-Thai-hang-suicide.html, https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/thailands-death-island-tourist-33-13399601, https://www.chiangraitimes.com/crime-chiang-rai-thailand/body-of-moldavian-tourist-found-dead-in-sea-off-the-island-koh-tao-sent-to-bangkok-for-thorough-autopsy/, https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/443983/suter-hanspeter-body-found-on-beach-in-chumphon-thailand, Koh Tao Murders, Suspicious Deaths, Fatal Accidents Tribute to 20 Foreigners Tony Lotus & 1Survivor, Tagged: Koh Tao - Death Island in Paradise, Cases on the Death Island of Koh Tao, nick pearson koh tao death, The coroner concluded there was not enough evidence to say where or how he met his death. Koh Tao ''Turtle Island'' or Ko Tao is an island in Thailand and is part of the Chumphon Archipelago on the western shore of the Gulf of Thailand. [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. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, The families are not satisfied with the investigation by the Thai authorities, Christina Annesley was found dead on the beach in January 2015, Thai authorities said Ben Harrington,32, died when he crashed during a moped ride, The families have not been satisfied with the investigation of the Thai authorities, Luke Miller was found dead at the bottom of a pool, Elise Dallemange was found dead in the jungle in Koh Tao, The Curse of the turtle was released earlier this month, Bernd Grotsch from Germany was found dead at his house in Koh Tao, Valentina Novozhyonova vanished from her hostel, Suzanne Buchanan is determined to find out the truth about Koh Tao, Our kids all died on Koh Tao death island cops claim they were accidents but we think they were MURDERED, Headteacher sacked 'after sending parents a list of striking teachers' as school launches probe, Isle of Innisfree ferry: Blaze breaks out on boat carrying 183 people in English Channel as lifeboats scramble to scene. [48], The guilty verdict resulted in widespread protests in Myanmar. Some were murdered, some died in suspicious circumstances and some died in avoidable accidents. "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. [15] Experts have considered the forensic investigation to have been incompetent, and to have possibly framed the suspects. [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". The past three weeks have been unimaginably difficult and there are no words that can adequately describe the heartache and despair that our family is experiencing. 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. Koh Tao Murders March 28, 2022 courtneyjfretwell Uncategorized 1 Comment In September 2014, two European backpackers, Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found murdered on Sairee Beach on Thailand's island of Koh Tao. [21][25] There was tearing present at the vulva, bruising on the perineum, and a bite mark on her right nipple. The father-of-ones family in Ingolstadt, Germany, said at the time they did not believe the authorities' claims that hedied of heart failure or had been bitten by a snake.. 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. Shared On: 28th Dec, 2022. Cart. The Koh Tao murders had a big impact on the island, it left a very deep impression! It is not known who released the photos from the crime scene. 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. Christina Annesley 2015; 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. [11] The two met in Koh Tao while staying at the same hotel. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? By. An English human rights activist by the name of Andy Hall asked me to put him in touch with the Melbourne forensic expert, Jane Taupin which I did. HARROWING photos of the corpses of English backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller have surfaced online, traumatising their families. Both were found dead on the bottom of a swimming pool at a seaside resort on Koh Tao in Surat Thani. 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. Their explanations as to why these kids have died just dont add up- you dont have to be a pathologist or a doctor to know what weve been told is nonsensical.. [10], Witheridge and Miller travelled and arrived on the island separately on 25 August. These illegal workers often reside with friends on the island, making it difficult to identify them. 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. The body of his 55-year-old mother was only found later when rescue services arrived at the scene. Koh Tao murders: Thai court upholds death penalty for two men convicted of killing British backpackers . ", Mrs Miller said: "It's been hard, very hard. It would be impossible, some of the boulders are so big they would have stopped him but he didnt have a single broken bone. Witheridge was travelling with three other friends, and Miller with two others. Coincidentally, pictures of Bernd with a snake were to be found online. There were apparently no signs of robbery or attack in the room at the hotel where Alexandr had been staying. Lightboxes. The island of Koh Tao, off the coast of Thailand, is often described as a paradise. Verdicts in the case are not expected until October. [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 hearing was told that a post-mortem examination in Thailand showed that Mr Miller had a number of small bruises on his face and legs and gave a cause of death of head injuries and drowning. [21][73], The death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment on 14 August 2020 following a royal decree to commemorate King Vajiralongkorn's birthday and "illustrate the king's clemency". 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. [15] Public prosecutors initially rejected the report, asking for "certain flaws" to be fixed, more information to be supplied, and for the report to be made "more succinct". Although Koh Tao is one of the most beautiful islands in Thai. 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. Hotels near The Heart of Chechnya Hotels near State Gallery named after A. In 2018 in Cancn alone, there were 540 murders. Father weeps at Thai murder photos. Deaths have been explained away by the authorities as unfortunate accidents or suicides. From the beginning, the Thai police had difficulty securing the crime scene. A judge found the workers guilty and sentenced them to death despite questions about DNA evidence and the police handling of the case. Hiroshi 2002; Here are the names of some of the other outsiders who died on Koh Tao: Ian Jacobs 2000; From: kohtao. The two men deny murdering Miss Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, and David Miller, 24, from Jersey. [31][65] Jane Taupin, an Australian forensic scientist brought in by the defence, claimed that the timeline of DNA extraction was dubious; a rapid analysis of DNA samples had happened in less than 12 hours,[34] which she said was unusual because "extracting DNA from mixed samples was difficult and time-consuming". 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. 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. [52] The suspects were defended pro bono by two lawyers from the Lawyers Council of Thailand. 24, after their battered bodies were found on a beach on the southern resort island of . 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. [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. Picture: Viral Press/Australscope [90][91], The 2014 murders, along with other deaths and disappearances of tourists, led to British tabloids labelling Koh Tao as "Death Island". We are furious that we have not been able to have an approved independent forensic examination.". [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. While police ruled out foul play, Nick's family, who say officers did not investigate a single witness, believe he was murdered. 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. Its just really shoddy investigation work- I personally think theres something going on on that island. September 23, 2014 5:57 AM EDT T he brutal murder of British tourists Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, on the Thai resort island of Koh Tao, has reverberated around the world.. I just listened to your full podcast about Koh Tao with considerable interest. Tony Witheridge bowed his head as bloody images of. Both entered through the Ranong Province, allegedly without presenting themselves at a port of entry and without possessing a passport. Now their families are demanding answers. 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. 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. Police have, however, agreed to hand over the garden hoe which was the murder weapon, along with a shoe and a plastic bag. Boyne Annesley believes his 23-year-old daughter Christina Annesley, of Orpington, southeast London, was murdered on Koh Tao Island in January 2015. Pathologists and legal experts criticised the police for mishandling the evidence, allowing contamination of the crime scene and failing to use experts to collect forensic evidence. 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. 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. [83] A 2016 study said the case, which it described as a litmus test of Thailand's justice system, "seriously damaged the image of Thailand and of its forces of law and order on the global level". The following month Russian Valentina Novozhyonova, 23,vanished from her hostel sparking a police search. [49] Wai Phyo was also charged with stealing Miller's phone. Nick Pearson, 25, was found floating in an island bay, at the foot of a 50ft drop on New Years Day 2014. They said Wai Phyo found the mobile phone dropped on the beach, and so he kept it. [5][6] Both were students who were backpacking in Thailand. Frenchman, Dimitri Povse, 29, was found hanging from the beam of a rented house on January 1, 2015. 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. But among some foreigners, Koh Tao has taken on a more sinister reputation. He later apologised for the comment after it was met with public backlash. Controversially, Surat Thani governor Auaychai Innak dismissed as untrue some foreign news reports which claimed reptiles had eaten half of Dallemagne's body. The family claimed the circumstances surrounding his death and the local police's refusal to co-operate with them have led them to believe the death is "suspicious". UK reporter Suzanne Buchanan has thoroughly investigated the cases alongside the deaths of Belgian Elise Dellemange, Swiss Hans Peter Suter and French Dimitri Povse -who also were also found dead under mysterious circumstances. A coroner ruled in 2017 said that there is "no evidence" to suggest Luke was murdered. Some sources also refer to Wai Phyo as Win Zaw Htun. "They won't come forward because they know something is going to happen to them," he added. Silje Mathisen 2014; June 6, 2021. 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.. [1][47] The national police chief, Somyot Poompanmoung, denied that torture was involved in the confessions. The police investigation and criminal trial were widely criticised by international media, human rights organisations, and legal experts. The government of Thailand was concerned the murders might affect tourism to the island, with arrivals dropping in the months following the murders. Six weeks on . They believed he had accidentally drowned and he was thought to have been dead for around 12 hours when his body was retrieved. Sun 23 Nov 2014 10.54 EST. [7][12], Miller and Witheridge were last seen at a bar called AC Bar[13] with friends at a party on Sunday night with around 50 people mostly foreign tourists before they left together after 1am. 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. "At first, we accepted what the Thai authorities had said because we knew no different. Thailand is one of the worlds most popular tourist destinations with around 35 million visitors each year and promotes itself as the Land of Smiles. The government is sensitive to criticism that could undermine the countrys reputation. Date: July 24, 2022. [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. Alexandr Bucspun, 33, from Moldova, was found dead in the sea off Had Sai Ree on Koh Tao on Tuesday, October 9, 2018. 1. 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. [64], Several CCTV cameras near the crime scene were reported to be nonfunctional, and cameras near the pier were not checked by the police. Thai police say the man on the left matches the one seen acting suspiciously on CCTV A Scottish man is being kept in protective custody in Thailand after a photo he took could identify the murderer. [20] Both bodies were found semi-naked;[21] a pile of clothes was found nearby. Again when Christina Annesley died police didnt interview the last person she was seen with while she was alive. We had one day on Koh Tao, it was really hard.". Although Koh Tao is one of the most beautiful islands in Thailand, it has always been shrouded by a dark mystery. The families of Miss Witheridge and Mr Miller are now returning to the UK. A member of staff told police he heard four to five cries of someone in shock approximately 10 minutes . Police major general, Surachate Hakparn, said in an interview that the police have cracked down on crime syndicates on Koh Tao since the backpackers double killing. A Japanese high court approved Monday a posthumous retrial for a man who was convicted of murdering a 69-year-old woman in 1984 in western Japan, upholding a lower court's decision. I shall post a link to your podcast on my Facebook page. It is not known who released the photos from the crime scene. 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. Photographs of the bodies have been circulating on the internet. Mr Miller's body was discovered with severe head injuries several metres away, he said. "I only had my suspicions, his body came back to me without a wallet or anything on him. [14][22] The police moved the bodies to prevent them being swept up in the rising tide. I should add that I was not representing the accused men so I am not presenting arguments on their behalf in any lawyer/client relationship. The island of Koh Tao is located in Southern Thailand. GermanBernd Grotsch, 47, was found deadat his home deep in the jungle in the Mae Haad part of Koh Tao. [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. Koh Tao (also Ko Tao) - literally Turtle Island in the Chumphon Archipelago. The island off the Surat Thani province coast has gained notoriety after a string of suspicious and sensationalised deaths over the years. Part of the reason for coming out, was to go to Koh Tao. [53], The prosecution's case focused on findings of the police and medical examiner, with an emphasis on the DNA evidence. Yoshie Sazawa (Sharlyn) 2004; Zaw Lin was said to have entered between 2011 and 2012, and Wai Phyo in 2012. 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.
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