[90][91], The 2014 murders, along with other deaths and disappearances of tourists, led to British tabloids labelling Koh Tao as "Death Island". Shelley Bot 2017; In pictures: Thailand beach murders Show all 12 It has also been claimed that vital DNA evidence linking the two suspects to the death of Miss Witheridge no longer exists - so cannot be retested.. Forensic report into British murders in Thailand leaked to local media British woman, Christina Annesley, 23, was found in a room at the In Touch Resort on Jan 21, 2015. Martin Totland Frilans. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? The two men deny murdering Miss Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, and David Miller, 24, from Jersey. The island off the Surat Thani province coast has gained notoriety after a string of suspicious and sensationalised deaths over the years. While police ruled out foul play, Nick's family, who say officers did not investigate a single witness, believe he was murdered. The Backpacker Murders Of Koh Tao. What Really Happened There? They also found a suicide note at the scene. 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. 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. Wealth Businessman and Wife Found Dead in Koh Tao Resort Pool They stated they were driven by a desire to rape the victim following sexual arousal when they saw the couple kissing on the beach. The last known video footage of the Russian woman showed her walking to Chaloke Hin Kao bay and never coming back. [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. [79] Rumours began to circulate, with residents on the island saying the island is controlled by a mafia who "have information about the true culprits", and claimed that the police is covering for them. [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." Thailand backpackers murder trial: Hannah Witheridge's father weeps in 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. 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. Last modified on Wed 29 Nov 2017 23.45 EST. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. Bangkok Post - Topic 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. On Koh Tao it meant a man living their life as a woman. Koh tao murder hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy Father weeps at Thai murder photos. 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 court has now been told that vital DNA evidence cannot be retested. On September 20, 1988, Tara Calico left her home in New Mexico to go on a bike ride she took, In November 1981, actress Natalie Wood mysteriously drowned off the coast of Southern California during a boating trip with her, In July 2014, 52 year old Lynn Messer mysteriously disappeared from her familys 260-acre farm in Bloomsdale, Missouri. Save up to 30% when you upgrade to an image pack. Japan high court approves posthumous retrial of man over 1984 murder She added: "They didn't do any investigation at all. 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.. Boyne Annesley believes his 23-year-old daughter Christina Annesley, of Orpington, southeast London, was murdered on Koh Tao Island in January 2015. Also on the list of unexplained tourist deaths are French Dimitri Povse, 29, who was found hanged in a bungalow on New Year's Day 2015. 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. However, a lawyer for Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo told the BBC that the pair had not admitted their guilt when their death sentences were commuted. Upon arriving at the scene, police officers and rescue workers discovered the bodies of Mr Rakeshwar . About Nick Pearson they said he fell out of his bungalow and ended up drowning in the ocean. "I only had my suspicions, his body came back to me without a wallet or anything on him. Koh Tao, Thailand: Photo of David Miller and Hannah Witheridge Murder In fact, during one 36-hour spell in April last year, nine people were murdered there. Buchanan who left Thailand in 2016 after receiving death threats for her reporting, reached out to the victims' families and formed a support group. A woman Povse had been interested in said he had called her twice on the phone that night but she had not picked up because she had been asleep. Bernd Grotsch 2017; For example, she discovered that one of the DNA labs that conducted tests at the time only had accreditation to do paternity tests and not criminal profiling in a capital murder case. 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. Hotel owner Rakeshwar Sachathamakul has been found dead along with his wife in a luxury resort on Koh Tao. 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. Koh Tao: Millionaire couple found dead on Thailand's Death Island [11], An autopsy revealed that both victims were hit by a hard object resulting in head and face wounds. 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. Despite claims of a fall, he had no broken bones. [25] There were no known eyewitnesses to the murders. ", The dad added that some of the witnesses they spoke to were "too frightened" to come forward which shows "how the culture is.". [2] In 2014, the island had a population of around 5,000 locals. Since then the Samui Times has been inundated with . [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". 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. 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. 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. [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". He announced that he had "ordered all security-related agencies to track down those who are behind the Myanmar demonstrations". However, the event did not materially affect tourism to the island over the following years. A judge found the workers guilty and sentenced them to death despite questions about DNA evidence and the police handling of the case. [51] This decision was criticised by the Solicitors International Human Rights Group, one of the observers at the trial. 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. We've all heard about the 2014 backpacker murders of two British tourists in Koh Tao, Thailand. 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. News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Frenchman, Dimitri Povse, 29, was found hanging from the beam of a rented house on January 1, 2015. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. There is an alternative bus and ferry service run by Songserm, which is the cheapest way to get from Bangkok to Koh Tao. Although Koh Tao is one of the . [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". In December 2015, the pair were convicted of the murder and sentenced to death. Creepy There is a big chance you will fall in love with this little paradise. Deaths have been explained away by the authorities as unfortunate accidents or suicides. How are they ever going to get closure and justice if they dont know what happened? Koh tao murders Stock Photos and Images (50) See koh tao murders stock video clips RM 2D0FFR6 - A police searches for clues near the spot where bodies of two killed British tourists were found, on the island of Koh Tao September 19, 2014. 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. "We'll go with the flow as much as we can. International experts criticized the DNA testing done by the hospital at the time with claims that samples were tampered with in order to falsely incriminate two Burmese workers. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller koh tao, The horrific rape and murder of Sophie Louise Hook whilst camping in her Uncle's garden, The miracle rescue of Alan Lee Phillips at Colorados Guanella Pass - the man who turned out to be a serial killer, The chilling story of Thomas Lee Dillon - the Ohio Outdoorsmen killer, The miraculous escape of the Brazilian and German backpackers at Salt Creek in South Australia, Robert Hansen Butcher Baker - the Alaska Serial killer who hunted his victims in the wilderness, The shocking unsolved Keddie Cabin murders, The disturbing death of Fiona Torbet in the Scottish highlands, The unsolved Williams and Winans camping murders in Shenandoah National Park, The real Wolf Creek - The Backpacker Murders in the Australian Outback, The disturbing story of David Shearing and the Wells Gray Park camping murders, The mysterious death of Carol Laughlin in Yosemite National Park, The disturbing disappearance of the Beaumont children on Glenelg Beach, The Kamloops Triangle - The British Columbia murders and disappearances, The Delphi hiking murders - Abigail Williams and Liberty German, The Peter Falconio disappearance in the Australian Outback, The unsolved murder of Scott Lilly on the Appalachian trail, The disturbing case of James Jordan - The Appalachian Trail Murderer. Anthony Cardullo 2013 (USA); 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. 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. The head of the country's Central Institute of Forensic Science found that the DNA on the hoe did not match the defendants. [53], The prosecution's case focused on findings of the police and medical examiner, with an emphasis on the DNA evidence. [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. Murder of two backpackers on the island of Koh Tao SAIREE BEACH, KOH TAO, THAILAND - SEPTEMBER 15, 2014 British tourists Hannah Witheridge (23 years old) and David Miller (24 years old) enjoyed their holiday in Thailand on the famous island of Koh Tao. [38] Police entered the home the next day; only one of the men, Zaw Lin, was present. The prosecution says a DNA match between samples found on Miss Witheridge's body and the two defendants is central to its case. [52] The suspects were defended pro bono by two lawyers from the Lawyers Council of Thailand. [6] Miller had just completed his undergraduate degree in civil and structural engineering at the University of Leeds and was starting a masters degree. [7] Witheridge had completed undergraduate studies in education at the University of East Anglia and had started post-graduate studies in speech and language therapy at the University of Essex. "Thai courts make little allowance for the feelings of relatives," he said. After searching, All rights reserved. He had recently returned to the island after building up a motorbike rental business. 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. We had one day on Koh Tao, it was really hard.". He told the Sun Online: "We want justice. Valentina Novozhenova 2017; Through their own investigation, and talking to witnesses Mr. Annesley discovered that the room where his daughter was staying was given to someone else "three hours after her body was taken. Koh tao murders hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy See the latest list of Exclusive members-only articles on StrangeOutdoors.com, https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30320196. The Mirror reports that Hannahs family have pleaded for the photos of the pair, who were brutally murdered on a Thailand beach, to be taken off the internet. 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. How long have Keir Starmer and Sue Gray been secretly cooking up their plot? Administratively it is a subdistrict (tambon) of Ko Pha-ngan District (amphoe) of Surat Thani Province. The team were only allowed to spend two hours on Koh Tao and did not meet with the suspects or defence. [5][6] Both were students who were backpacking in Thailand. The mysterious Koh Tao - Death Island in Paradise Picture: Viral Press/Australscope The authorities said he had died after striking the diving board from which he was jumping. "[56] Attempts to appeal the sentence to the High Court in 2017 were unsuccessful. [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. It leaves Khao San Songserm at either 1800 or 1900. 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". [61], On July 10, the court ordered the DNA to be retested. [94] She suggested using identification wristbands for tourists to improve safety, but the idea was quickly scrapped.

Michael Holden Obituary, Sme Sound Mitigation Equipment Slimline, Articles K