[15], Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo retracted their statements following a visit from a consular lawyer for Myanmar and said they had made their statements under duress, after they had allegedly been beaten, left naked in a freezing room, and threatened with electrocution and an extrajudicial killing. I just listened to your full podcast about Koh Tao with considerable interest. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Police have, however, agreed to hand over the garden hoe which was the murder weapon, along with a shoe and a plastic bag. Once youve been living there for a while, youll turn a blind eye to some pretty sketchy stuff, says Mike Earley, 30, from New Zealand, who spent six months on the island working as a DJ. The island became world news when two British backpackers, David Miller and Hannah Witheridge were brutally murdered on the island in 2014. Bernds family in Ingolstadt, Germany, said that the authorities told them he had died of heart failure or had been bitten by a snake. Verdicts in the case are not expected until October. But although David's family called the verdict 'justice', the trial. Since then the Samui Times has been inundated with . [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. A few days later, staff checked her room to discover her mobile phone, passport and camera had all been left behind. [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". Or is Koh Tao just unlucky for visitors or is there something more sinister happening on the beautiful Thai island and haven for Scuba divers? Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. 2023 BBC. 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 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. Eight days later when locals living near the island's idyllic Tanote Bay became suspicious of a monitor lizard going back and fourth into the jungle they discovered Elise's half-eaten body on May 27 among rocks behind the Tanote Family Bay Resort. It covers an area of about 21 km2. [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. The family of some of the deceased - including three more Brits - have accused local cops of not investigating the deaths of their loved ones. [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." However, according to Rhys Bonney, an immigration adviser to expats in Thailand, the legality of the businesses are an extremely grey area. 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. The items were still there are 3 am and he called the police. Post-mortems found that Hannah had died from head wounds, while engineering student Mr Miller suffered severe blows to his head and drowned. Something went wrong, please try again later. [11][19] Several other suspects were also named, amid pressure to produce results, a new one every other day. "[56] Attempts to appeal the sentence to the High Court in 2017 were unsuccessful. Allegations about police brutality rocked the countrys economy that almost solely relies on tourism. Administratively it is a subdistrict (tambon) of Ko Pha-ngan District (amphoe) of Surat Thani Province. But among some foreigners, Koh Tao has taken on a more sinister reputation. My Facebook page is called KOH TAO DEATH ISLAND. He had not been questioned by police - even though officers had his name in their files. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. Expats dont want to lose their time in paradise, Earley tells Time, as its cheap, its nice living, and its very easy to ignore what happens". 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. Today, we have gotten rid of them.. With crystal-clear waters, perfect sandy beaches, palm trees and great nightlife. She had checked into the hostel on February 11 and was due to check out on February 16 but failed to do so. The last known video footage of the Russian woman showed her walking to Chaloke Hin Kao bay and never coming back. Coincidentally, pictures of Bernd with a snake were to be found online. [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. Belgian backpacker Elise Dallemagne, 30, was found hanging from a tree on April 27, 2017. A young backpacker has become the latest tourist found dead on Thailand's notorious 'death island', Tanote Bay in Koh Tao where a backpacker was found dead on April 27, Sairee beach where Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found bludgeoned to death, Chillingly, the death of Elise appears to have been suppressed by Thai authorities, Elise Dallemange, 30, here pictured with mum Michele, had been living at a yoga and tantra retreat, Elise had been travelling around Asia for the last two years, Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were murdered in September 2014, Hannah is pictured (right) with her sister Laura, Luke Miller was found dead in a swimming pool in Koh Tao, Thai police have been accused by his family for not investigating the murder fully, Christina Annesley, 23, died on the island in January 2015, Christina's parents slammed Thai authorities for failing to investigate the death, Nick Pearson's parents are convinced their son was murdered in Koh Tao, Valentina Novozhyonova, 23, vanished from her hostel on Koh Tao in March, She had checked into the hostel on February 11 and was due to check out on February 16, Frenchman Dimitri Povse, 29, was found hanged in a bungalow on the island. Myanmar men who murdered two UK backpackers on Ko Tao have their death sentences commuted to life Mobile phone of Ukrainian woman key to the puzzle as police decide between murder or suicide Ko Samui police probe the death of a Ukrainian woman found in a forested area last Sunday by a local man Carla Boonkong & Pranee O' Connor The mother told Der Farang magazine that she had been promised an autopsy report - but has still not been delivered. 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. As investigators descended upon the apartment, one of them picked up a camera and photographed the scene. [93] Amid the investigation, Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul visited Koh Tao on 28 September 2014 in an attempt to reassure tourists. Fototeka is a large photo digitation service that works in conjunction with the National Film Archive to enhance historically relevant vintage photographs. 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. [51][21] The trial was attended by external observers, including representatives from Amnesty International and the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. But it was in this idyllic setting that their horribly bludgeoned bodies were discovered, their blood seeping into the sand and staining the water. It's dangerous. [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". Brits Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were murdered as they walked back to their hotel rooms in September 2014. Dive resorts boast of its crystal-clear waters, and Western tourists flock to its lively beach bars. On 15 September, the bodies of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found on Sairee Beach on the island of Koh Tao, between 4 and 5am, a few hours after their deaths. Grace Beahm Alford/The Post and Courier/Pool Grace Beahm Alford/The Post and Courier/Pool Diagram of crime scene. The relevant standard in this case was ISO 17025. He had been dead about 10 days and had left to go snorkeling alone on November 8. 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". I shall post a link to your podcast on my Facebook page. Hundreds dead in horror cough syrup tragedy, Hero Aussie soldier suddenly dies aged 33. While he claimed she "kissed the gun" and that it was an accidental suicide, others - including . Informacin detallada del sitio web y la empresa: smpsotomasyon.com, +902163767779 SMPS OTOMASYON | Plc, Kart, Servo Motor, Src, Panel Tamiri 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. But among some foreigners, Koh Tao has taken on a more sinister reputation. shark tank hamdog net worth SU,F's Musings from the Interweb. A mistake that many forensic experts say jeopardized the entire investigation.Throughout the investigation and criminal trial, the Thai government and police were heavily criticized by human rights organizations, legal experts, and the media. The Davidson County Sheriff's Office has released photos of the Corbett home taken the night Jason Corbett was bludgeoned to death in his bedroom. 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". On Thursday, the New York District Attorney released crime scene photos showing blood spatter and the knife allegedly used by nanny Yoselyn Ortega to kill two young children in her care. [1][47] The national police chief, Somyot Poompanmoung, denied that torture was involved in the confessions. Hiroshi 2002; [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. Valentina was reported to have been visiting the island to go freediving an activity the area is famed for among backpackers. I'm asking if they wear bikinis in Thailand, will they be safe? [33][34] Over 200 individuals on the island, many of them migrant workers, were tested in mass DNA testing. [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. He also had given no indications before his death, that he had suicidal thoughts. 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. https://time.com/3955081/thailand-koh-tao-murder-david-miller-hannah-witheridge-zaw-lin-wai-phyo-burma-myanmar/, https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/dark-side-koh-tao-seven-10708561, https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/true-crime-in-the-outdoors/tag/Cases+on+the+Death+Island+of+Koh+Tao, https://www.nist.gov/feature-stories/dna-mixtures-forensic-science-explainer. The images shown to the court were graphic, reports Jonah Fisher in Thailand. Their parents must be going through hell just like we are and we have been for the last almost two years. Christina Annesley, 23, was one of the many young Brits who sadly died in Koh Tao. Michelle, who says the death would have gone unnoticed if not for her public appeal for help, said: "I do not believe what the police have told us. BBC correspondent Jonah Fisher said Miss Witheridge's father and brother sat with their heads bowed as the evidence was presented in court but continued listening. "[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". The team were only allowed to spend two hours on Koh Tao and did not meet with the suspects or defence. Valentina Novozhenova 2017; Only if they are not beautiful. 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