[44] In December 2014, the suspects were each indicted on five charges: premeditated murder, killing to conceal a criminal offence, rape, illegal entry into Thailand, and staying in the country without permission. While his death was ruled as suicide cops could not explain why his hands are tied behind his back. 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.. Picture: Viral Press/Australscope One of the men Mau Mau resided nearby. Tony Witheridge bowed his head as bloody images of. [38] Police entered the home the next day; only one of the men, Zaw Lin, was present. 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. Get latest News Information, Articles on Thailand Vs Indonesia Odi Live Streaming Updated on December 27, 2018 19:20 with exclusive Pictures, photos & videos on Thailand Vs Indonesia Odi Live Streaming at Latestly.com - Page 18 He was found hiding on the boat later on 2 October. 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. Aug 2014 - Dec 20217 years 5 months. [36] Footage near the crime scene also showed one of the three men running into a shortcut. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? [64], Several CCTV cameras near the crime scene were reported to be nonfunctional, and cameras near the pier were not checked by the police. The families of Miss Witheridge and Mr Miller are now returning to the UK. The more I was getting involved, the more I was reporting, the more upset the Thais would get," she added. [93] Amid the investigation, Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul visited Koh Tao on 28 September 2014 in an attempt to reassure tourists. There were no signs he was suicidal. [29][30] The police initially speculated about who the culprit might be, alleging various individuals of perpetrating the crime without clear evidence. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. The island of Koh Tao is located in Southern Thailand. [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". To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Hannah was raped before she was killed. She was dedicated, ambitious and would have made an amazing difference to the lives of many families through her chosen career as a Speech and Language Therapist. Anthony Cardullo 2013 (USA); [1] After initially failing to find a match to one of the migrant workers, the police focused their attention on Western tourists related to the victims. [25] There were no known eyewitnesses to the murders. 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. But among some foreigners, Koh Tao has taken on a more sinister reputation. The island off the Surat Thani province coast has gained notoriety after a string of suspicious and sensationalised deaths over the years. Cart. [1][4][24] Witheridge's body indicated she had been raped. [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." It leaves Khao San Songserm at either 1800 or 1900. Taupin was ultimately not allowed to testify by the defence, and these issues were not raised by the defence until their closing statement. Its just really shoddy investigation work- I personally think theres something going on on that island. 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. If you are interested, I have further information on my social media accounts. By. Regional Surat Thani governor Chatpong Chatphum said the Koh Tao murders had dealt a serious blow to tourism. A royal commutation does not require an admission of guilt. Some of these workers said they can earn more money in Thailand compared to Myanmar. And the same goes for Luke Millers mum Sara Cotton. 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. 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. 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". [51], The prosecution also claimed the defendants entered the country in violation of the Immigration Act of 1979. 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 . Rocio Gomez; The families dont believe a word of the Thai police investigation. 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. Thaiger Video Monday, March 7, 2022 Less than a minute We've all heard about the 2014 backpacker murders of two British tourists in Koh Tao, Thailand. [67] Protesters called for the release of the two suspects, who they believed were innocent and scapegoated for the crime. [48][35] A 900-page police report was produced to guide the prosecution's case, but the defence were not allowed to see the report until the trial began. On Tuesday, new details emerged as police investigated the death of a wealthy billionaire industrialist and his wife on Ko Tao last Friday. Since then the Samui Times has been inundated with . Phone records showed that Elise called her mother on Skype on April 17, 2017, before leaving Koh Phangan on a Ferry on April 19. A few days later, staff checked her room to discover her mobile phone, passport and camera had all been left behind. The police investigation and criminal trial were widely criticised by international media, human rights organisations, and legal experts. 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. 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. The body of his 55-year-old mother was only found later when rescue services arrived at the scene. Island authorities sued the online news site for violating the Computer Crime Act, which outlaws uploading false information online. [51] This decision was criticised by the Solicitors International Human Rights Group, one of the observers at the trial. "They said they were going to cremate him the next day - I had to call the Home Office to stop the cremation. [35][84] Despite not initially being permitted to assist with the investigation,[33] British police observers including homicide detectives from the Metropolitan Police and a forensics expert were eventually permitted into Thailand to observe the investigation. 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. [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. 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. Chrissie's heartbroken dad Boyne Annesley started investigating more deaths in Koh Tao. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter', Why half of India's urban women stay at home. Both entered through the Ranong Province, allegedly without presenting themselves at a port of entry and without possessing a passport. Staff checked her room to discover her mobile phone, passport and camera had all been left behind. The body had to be identified using dental records and previous X-rays. 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. News back pack murders in koh tao 2014 koh tao koh tao island mystery news in Thailand Thaiger news thailand thailand crime Thailand News thailand tourist thailand tourist . 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.. It is not known who released the photos from the crime scene. Six weeks on . Two Burmese migrant workers, Zaw Lin and Win Zaq Htun, both 21, have been accused of murdering the two backpackers and of raping Hannah. Derby coroner Louise Pinder said there was not enough evidence to say how he died and recorded an open verdict. [11][19] Several other suspects were also named, amid pressure to produce results, a new one every other day. See the latest list of Exclusive members-only articles on StrangeOutdoors.com, https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30320196. Thai police are investigating their deaths as . It has over 100 hotels and resorts and was deemed the busiest diving centre in Southeast Asia in 2014. June 6, 2021. 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. [52] The suspects were defended pro bono by two lawyers from the Lawyers Council of Thailand. The prosecution says a DNA match between samples found on Miss Witheridge's body and the two defendants is central to its case. 24, after their battered bodies were found on a beach on the southern resort island of . Father weeps at Thai murder photos. A UK autopsy later revealedBen died of a transected aorta a rupture of the bodys largest artery rather than a broken neck. 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. Thai beach murders: First pictures of British tourists battered to death on island The victims of the attack in Koh Tao have been named as 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge from Great Yarmouth. The government of Thailand was concerned the murders might affect tourism to the island, with arrivals dropping in the months following the murders. [42] In the trial, the prosecution said the phone was found smashed at the home of a friend of Zaw Lin's. Some were murdered, some died in suspicious circumstances and some died in avoidable accidents. (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 . "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Police have, however, agreed to hand over the garden hoe which was the murder weapon, along with a shoe and a plastic bag. 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. [38] Both men were 22-year-old illegal migrant workers from Rakhine, Myanmar, who worked in the hospitality industry. Hannah was also raped in the attack. [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. Koh Tao Mayor Chaiyan Thurasakul said the website is accused of damaging Koh Taos reputation by calling it Death Island. They followed the animal and discovered that it had been feeding on Elise's remains, which were found among rocks behind the Tanote Family Bay Resort. My YouTube channel is called KOH TAO MURDERS DEATH ISLAND. From: kohtao. Constance Marten seen leaving court after appearing before magistrates charged with manslaughter of baby, Constance Marten and Mark Gordon blow each other a kiss in dock before court hears dead baby was found in bag in shed, Mum identified after dead baby is found on Canford Heath, Thai police covered up what really happened, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). When Nick Pearson died the police didnt go to his room, they didnt interview anybody. They also raised concerns with the absence of legal counsel prior to the confession, as well as difficulties with translation and interpretation. Most mainstream media provide only superficial accounts of what has been happening on the island and their published information is often inaccurate and understated the seriousness of the situation. The investigation of the Witheridge and Miller slayings was widely criticized as the crime scene was not properly secured, and questions were also raised about subsequent DNA testing. 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. [85][15][86] Prayut said that British and Burmese government representatives were "limited to observation" and had to "respect our processes". Thailands prime minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, questioned the attire and behavior of foreign female tourists shortly after the killing of two British backpackers, David Miller and Hannah Witheridge on the island in 2014. Witnesses said items belonging to the Moldovan were seen in the early hours of Tuesday morning and police were alerted. Read about our approach to external linking. Yearly, many professional photographers visit this lodge to capture herds of elephants crossing the dry lake in search of water . Death sentences in Koh Tao killings commuted. 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. [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". 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. 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.