Investigators had no theory to explain her unexpected stopover on Koh Tao on her way back to the mainland and the capital Bangkok. They believed he had accidentally drowned and he was thought to have been dead for around 12 hours when his body was retrieved. The past three weeks have been unimaginably difficult and there are no words that can adequately describe the heartache and despair that our family is experiencing. Local police claimed he had fallen 50 feet and . What really happened there? [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. 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.. The suspects were initially denied access to legal counsel, and alleged that police used torture and threats to secure a confession. The images shown to the court were graphic, reports Jonah Fisher in Thailand. My Facebook page is called KOH TAO DEATH ISLAND. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. "We'll go with the flow as much as we can. The victims have been named by Thai authorities as 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge from Great Yarmouth . It has long had a reputation as a home for organized crime, corruption and as a place where the police protected local interests. The body of 48 year old diving instructor Neil Giblin, from Birmingham, UK, was found dead in his rented bungalow on the island after he failed to turn up to a diving . While Weegee is well known and has work in places like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, most of the pictures here come from a junk store box . HARROWING photos of the corpses of English backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller have surfaced online, traumatising their families. There were apparently no signs of robbery or attack in the room at the hotel where Alexandr had been staying. [4][11][14] Their bodies were discovered on Sairee Beach a few hours later, between 4 and 5am, by a mute Burmese beach cleaner. Elise's death is the latest in a string of seven fatalities in three years on the island. We are furious that we have not been able to have an approved independent forensic examination.". 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. Thai police arrest men accused of murdering Brits on Koh Tao Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo were sentenced to death for the killings. [21][25] There was tearing present at the vulva, bruising on the perineum, and a bite mark on her right nipple. They think our country is beautiful and safe and they can do whatever they want, wear bikinis wherever they like, the prime minister said. She was later identified by dental records and previous x-rays. The economy of the island is almost exclusively centered on tourism, especially scuba diving. We admit that in the past, there was a mafia there that took advantage of tourists. The police investigation and criminal trial were widely criticised by international media, human rights organisations, and legal experts. 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 5 am, a few hours after their deaths. Luke Miller, a bricklayer from the Isle of Wight, was found dead in a swimming pool at the Sunset Bar at Sairee Beach on January 8 2016, with an inquest earlier this month finding "no evidence" he was murdered. Allegations about police brutality rocked the countrys economy that almost solely relies on tourism. He said that the victim had been drunk to the extent that he was unable to control himself, he would not have been able to tie himself up so tightly that he died of suffocation. He had not been questioned by police - even though officers had his name in their files. She was found dead in her bungalow with a mix of medication and alcohol in her system in 2015 - leading the. The autopsy stated he had drowned. [85][15][86] Prayut said that British and Burmese government representatives were "limited to observation" and had to "respect our processes". Police chief Apichart Boonsrirote said he assigned teams to check all surveillance cameras around the hostel and on the island to find out where she was last seen, The Phuket News reported. [36] Footage near the crime scene also showed one of the three men running into a shortcut. The defendants have repeatedly stated their innocence over the murders, with the defence alleging they were framed. Measuring 21 square kilometres (8sqmi) in area, it is the smallest of three popular tourist islands in the Gulf of Thailand. Post-mortems found that Hannah had died from head wounds, while engineering student Mr Miller suffered severe blows to his head and drowned. Koh Tao Mayor Chaiyan Thurasakul said the website is accused of damaging Koh Taos reputation by calling it Death Island. [10], Witheridge and Miller travelled and arrived on the island separately on 25 August. Picture: Viral Press/Australscope He announced that he had "ordered all security-related agencies to track down those who are behind the Myanmar demonstrations". He started another business in neighboring island Koh Phayam before returning in March 2018 to "tie up loose ends". 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. [67] Protesters called for the release of the two suspects, who they believed were innocent and scapegoated for the crime. Coincidentally, pictures of Bernd with a snake were to be found online. [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. Are there serial killers operating on the island, with their crimes apparently insufficiently investigated so that the tourist industry remains protected? 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. Bitter divisions over Ukraine dominate G20 talks, Greek trains halted as anger over crash grows, Messages reveal battle over UK Covid policy, How 10% of Nigerian registered voters delivered victory, Sake brewers toast big rise in global sales, The Indian-American CEO who wants to be US president, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip. On February 16, 2015, Russian tourist Valentina Novozhyonova, 23, vanished from her hostel on Koh Tao. The police quickly closed the inquiry, stating that he had drowned whilst swimming. These illegal workers often reside with friends on the island, making it difficult to identify them. British woman, Christina Annesley, 23, was found in a room at the In Touch Resort on Jan 21, 2015. Shelley Bot 2017; 2040 / 2557, Regional Court of Appeal VIII No. 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. Christina Annesley 2015; We are here for David because of his tragic death. He had recently returned to the island after building up a motorbike rental business. Associate Professor Charnkanit Krittiya Suriyamanee, a criminologist and lecturer at the faculty of social science and humanities of Mahidol University, said he doubted the suicide theory citing some irrelevant evidences, according to Chiangrai Times. It just doesn't go away.". [87][88] The protests angered Thailand's prime minister, who believed the demonstrations were a plot "instigated" to hurt the government. While he claimed she "kissed the gun" and that it was an accidental suicide, others - including . In December 2015, the pair were convicted of the murder and sentenced to death. She was found dead in her bungalow with a mix of medication and alcohol in her system in 2015 - leading the coroner to ascertain she died of an accidental overdose. Hiroshi 2002; He was found hiding on the boat later on 2 October. As investigators descended upon the apartment, one of them picked up a camera and photographed the scene. [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. [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. However, according to Rhys Bonney, an immigration adviser to expats in Thailand, the legality of the businesses are an extremely grey area. Ortega, 55, is charged . Bernd Grotsch 2017; At least eleven European tourists have died or disappeared there since 2014 and it is now described as Death Island or Murder Island. Defence lawyers had asked for the samples to be independently verified but have now been told there is nothing left of them to re-test. Posted on June 2, 2022 by - pudingov kol kamily maglovejpudingov kol kamily maglovej [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. Nicola Gissing, who was also on holiday with Luke when he died, has claimed her friends death was no accident. [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. Nick Pearson 2014; Boyne Annesley believes his 23-year-old daughter Christina Annesley, of Orpington, southeast London, was murdered on Koh Tao Island in January 2015. Derby coroner Louise Pinder said there was not enough evidence to say how he died and recorded an open verdict. Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo (also known as Win Zaw Htun). On February 3, 2003, she was found dead of a gunshot wound in the mansion of famed record-producer Phil Spector. [90][91], The 2014 murders, along with other deaths and disappearances of tourists, led to British tabloids labelling Koh Tao as "Death Island". These are the first pictures of the British tourists murdered on a paradise beach in Thailand. The team were only allowed to spend two hours on Koh Tao and did not meet with the suspects or defence. [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. The Thaiger 116K subscribers Join Subscribe 712 Share 29K views 10 months ago #thailand #kohtao #thailandtourist We've all heard. SUPAPONG CHAOLAN DNA tests have failed to provide a match. 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