Witheridge was travelling with three other friends, and Miller with two others. [1] Receiving half a million visitors each year,[1] Koh Tao is especially popular with backpackers and known for its marine life and scuba diving. Hannah Witheridge 2014; His family accused the Thai police of a cover-up. He had recently returned to the island after building up a motorbike rental business. They think our country is beautiful and safe and they can do whatever they want, wear bikinis wherever they like, the prime minister said. [2] In 2014, the island had a population of around 5,000 locals. Koh Tao Mayor Chaiyan Thurasakul said the website is accused of damaging Koh Taos reputation by calling it Death Island. Today, we have gotten rid of them.. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. A great number of Western backpackers have died under unexplained circumstances on this tiny tropical island in the past years. How are they ever going to get closure and justice if they dont know what happened? Photograph: Alamy. Police concluded she wanted to break a deep-diving record at more than 24 meters. [85][15][86] Prayut said that British and Burmese government representatives were "limited to observation" and had to "respect our processes". 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. Father weeps at Thai murder photos. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. 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. [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". Hannah was also raped in the attack. [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. Luke Miller 2016; [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. Valentina Novozhenova 2017; Shelley Bot 2017; Police recovered the body and took it to the neighboring island of Koh Phangan. But among some foreigners, Koh Tao has taken on a more sinister reputation. In fact, during one 36-hour spell in April last year, nine people were murdered there. Her mother, Michele claimed that Elise used a fake name of 'Elise Dubuis' to check into the Triple B Bungalows next to Mae Head Pier on Koh Tao. 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". Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo (also known as Win Zaw Htun). 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. German Bernd Grotsch's body was found at his home deep in the jungle in the Mae Haad part of Koh Tao. 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. [90][91], The 2014 murders, along with other deaths and disappearances of tourists, led to British tabloids labelling Koh Tao as "Death Island". 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. 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. Informacin detallada del sitio web y la empresa: joanromans.com, +49803921568627, +34972573012, +34643318517 Focs i Estufes Romans - Joan Romans Hi there! 2040 / 2557", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Koh_Tao_murders&oldid=1135707447, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 26 January 2023, at 10:00. With crystal-clear waters, perfect sandy beaches, palm trees and great nightlife. Therefore, we would like to take this opportunity to ask that Hannah be allowed a well-deserved day of privacy on Friday whilst we join her many friends in a celebration of her life.. [29][30] The police initially speculated about who the culprit might be, alleging various individuals of perpetrating the crime without clear evidence. [36] Footage near the crime scene also showed one of the three men running into a shortcut. 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. Zaw Lin was not convicted of this charge because he held a work permit for the two years preceding the murders. [51][56][57] They argued that the defendants, since they were vulnerable as illegal migrant workers, were scapegoated by the police for the crime. Both victims had been hit several times on the head; Witheridge had been raped, and Miller had been drowned. Martin Totland Frilans. View our online Press Pack. Although Koh Tao is one of the most beautiful islands in Thailand, it has always been shrouded by a dark mystery. The more I was getting involved, the more I was reporting, the more upset the Thais would get," she added. On February 16, 2015, Russian tourist Valentina Novozhyonova, 23, vanished from her hostel on Koh Tao. Bernd Grotsch 2017; 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. The relevant standard in this case was ISO 17025. Upon arriving at the scene, police officers and rescue workers discovered the bodies of Mr Rakeshwar . With crystal-clear waters, perfect sandy beaches, palm trees and great nightlife. [46] The police then forced the suspects to re-enact the murder in front of media,[34] a move condemned by legal experts as prejudicing a fair hearing. Read about our approach to external linking. 8.4K views 2 years ago Dedication to 20 foreigners who died on Koh Tao. It is not known who released the photos from the crime scene. Suter had been a regular snorkeler and his death was totally unexplained. 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. Last modified on Wed 29 Nov 2017 23.45 EST. [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. 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. 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. [5][6] Both were students who were backpacking in Thailand. The autopsy stated he had drowned. 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. That is awful. 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.. A backpacker from Belgium, Elise Dallemagne, 30, was found hanged in the hillson the island on April 28, 2017. [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. Save up to 30% when you upgrade to an image pack. The second man, Wai Phyo,[a] was believed to have left the island by boat the previous night. A Thai/Indian couple circa June 2021. Regional Surat Thani governor Chatpong Chatphum said the Koh Tao murders had dealt a serious blow to tourism. Phone records showed that Elise called her mother on Skype on April 17, 2017, before leaving Koh Phangan on a Ferry on April 19. [51] This decision was criticised by the Solicitors International Human Rights Group, one of the observers at the trial. DESPITE its flawless beaches and crystal seas, Thailand has earned a deadly reputation after 60 Brits died there between 2014 and 2016 alone. The following month Russian Valentina Novozhyonova, 23,vanished from her hostel sparking a police search. [87][88] The protests angered Thailand's prime minister, who believed the demonstrations were a plot "instigated" to hurt the government. [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. 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. We had one day on Koh Tao, it was really hard.". 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. Find the perfect koh tao murder stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. [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 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". Some sources also refer to Wai Phyo as Win Zaw Htun. Some were murdered, some died in suspicious circumstances and some died in avoidable accidents. One of the men Mau Mau resided nearby. Amnesty International has demanded the Thai authorities investigate the torture allegations after one suspect reportedly said he was beaten and threatened with electrocution. 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. Lightboxes. ", The dad added that some of the witnesses they spoke to were "too frightened" to come forward which shows "how the culture is.". 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. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. The convictions were mired in controversy, with supporters of the two men arguing they had been framed because their initial confessions were made under duress. "There has been lots of chit-chat on the internet. Samyak Choudhary; and Hannah was a fun, vibrant and beautiful young woman who will be sorely missed by all who knew her. An unexplained fire that evening burned down three bamboo huts, including the one Elise had been staying in. A judge found the workers guilty and sentenced them to death despite questions about DNA evidence and the police handling of the case. Pol Lt Gen Thanate Pinmuangngam, acting chief of Police Region 8, said In the Dallemagne case, the cause of death was suffocation. [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]. It is always challenging to bring ACCURATE & RELIABLE information about violent crime on Koh Tao because too many people are frightened to speak out publicly and still others try to SHOOT THE MESSENGERS . She added: "They didn't do any investigation at all. Two of the victims were dismembered and disposed of in plastic bags. [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. The hoe was then used to knock Witheridge unconscious, after which the defendants used force to hold her down and took turns raping her, before killing her with the hoe. Ms Witheridge, from Hemsby in Norfolk, and Mr Miller, from Jersey, were murdered on the popular holiday island on September 15. "They won't come forward because they know something is going to happen to them," he added. They had been brutally beaten to death just a few feet away from their hotel rooms. But among some foreigners, Koh Tao has taken on a more sinister reputation. The prosecution says a DNA match between samples found on Miss Witheridge's body and the two defendants is central to its case. Owner of Martin Totland Freelance LLC, specializing in event photography, freelance journalism, and Norwegian . In January 2014, 25-year-old Nick Pearson was found dead in the sea below a cliff while visiting the island. The families dont believe a word of the Thai police investigation. 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. It has over 100 hotels and resorts and was deemed the busiest diving centre in Southeast Asia in 2014. Both entered through the Ranong Province, allegedly without presenting themselves at a port of entry and without possessing a passport. The court has now been told that vital DNA evidence cannot be retested. "We'll go with the flow as much as we can. A member of staff told police he heard four to five cries of someone in shock approximately 10 minutes . Now their families are demanding answers. The murders on Koh Tao, a laid-back haven for divers, sullied Thailand's image in the tourism industry, which accounts for about 10 per cent of the country's economy. 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. They stated they were driven by a desire to rape the victim following sexual arousal when they saw the couple kissing on the beach. 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. [11][19] Several other suspects were also named, amid pressure to produce results, a new one every other day. Police received the initial report at 4.45pm on Friday. Tony Witheridge bowed his head as bloody images of. [33][34] Over 200 individuals on the island, many of them migrant workers, were tested in mass DNA testing. David Miller 2014; HARROWING photos of the corpses of English backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller have surfaced online, traumatising their families. 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. 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. "[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". Rockefeller Audio 2022. Despite claims of a fall, he had no broken bones. His body was found at the beach at the Hillside Resort on Koh Tao, on January 1, 2014. Its just really shoddy investigation work- I personally think theres something going on on that island. Khao San Lomprayah - 2100 arrives Koh Tao 0845 > check prices for Bangkok to Koha Tao night bus and ferry and book now. "I only had my suspicions, his body came back to me without a wallet or anything on him. I was told on more than one occasion that I needed to take down this stuff from the paper. The government of Thailand was concerned the murders might affect tourism to the island, with arrivals dropping in the months following the murders. 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. The police quickly closed the inquiry, stating that he had drowned whilst swimming. [50], An 18-day trial began on 8 July 2015 in the Koh Samui Provincial Court. Picture: Viral Press/Australscope Mr Sachathamakul's wife, Anshoo. He said more security cameras would be installed on beaches. 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. A police officer told the trial of the severe injuries Miss Witheridge suffered and evidence she had been raped. [15] Experts have considered the forensic investigation to have been incompetent, and to have possibly framed the suspects. WARNING CONTAINS SOME DISTURBING IMAGES OF DEATH. Elise Dallemagne 2017; These illegal workers often reside with friends on the island, making it difficult to identify them. Four months later, eight bodies were found after a cartel murder spree. However, the event did not materially affect tourism to the island over the following years. It has a population of around 1,500 people and the main settlement is Ban Mae Hat. I just listened to your full podcast about Koh Tao with considerable interest. 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. And on Koh Tao there are around 5,000 Burmese conspicuous by the golden streaks of thanaka paste, a traditional sunscreen and beauty product, garnishing their cheeks who build hotels, sweep. The Koh Tao murders had a big impact on the island, it left a very deep impression! All times AEDT (GMT +11).