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. [42] In the trial, the prosecution said the phone was found smashed at the home of a friend of Zaw Lin's. From: kohtao. [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. [29][30] The police initially speculated about who the culprit might be, alleging various individuals of perpetrating the crime without clear evidence. We admit that in the past, there was a mafia there that took advantage of tourists. Shelley Bot 2017; 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. Chrissie's heartbroken dad Boyne Annesley started investigating more deaths in Koh Tao. The discovery of the bodies last September sparked a major police investigation and intense local and international pressure to find those responsible. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. 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. Both entered through the Ranong Province, allegedly without presenting themselves at a port of entry and without possessing a passport. 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. [1][47] The national police chief, Somyot Poompanmoung, denied that torture was involved in the confessions. 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! The island off the Surat Thani province coast has gained notoriety after a string of suspicious and sensationalised deaths over the years. 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. [23] Local residents blocked the pier to prevent the unidentified killers from leaving the island. 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. Hanspeter Suter 2014; HARROWING photos of the corpses of English backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller have surfaced online, traumatising their families. When Nick Pearson died the police didnt go to his room, they didnt interview anybody. 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 . 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. Despite claims of a fall, he had no broken bones. While police ruled out foul play, Nick's family, who say officers did not investigate a single witness, believe he was murdered. That is awful. 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. Hannah was a fun, vibrant and beautiful young woman who will be sorely missed by all who knew her. [11], An autopsy revealed that both victims were hit by a hard object resulting in head and face wounds. 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. [4][11][14] Their bodies were discovered on Sairee Beach a few hours later, between 4 and 5am, by a mute Burmese beach cleaner. The two men deny murdering Miss Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, and David Miller, 24, from Jersey. They had no prior criminal records. These included backpackers Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, who were found murdered on the . [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. The pictures, which News Corp Australia will not reproduce, were taken on the beach at Koh Tao, where the pair was hacked to death with a garden hoe, allegedly by two Burmese men who confessed to the bloody crime then withdrew their confessions. "There has been lots of chit-chat on the internet. Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong had some stern words for China over any role it might play in the war in Ukraine. The country's prime minister, who had been phoning the national police chief daily for updates on the investigation, said "this should not have happened at all, as it will affect Thailand in the eyes of the international community". And the same goes for Luke Millers mum Sara Cotton. One of the men Mau Mau resided nearby. A great number of Western backpackers have died under unexplained circumstances on this tiny tropical island in the past years. Koh Tao Mayor Chaiyan Thurasakul said the website is accused of damaging Koh Taos reputation by calling it Death Island. Amnesty International has demanded the Thai authorities investigate the torture allegations after one suspect reportedly said he was beaten and threatened with electrocution. Owner of Martin Totland Freelance LLC, specializing in event photography, freelance journalism, and Norwegian . 8.4K views 2 years ago Dedication to 20 foreigners who died on Koh Tao. "[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". "So my suspicions are that it was a mugging that went wrong. On February 16, 2015, Russian tourist Valentina Novozhyonova, 23, vanished from her hostel on Koh Tao. German Bernd Grotsch's body was found at his home deep in the jungle in the Mae Haad part of Koh Tao. 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. I have created a Facebook page and a YouTube channel dedicated to looking into tourist deaths on Koh Tao. Bernd Grotsch 2017; It leaves Khao San Songserm at either 1800 or 1900. Read about our approach to external linking. The last known video footage of the Russian woman showed her walking to Chaloke Hin Kao bay and never coming back. There were no witnesses. A backpacker from Belgium, Elise Dallemagne, 30, was found hanged in the hillson the island on April 28, 2017. 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. Four months later, eight bodies were found after a cartel murder spree. Khao San Lomprayah - 2100 arrives Koh Tao 0845 > check prices for Bangkok to Koha Tao night bus and ferry and book now. It would be impossible, some of the boulders are so big they would have stopped him but he didnt have a single broken bone. Top Kurunegala Forests: See reviews and photos of Forests in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka on Tripadvisor. 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. The island is small and gifted with loads of hidden gems and completely deserted bays. The pictures, which News Corp Australia will not reproduce, were taken on the beach at Koh Tao, where the pair was hacked to death with a garden hoe, allegedly by two Burmese men who confessed to the bloody crime then withdrew their confessions. Some sources also refer to Wai Phyo as Win Zaw Htun. [33][34] Over 200 individuals on the island, many of them migrant workers, were tested in mass DNA testing. 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. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. [38] Police entered the home the next day; only one of the men, Zaw Lin, was present. Only if they are not beautiful. He later apologized, saying that he meant only that foreign visitors should be careful. The former founder of the Samui Times suggests in her new book The curse of the Turtle, released earlier this month by WildBlue Press, that something fishy is going on on that island., She challenges the validity of the investigations conducted by the Thai police claiming she has a lot of evidence and speaks of powerful local families running the island without having to comply with any laws. Regional Surat Thani governor Chatpong Chatphum said the Koh Tao murders had dealt a serious blow to tourism. [63] They plead not guilty to the charge at the trial, but Wai Phyo changed his plea to guilty during the proceedings. Although Koh Tao is one of the most beautiful islands in Thailand, it has always been shrouded by a dark mystery. Their bodies were found on a beach on the island of Koh Tao last September. Find the perfect koh tao murder stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. 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. In August 2020, Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo had their death sentences commuted to life in prison to commemorate King Vajiralongkorn's birthday and to show his "clemency". 2040 / 2557, Regional Court of Appeal VIII No. [53], The prosecution's case focused on findings of the police and medical examiner, with an emphasis on the DNA evidence. Frenchman, Dimitri Povse, 29, was found hanging from the beam of a rented house on January 1, 2015. 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. The images shown to the court were graphic, reports Jonah Fisher in Thailand. 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. In 2018 in Cancn alone, there were 540 murders. Nick Pearson, 25, was found floating in an island bay, at the foot of a 50ft drop on New Years Day 2014. DNA was collected from these three areas and sent to a police forensics lab for analysis. But they were skeptical and he was fit and healthy at the time of his death. Koh Tao, Thailand, Serial killers, Unexplained murders WARNING CONTAINS SOME DISTURBING IMAGES OF DEATH The island of Koh Tao, off the coast of Thailand, is often described as a paradise. 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. The second man, Wai Phyo,[a] was believed to have left the island by boat the previous night. 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 more I was getting involved, the more I was reporting, the more upset the Thais would get," she added. Photograph: Alamy. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. [11] The two met in Koh Tao while staying at the same hotel. They still maintain their innocence, as they did throughout the trial. 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. [88][89] Hacker group Anonymous published a video on 3 January 2016 criticising the verdict. [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. The police were under pressure to produce results quickly, which affected how they conducted their investigation. "I only had my suspicions, his body came back to me without a wallet or anything on him. "Another one of my sons was there with him, he was absolutely distraught looking at the police just laughing at him. The head of the country's Central Institute of Forensic Science found that the DNA on the hoe did not match the defendants. 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. I shall post a link to your podcast on my Facebook page. 24, after their battered bodies were found on a beach on the southern resort island of . 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Photographs of the bodies have been circulating on the internet. But among some foreigners, Koh Tao has taken on a more sinister reputation. As we continue with our plans for our beautiful Hannahs party, our thoughts are with David Millers family who are suffering the same indescribable agony. [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. We have done our own investigation and we are sure she was murdered. Taupin was ultimately not allowed to testify by the defence, and these issues were not raised by the defence until their closing statement. Nick's mother Tracy Pearson, told Derby and South Derbyshire Coroner's Court in the U.K., she had "a gut feeling there was foul play". [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". Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. [10][32] They highlighted a British tourist who had shared a room with Miller as a suspect, labelling it a "crime of passion"; he became the subject of a nationwide manhunt before the police quickly dropped the lead. On Tuesday, new details emerged as police investigated the death of a wealthy billionaire industrialist and his wife on Ko Tao last Friday. The court has now been told that vital DNA evidence cannot be retested. 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. Koh Tao Murder - Thai Police, their scapegoats and tourist trade - Exposed by AnonymousThis video goes into the deep facts of the recent Koh Tao Island murder of David Miller and Hannah. Rocio Gomez; [1][31] Pornthip Rojanasunand, a Thai forensic scientist, testified at the trial that the crime scene was poorly managed. [54] They argued that the defendants intended to kill Miller, using a hoe to hit him multiple times on the head. With crystal-clear waters, perfect sandy beaches, palm trees and great nightlife. They weren't looked down upon or treated poorly at all. 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 dad added that some of the witnesses they spoke to were "too frightened" to come forward which shows "how the culture is.". After searching, All rights reserved. Witnesses said items belonging to the Moldovan were seen in the early hours of Tuesday morning and police were alerted. Yearly, many professional photographers visit this lodge to capture herds of elephants crossing the dry lake in search of water . Lightboxes. 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.". While collecting forensic evidence, tourists and locals were allowed to walk on the beach. There have been suspicious reports of hand-sized bruises found on Lukes shoulders. The body had to be identified using dental records and previous X-rays. His family accused the Thai police of a cover-up. It will take a bit of time to find loopholes to appeal. Buy images; Sell images; Lightboxes; "They won't come forward because they know something is going to happen to them," he added. A millionaire hotel tycoon and his wife have been found dead in a luxury resort on Koh Tao, colloquially known as Death Island. 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. While police claimed that she hanged herself, mystery surrounded her death, as it was revealed she used a fake name at the hostel she was staying. The relevant standard in this case was ISO 17025. 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. [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". WARNING CONTAINS SOME DISTURBING IMAGES OF DEATH. Boyne Annesley believes his 23-year-old daughter Christina Annesley, of Orpington, southeast London, was murdered on Koh Tao Island in January 2015. But among some foreigners, Koh Tao has taken on a more sinister reputation. [50], An 18-day trial began on 8 July 2015 in the Koh Samui Provincial Court. He had entered the country on September 26, 2018, before traveling to the island, where stayed at the Monsoon Gym and Fight Club. The suspects were initially denied access to legal counsel, and alleged that police used torture and threats to secure a confession. [14][22] The police moved the bodies to prevent them being swept up in the rising tide. 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. Speaking at the court, Mr Miller's father Ian said he and his wife Sue had come "with an open mind", adding that it had been an emotional time for the family. 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. Here are the names of some of the other outsiders who died on Koh Tao: Ian Jacobs 2000; [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. [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. We've all heard about the 2014 backpacker murders of two British tourists in Koh Tao, Thailand. [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". [15] Experts have considered the forensic investigation to have been incompetent, and to have possibly framed the suspects.
Harry And Meghan Latest News Today 2022,
How Does A Sagittarius Break Up With You,
Tin Foil Popcorn Experiment,
Pleiku Vietnam Army Base,
Bill Rausch Maura Murray,
Articles K