Hotels near The Heart of Chechnya Hotels near State Gallery named after A. The Koh Samui Provincial Court has set 24 December as the date to deliver its judgement on two Myanmar men, Zaw Lin and Zaw Ein Htun (aka Wai Phyo), who are accused of murdering two British tourists on Thailand's Koh Tao Island on September 15 last year. 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 . Koh Tao (also Ko Tao) - literally Turtle Island in the Chumphon Archipelago. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. [51][56][57] They argued that the defendants, since they were vulnerable as illegal migrant workers, were scapegoated by the police for the crime. Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo (also known as Win Zaw Htun). She added: The families of all the victims are not happy with the police reports, autopsy reports in Thailand dont match autopsy reports in the UK. Alexandr Bucspun, 33, from Moldova, was found dead in the sea off Had Sai Ree on Koh Tao on Tuesday, October 9, 2018. 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. Exclusive location in the Kitirua Conservancy. [66], On 24 December 2015, Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo were found guilty of murdering Witheridge and Miller by the three judges, and were sentenced to death. [63] They plead not guilty to the charge at the trial, but Wai Phyo changed his plea to guilty during the proceedings. Available for both RF and RM licensing. He originally moved to the island in the late 1990s but left in 2016 after becoming frustrated with the corruption and hostility towards foreign business owners. Cart. Virat Asavachin (Mr Ban) 2002; For other inquiries, Contact Us. Police concluded she wanted to break a deep-diving record at more than 24 meters. [11][19] Several other suspects were also named, amid pressure to produce results, a new one every other day. [26][27] However, her clothes were not tested for DNA. [1][4][24] Witheridge's body indicated she had been raped. The island is small and gifted with loads of hidden gems and completely deserted bays. 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. Hannah Witheridge was seen walking through Koh Tao with a group of friends - all of whom are thought to be British - just hours before being brutally murdered +17 View gallery The 23-year-old. Amnesty International has demanded the Thai authorities investigate the torture allegations after one suspect reportedly said he was beaten and threatened with electrocution. 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. The last known video footage of the Russian woman showed her walking to Chaloke Hin Kao bay and never coming back. 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. 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. [11], An autopsy revealed that both victims were hit by a hard object resulting in head and face wounds. CTN News. He announced that he had "ordered all security-related agencies to track down those who are behind the Myanmar demonstrations". Samyak Choudhary; and 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.. Although Koh Tao is one of the most beautiful islands in Thai. [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. See the latest list of Exclusive members-only articles on StrangeOutdoors.com, https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30320196. Both were found dead on the bottom of a swimming pool at a seaside resort on Koh Tao in Surat Thani. In January 2014, 25-year-old Nick Pearson was found dead in the sea below a cliff while visiting the island. 10 July 2015. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. A few days later, staff checked her room to discover her mobile phone, passport and camera had all been left behind. Ten days after he went missing from Sairee Beach on Koh Tao, the body of Swiss tourist Hans Peter Suter, 44, was washed ashore at Talay Ngam beach in Lang Suan district of Chumphon province on Tuesday, November 18, 2014. 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". 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. They stated they were driven by a desire to rape the victim following sexual arousal when they saw the couple kissing on the beach. A member of staff told police he heard four to five cries of someone in shock approximately 10 minutes . Top Rotherham Self-Guided Tours & Rentals: See reviews and photos of Self-Guided Tours & Rentals in Rotherham, England on Tripadvisor. Our family have been further traumatised by reports that there are numerous unnecessary and senseless photographs circulating across the internet. At least eleven European tourists have died or disappeared there since 2014 and it is now described as Death Island or Murder Island. They also found a suicide note at the scene. The discovery of the bodies last September sparked a major police investigation and intense local and international pressure to find those responsible. "So for an hour the families of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller looked and listened as crime scene pictures were shown in court.". 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". Hannah was a University of Essex student from Hemsby in Norfolk, UK, and David was a civil and structural engineering graduate, from Jersey. Buchanan who left Thailand in 2016 after receiving death threats for her reporting, reached out to the victims' families and formed a support group. 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. 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. "Another one of my sons was there with him, he was absolutely distraught looking at the police just laughing at him. 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. A royal commutation does not require an admission of guilt. Hi there! Despite claims of a fall, he had no broken bones. There were no witnesses. Owner of Martin Totland Freelance LLC, specializing in event photography, freelance journalism, and Norwegian . To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Allegations about police brutality rocked the countrys economy that almost solely relies on tourism. Picture: Viral Press/Australscope [59] The defence struggled to find members of the public willing to testify at the trial, as many feared retribution,[1][60] hence their alibi was not considered convincing by the court. Create an account. The economy of the island is almost exclusively centered on tourism, especially scuba diving. It has over 100 hotels and resorts and was deemed the busiest diving centre in Southeast Asia in 2014. 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.". "There has been lots of chit-chat on the internet. 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. 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. 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 . But among some foreigners, Koh Tao has taken on a more sinister reputation. 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. Are there serial killers operating on the island, with their crimes apparently insufficiently investigated so that the tourist industry remains protected? 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. Although Koh Tao is one of the . Two of the victims were dismembered and disposed of in plastic bags. It covers an area of about 21 km2. Pathologist Dr. Michael Biggs told the hearing that there were many injuries on Nick's body, including to the head, limbs, and face. Direct quotations from the trial are unavailable, as the judges did not permit the public to take notes. The following month Russian Valentina Novozhyonova, 23,vanished from her hostel sparking a police search. The evidence in the form of this Unendorsed Report would have been ruled as inadmissible in US courts and other Western courts. Pol Maj Gen Pornchai Sutheerakhun, director of the Institute of Forensic Science at Police General Hospital in Bangkok, said There were wounds around the neck due to the hanging and some non-fatal bruises in the head, and no drugs were found in the body. 2040 / 2557, Regional Court of Appeal VIII No. I just listened to your full podcast about Koh Tao with considerable interest. 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. "As long as I can breathe I will keep trying to find answers.". International experts criticized the DNA testing done by the hospital at the time with claims that samples were tampered with in order to falsely incriminate two Burmese workers. 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 This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. It has long had a reputation as a home for organized crime, corruption and as a place where the police protected local interests. Frenchman, Dimitri Povse, 29, was found hanging from the beam of a rented house on January 1, 2015. 2145/2559, "Two British tourists found dead on Thai island of Koh Tao", "Suspects in Thai Tourist Murders Face Dubious Trial", "Manhunt underway after brutal murder of 2 British tourists on Koh Tao", "Thailand's paradise island murder mystery", "What the Murder of Two British Tourists Tells Us About Thailand's Dark Side", "Thailand's Supreme Court upholds death penalty for men convicted of murdering British backpackers", "Koh Tao DNA evidence & international standards", "Thai court upholds death penalty for murder of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller", "Thailand backpacker murders: Burmese workers sentenced to death", "Thailand beach murders: A flawed and muddled investigation", "Koh Tao murders: DNA matches, confessions obtained, crime re-enacted", "Hearings Open Into Killings of Two British Tourists on Thai Island (Published 2014)", "Thai king commutes death sentence for Myanmar men in British tourist murder case", "Burmese men confess to killing British tourists on Koh Tao, Thai police say", "The Investigation Into Thailand's Backpacker Slayings Is Officially a Farce", "Migrants accused of murder of British couple in Thailand recant confessions", "Thai Dictator Faces Ire Over Murder Probe", "Koh Tao murder suspects plead not guilty", "Burmese pair to be executed for murder of British tourists on Koh Tao, Thailand", "2 Sentenced to Death in Killing of British Tourists in Thailand (Published 2015)", "Thailand murders: Two men found guilty and face death for UK killings", "Thai beach murders: Convicted men lose death sentence appeal", "Thai beach murders: Death sentence upheld by Supreme Court", "Backpacker's family 'grateful' for Thai king's clemency", "Koh Tao pair claim they were tortured before confessing", "Thai beach murders: DNA investigation into death of British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller 'incompetent at best', "Koh Tao murders: suspects in killing of David Miller and Hannah Witheridge say they were framed", "Koh Tao's dark side: dangers of island where Britons were murdered", "Thai Paradise Gains Reputation as 'Death Island', "Foreign Office calls in Thai diplomat over murder inquiry concerns", "Thailand murder suspects can't have British police report: UK judge", "Thai officials on alert as Myanmar protests spread", "Prayut lashes out at Myanmar Koh Tao protestors", "Thailand's Migrant Worker Woes Exposed in Koh Tao Murder Case", "Govt vows "high-tech" defence against hackers", "Island killings prompt stiffer worker rules", "Contesting narratives: the Koh Tao tourists murders", "Unofficial translation of Koh Samui Provincial Court No. [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." Thai authorities claimed he was drunk and fell, but his family believes he was murdered.. 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. He later apologised for the comment after it was met with public backlash. Some 200 children have died in one nation after taking toxic cough syrups. [74], The investigation was met with criticism by international media, human rights groups, and legal experts. [80][81], The Prime Minister of Thailand, Prayut Chan-o-cha, said "[foreign female tourists] think our country is beautiful and safe and they can do whatever they want, wear bikinis wherever they like. Elise Dallemagne 2017; A backpacker from Belgium, Elise Dallemagne, 30, was found hanged in the hillson the island on April 28, 2017. 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. [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. Police investigators have released photographs and clearer video footage of an unidentified man they believe could be a key to resolving the Koh Tao double-murder case and are asking the. The authorities said he had died after striking the diving board from which he was jumping. They think our country is beautiful and safe and they can do whatever they want, wear bikinis wherever they like, the prime minister said. Thailand's paradise island murder mystery continues to baffle police, BBC's south-east Asia correspondent reports from Koh Tao. Lightboxes. A police officer told the trial of the severe injuries Miss Witheridge suffered and evidence she had been raped. 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. [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]. [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. Chrissie's heartbroken dad Boyne Annesley started investigating more deaths in Koh Tao. [1][47] The national police chief, Somyot Poompanmoung, denied that torture was involved in the confessions. [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. Hannah was raped before she was killed. Today, we have gotten rid of them.. A UK autopsy later revealedBen died of a transected aorta a rupture of the bodys largest artery rather than a broken neck. 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. [31] A British defence lawyer, Felicity Gerry QC, said the trial was "far too rushed and unfair to the defense". Shared On: 28th Dec, 2022. [50], An 18-day trial began on 8 July 2015 in the Koh Samui Provincial Court. Both victims had been hit several times on the head; Witheridge had been raped, and Miller had been drowned. A coroner ruled in 2017 said that there is "no evidence" to suggest Luke was murdered. Elise had been traveling around Asia for two years, and before her death had been living at a yoga and tantra retreat on Koh Phangan. 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. It doesn't necessarily mean they are transgender, or that they are doing drag, they just live as women. Witheridge was travelling with three other friends, and Miller with two others. 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. [20] Both bodies were found semi-naked;[21] a pile of clothes was found nearby. Phone records showed that Elise called her mother on Skype on April 17, 2017, before leaving Koh Phangan on a Ferry on April 19. His family accused the Thai police of a cover-up. Upon arriving at the scene, police officers and rescue workers discovered the bodies of Mr Rakeshwar . Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong had some stern words for China over any role it might play in the war in Ukraine. [70] Wai Phyo was also convicted of theft for allegedly stealing a phone and sunglasses from Miller's body. 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. We've all heard about the 2014 backpacker murders of two British tourists in Koh Tao, Thailand. [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. With crystal-clear waters, perfect sandy beaches, palm trees and great nightlife. 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. Koh Tao Murders: No DNA match with Warot in first test results By Coconuts Bangkok Oct 31, 2014 | 5:40pm Bangkok time Preliminary results today found no link between Warot Tuwichian and DNA police say was collected from the scene of two murders on Koh Tao last month. 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][21] The trial was attended by external observers, including representatives from Amnesty International and the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Koh Tao murders: Thai court upholds death penalty for two men convicted of killing British backpackers . Only if they are not beautiful." Regional Surat Thani governor Chatpong Chatphum said the Koh Tao murders had dealt a serious blow to tourism. In fact, during one 36-hour spell in April last year, nine people were murdered there. The Koh Tao murders had a big impact on the island, it left a very deep impression! The body of his 55-year-old mother was only found later when rescue services arrived at the scene. [29][30] The police initially speculated about who the culprit might be, alleging various individuals of perpetrating the crime without clear evidence. Hotel owner Rakeshwar Sachathamakul has been found dead along with his wife in a luxury resort on Koh Tao. 24, after their battered bodies were found on a beach on the southern resort island of . [52] The suspects were defended pro bono by two lawyers from the Lawyers Council of Thailand. [53], The prosecution's case focused on findings of the police and medical examiner, with an emphasis on the DNA evidence.