We admit that in the past, there was a mafia there that took advantage of tourists. Buchanan who left Thailand in 2016 after receiving death threats for her reporting, reached out to the victims' families and formed a support group. Martin Totland Frilans. Here are the names of some of the other outsiders who died on Koh Tao: Ian Jacobs 2000; These included backpackers Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, who were found murdered on 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". Our kids all died on Koh Tao 'death island' - cops claim they were The island off the Surat Thani province coast has gained notoriety after a string of suspicious and sensationalised deaths over the years. Koh Tao, where Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were murdered, is steeped in paradoxes. Bergen Area, Norway. [23] Local residents blocked the pier to prevent the unidentified killers from leaving the island. 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. Why are the police not thoroughly investigating, why are they changing facts? Creepy There is a big chance you will fall in love with this little paradise. The government of Thailand was concerned the murders might affect tourism to the island, with arrivals dropping in the months following the murders. Picture: Viral Press/Australscope Samui Times defended its reporting in an online post. Nick Pearson, 25, was found floating in an island bay, at the foot of a 50ft drop by scuba divers in the sea after he disappeared following a night out with his family on New Year's Eve. 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. koh tao murders crime scene photos - Sozyaz.com Best Contents 2023 - 2022 24, after their battered bodies were found on a beach on the southern resort island of . Deaths have been explained away by the authorities as unfortunate accidents or suicides. Samyak Choudhary; and The following month Russian Valentina Novozhyonova, 23,vanished from her hostel sparking a police search. Taupin was ultimately not allowed to testify by the defence, and these issues were not raised by the defence until their closing statement. "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. 1. "We asked for a copy of the CCTV footage and they said it was destroyed. I was good friends with a few and they were all restaurant/bar owners. [3] The murders were the first cases of homicide on the island in over eight years. The island of Koh Tao is located in Southern Thailand. But among some foreigners, Koh Tao has taken on a more sinister reputation. 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. 92 Visitor. Heightened vigilance has been urged for all countries after two new deadly virus cases were detected in humans in China. [5][6] Both were students who were backpacking in Thailand. 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.". [31] They focused on foreign nationals, with a spokesperson for the police claiming "Thais wouldn't do this". 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. 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. A Thai/Indian couple circa June 2021. "They did a visual post-mortem - just by looking at him they said he died of a broken neck and that his face was looking towards his back. She was said to have died of natural causes after mixing antibiotics she was taking for a chest infection with alcohol. June 6, 2021. [52] The suspects were defended pro bono by two lawyers from the Lawyers Council of Thailand. They weren't looked down upon or treated poorly at all. 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. The island of Koh Tao, off the coast of Thailand, is often described as a paradise. Its just really shoddy investigation work- I personally think theres something going on on that island. It leaves Khao San Songserm at either 1800 or 1900. "Another one of my sons was there with him, he was absolutely distraught looking at the police just laughing at him. 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. "We identified a person who was with her last and they didn't follow up with them- then we asked for a blood sample and they delayed. Two migrant workers from Myanmar on death row for the 2014 murder of two British backpackers on Koh Tao have had their sentences commuted to life in . WARNING CONTAINS SOME DISTURBING IMAGES OF DEATH. [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". From: kohtao. Dark side of Koh Tao: The seven tourists found dead on Thailand's 'murder island' after backpacker 'eaten by lizards' Koh Tao was plunged into the spotlight when the semi-naked bodies of. Read about our approach to external linking. [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. 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. Some 200 children have died in one nation after taking toxic cough syrups. [1][51] According to an observer, the sittings lasted over ten hours each day. 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. [61], On July 10, the court ordered the DNA to be retested. It has long had a reputation as a home for organized crime, corruption and as a place where the police protected local interests. Exclusive location in the Kitirua Conservancy. [10], Witheridge and Miller travelled and arrived on the island separately on 25 August. After unsuccessfully trying to find their possessions, they walked towards Mau Mau's house through the shortcut, which resulted in them being caught on CCTV. Some of these workers said they can earn more money in Thailand compared to Myanmar. Stock photos, 360 images, vectors and videos. Last pictures of Brit backpackers David Miller and Hannah Witheridge How are they ever going to get closure and justice if they dont know what happened? [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. 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. Theres a disproportionate amount of suspicious deaths on that island- and the link is that none of the families believe the police investigation or the information theyve been given. 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". [47] Thailand's National Human Rights Commission attempted to investigate the allegations, but police representatives did not appear at four scheduled meetings. We beg that Hannah and David are afforded privacy and dignity through the removal of these pointless and insensitive reminders. [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. 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. That is awful. [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. 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. [51][56][57] They argued that the defendants, since they were vulnerable as illegal migrant workers, were scapegoated by the police for the crime. A few days later, staff checked her room to discover her mobile phone, passport and camera had all been left behind. Thai beach deaths DNA evidence . [6] Miller had just completed his undergraduate degree in civil and structural engineering at the University of Leeds and was starting a masters degree. Although Koh Tao is one of the most beautiful islands in Thai. [67] Protesters called for the release of the two suspects, who they believed were innocent and scapegoated for the crime. 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. Part of the reason for coming out, was to go to Koh Tao. We won't comment on the trial process. The two men deny murdering Miss Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, and David Miller, 24, from Jersey. [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. Outcry from the international community over the death penalties upheld 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. Some were murdered, some died in suspicious circumstances and some died in avoidable accidents. Christina Annesley 2015; [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". 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. Their bodies were found on a beach on the island of Koh Tao last September. Rocio Gomez; 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. [42] In the trial, the prosecution said the phone was found smashed at the home of a friend of Zaw Lin's. Koh Tao murders: Thai court upholds death penalty for two men convicted of killing British backpackers . UPDATE: Billionaire couple found dead at bottom of Koh Tao - Thaiger Suter had been a regular snorkeler and his death was totally unexplained. [11] The two met in Koh Tao while staying at the same hotel. THE BEST Kurunegala Forests (with Photos) - Tripadvisor [1], A defence team from Bangkok, composed of nearly 20 lawyers, were only permitted half an hour to meet the men; a request by the defence to delay the hearing and allow more time to prepare was denied by a judge at the Koh Samui Provincial Court. 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. He told the Sun Online: "We want justice. Wealth Businessman and Wife Found Dead in Koh Tao Resort Pool They had no prior criminal records. Koh Tao murders: Thai court upholds death penalty for two men convicted The body of his 55-year-old mother was only found later when rescue services arrived at the scene. Thai authorities claimed he was drunk and fell, but his family believes he was murdered.. Bernd's cousin Christina said: ''We cannot accept what the Thai authorities on the island are telling us. Available for both RF and RM licensing. Four months later, eight bodies were found after a cartel murder spree. 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. A police officer told the trial of the severe injuries Miss Witheridge suffered and evidence she had been raped. Our kids all died on Koh Tao 'death island' - cops claim they were Create an account. [82][83] The UK government expressed concerns with the investigation, and summoned a Thai diplomat in London to discuss them. On February 16, 2015, Russian tourist Valentina Novozhyonova, 23, vanished from her hostel on Koh Tao. HARROWING photos of the corpses of English backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller have surfaced online, traumatising their families. [29][30] The police initially speculated about who the culprit might be, alleging various individuals of perpetrating the crime without clear evidence. [14][22] The police moved the bodies to prevent them being swept up in the rising tide. DESPITE its flawless beaches and crystal seas, Thailand has earned a deadly reputation after 60 Brits died there between 2014 and 2016 alone. 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. Two of the victims were dismembered and disposed of in plastic bags. Today, we have gotten rid of them.. Again when Christina Annesley died police didnt interview the last person she was seen with while she was alive. Six weeks on . In January 2014, 25-year-old Nick Pearson was found dead in the sea below a cliff while visiting the island. Aug 2014 - Dec 20217 years 5 months. [70] Wai Phyo was also convicted of theft for allegedly stealing a phone and sunglasses from Miller's body. [90][91], The 2014 murders, along with other deaths and disappearances of tourists, led to British tabloids labelling Koh Tao as "Death Island". [21][25] There was tearing present at the vulva, bruising on the perineum, and a bite mark on her right nipple. In 2018 in Cancn alone, there were 540 murders. 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. He had entered the country on September 26, 2018, before traveling to the island, where stayed at the Monsoon Gym and Fight Club. [20] Both bodies were found semi-naked;[21] a pile of clothes was found nearby. Forensic report into British murders in Thailand leaked to local media In accepting the 2nd retrial plea, sought by the family of Hiromu Sakahara, who died of illness aged 75 while serving his term in 2011, the Osaka High Court said . With crystal-clear waters, perfect sandy beaches, palm trees and great nightlife. We've all heard about the 2014 backpacker murders of two British tourists in Koh Tao, Thailand. 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. [5][40] The commutation was welcomed by Miller's family. Bangkok Post - Topic Download videos of River diver on Depositphotos Millions of high-quality, royalty-free stock videos, footage and clips at affordable prices. Tony Witheridge bowed his head as bloody images of his daughter's body were shown on the third day of the trial of Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo. Boyne Annesley believes his 23-year-old daughter Christina Annesley, of Orpington, southeast London, was murdered on Koh Tao Island in January 2015. Zaw Lin was not convicted of this charge because he held a work permit for the two years preceding the murders. View our online Press Pack. Andy was assisting the defence lawyers. What really happened there? Phone records showed that Elise called her mother on Skype on April 17, 2017, before leaving Koh Phangan on a Ferry on April 19. It was said the pair went swimming on the same beach earlier that night, and when they got out of the water they found their clothes had disappeared. The suspects however have withdrawn their confessions to the murders and claimed Thai police forced the admissions through torture. Two weeks later, two illegal Burmese migrant workers were blamed for the deaths, primarily on the basis of DNA evidence, and confessed following an hours-long interrogation. In December 2015, the pair were convicted of the murder and sentenced to death. Get latest News Information, Articles on Thailand Vs Indonesia Live Streaming Updated on December 27, 2018 19:20 with exclusive Pictures, photos & videos on Thailand Vs Indonesia Live Streaming at Latestly.com - Page 18 Our daughter died on 'Death Island' - was it tragic accident or murder 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. Alexandr Bucspun, 33, from Moldova, was found dead in the sea off Had Sai Ree on Koh Tao on Tuesday, October 9, 2018. Administratively it is a subdistrict (tambon) of Ko Pha-ngan District (amphoe) of Surat Thani Province. Allegations about police brutality rocked the countrys economy that almost solely relies on tourism. The mysterious Koh Tao - Death Island in Paradise Koh Tao, Thailand: Photo of David Miller and Hannah Witheridge Murder 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. However, the event did not materially affect tourism to the island over the following years. [1][96], Although tourist arrivals to Koh Tao dropped in the months immediately following the murders, there was little lasting effect on tourism to the island.[92]. Bernd Grotsch 2017; "[56] Attempts to appeal the sentence to the High Court in 2017 were unsuccessful. Doubts lingered over the conviction of two migrant Burmese workers for the rape and murders, Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo (also known as Win Zaw Htun). [1][4][24] Witheridge's body indicated she had been raped. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? Top Kurunegala Forests: See reviews and photos of Forests in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka on Tripadvisor. Pol Lt Gen Thanate Pinmuangngam, acting chief of Police Region 8, said In the Dallemagne case, the cause of death was suffocation. GermanBernd Grotsch, 47, was found deadat his home deep in the jungle in the Mae Haad part of Koh Tao. 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.. 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. 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. 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. We'll be dignified for David. [4][11][14] Their bodies were discovered on Sairee Beach a few hours later, between 4 and 5am, by a mute Burmese beach cleaner. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Direct quotations from the trial are unavailable, as the judges did not permit the public to take notes. She had checked into the hostel on February 11 and was due to check out on February 16, but failed to do so. But, he said that most of these would have been present prior to his death, although he could not completely rule out the possibility that Nick had been attacked. 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. Witheridge was travelling with three other friends, and Miller with two others. [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. Investigators had no theory to explain her unexpected stopover on Koh Tao on her way back to the mainland and the capital Bangkok. [4], The victims of the murders were Hannah Witheridge, a 23-year-old from Hemsby, England, and David Miller, a 24-year-old from Jersey, a Crown Dependency. It has a population of around 1,500 people and the main settlement is Ban Mae Hat. Hell in Paradise: of Margaritas and Murders - UNRESERVED He announced that he had "ordered all security-related agencies to track down those who are behind the Myanmar demonstrations". 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. Elise went 1.5 miles (2.5km) through the jungle to Tanote Bay and took a room at the Poseidon Resort where she booked another ticket for Bangkok leaving on April 24. The Backpacker Murders of Koh Tao. What really happened there? To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. In September 2014, two European backpackers, Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found murdered on Sairee Beach on Thailands island of Koh Tao. 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! His family accused the Thai police of a cover-up. Koh Tao Murders - Forensic Tales [37] Two weeks after the bodies were found, on 1 October 2014, police interrogated Mau Mau, who said he took the motorcycle and separated from the other two men before the murders occurred, and found them both home asleep by the time he had returned. He was travelling Southeast Asia with a friend after completing a six-week work placement in Australia with a mining company,[6][8][9] and arrived in Thailand in August. Book Koh Tao Cabana, Koh Tao on Tripadvisor: See 884 traveller reviews, 2,154 candid photos, and great deals for Koh Tao Cabana, ranked #14 of 194 hotels in Koh Tao and rated 4 of 5 at Tripadvisor. ", Mrs Miller said: "It's been hard, very hard. [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". Since then the Samui Times has been inundated with .
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