Hannah was a fun, vibrant and beautiful young woman who will be sorely missed by all who knew her. [82][83] The UK government expressed concerns with the investigation, and summoned a Thai diplomat in London to discuss them. Again when Christina Annesley died police didnt interview the last person she was seen with while she was alive. The following morning the family raised the alarm when Nick failed to answer the door. There have been suspicious reports of hand-sized bruises found on Lukes shoulders. [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". [3] The murders were the first cases of homicide on the island in over eight years. [11], An autopsy revealed that both victims were hit by a hard object resulting in head and face wounds. 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. 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 . A millionaire hotel tycoon and his wife have been found dead in a luxury resort on Koh Tao, colloquially known as Death Island. These included backpackers Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, who were found murdered on the . 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. Koh Tao Murder - Thai Police, their scapegoats and tourist trade - Exposed by AnonymousThis video goes into the deep facts of the recent Koh Tao Island murder of David Miller and Hannah. Nick Pearson 2014; [48], The guilty verdict resulted in widespread protests in Myanmar. Police have, however, agreed to hand over the garden hoe which was the murder weapon, along with a shoe and a plastic bag. While police ruled out foul play, Nick's family, who say officers did not investigate a single witness, believe he was murdered. Both were found dead on the bottom of a swimming pool at a seaside resort on Koh Tao in Surat Thani. "[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". I have created a Facebook page and a YouTube channel dedicated to looking into tourist deaths on Koh Tao. Rocio Gomez; The discovery of the bodies last September sparked a major police investigation and intense local and international pressure to find those responsible. Christina Annesley 2015; Aran Klaewklong, a security guard from Big Blue Diving shop, told police he found a mobile phone, clothes, a hotel key, shoes and an ID on the beach at 1.30 am during a beach patrol. A great number of Western backpackers have died under unexplained circumstances on this tiny tropical island in the past years. [88][89] Hacker group Anonymous published a video on 3 January 2016 criticising the verdict. Nick Pearson, 25, was found floating in an island bay, at the foot of a 50ft drop on New Years Day 2014. An inquest had been held in 2014 as his death was being treated as suspicious. The body had to be identified using dental records and previous X-rays. For other inquiries, Contact Us. 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. Heightened vigilance has been urged for all countries after two new deadly virus cases were detected in humans in China. Many raised concerns that contamination cast doubt upon the forensic evidence: officials, journalists and tourists were seen walking around the crime scene, and Thai police did not use trained or independent specialists to collect forensic evidence. Witheridge was travelling with three other friends, and Miller with two others. German Bernd Grotsch's body was found at his home deep in the jungle in the Mae Haad part of Koh Tao. Exclusive location in the Kitirua Conservancy. The island off the Surat Thani province coast has gained notoriety after a string of suspicious and sensationalised deaths over the years. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. 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. Last modified on Wed 29 Nov 2017 23.45 EST. What really happened there? 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 BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. "We asked for a copy of the CCTV footage and they said it was destroyed. Thai beach deaths DNA evidence . 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.. A backpacker from Belgium, Elise Dallemagne, 30, was found hanged in the hillson the island on April 28, 2017. Picture: Viral Press/Australscope [51][21] The trial was attended by external observers, including representatives from Amnesty International and the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. [11] The two met in Koh Tao while staying at the same hotel. 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. Phone records showed that Elise called her mother on Skype on April 17, 2017, before leaving Koh Phangan on a Ferry on April 19. David Miller 2014; 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. 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. The body of his 55-year-old mother was only found later when rescue services arrived at the scene. Photographs of the bodies have been circulating on the internet. The Koh Tao murders involved the death of two British tourists in Thailand in 2014. A police officer told the trial of the severe injuries Miss Witheridge suffered and evidence she had been raped. Constance Marten seen leaving court after appearing before magistrates charged with manslaughter of baby, Constance Marten and Mark Gordon blow each other a kiss in dock before court hears dead baby was found in bag in shed, Mum identified after dead baby is found on Canford Heath, Thai police covered up what really happened, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Some of these workers said they can earn more money in Thailand compared to Myanmar. 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. Informacin detallada del sitio web y la empresa: joanromans.com, +49803921568627, +34972573012, +34643318517 Focs i Estufes Romans - Joan Romans 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. 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. [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. They suggested that she mixed antibiotics with alcohol- as much as that would make the antibiotics less efficient or make you feel bad, its not going to kill you. [38] Police entered the home the next day; only one of the men, Zaw Lin, was present. [39] Following an interrogation, during which police say Zaw Lin admitted he had entered the country illegally, Zaw Lin was arrested and his clothes and motorcycle were seized as evidence. [51] The defence provided a separate explanation for the events on the night. Elise Dallemagne 2017; [61], On July 10, the court ordered the DNA to be retested. (Washington D.C., February 27, 2023) - The Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) in Riyadh, used to prosecute "terrorism" cases in Saudi Arabia, has charged six former prominent SCC judges and four former judges of the High Court, the country's supreme court, with "high treason" - a crime punishable by death in Saudi Arabia - in its first secret hearing of the case on February 16, 2023, said . How are they ever going to get closure and justice if they dont know what happened? To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. But "Turtle Island" has its dark side. In January 2014, 25-year-old Nick Pearson was found dead in the sea below a cliff while visiting the island. [64], Several CCTV cameras near the crime scene were reported to be nonfunctional, and cameras near the pier were not checked by the police. HARROWING photos of the corpses of English backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller have surfaced online, traumatising their families. He started another business in neighboring island Koh Phayam before returning in March 2018 to "tie up loose ends". Zaw Lin was not convicted of this charge because he held a work permit for the two years preceding the murders. Koh Tao, where Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were murdered, is steeped in paradoxes. 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? [90][91], The 2014 murders, along with other deaths and disappearances of tourists, led to British tabloids labelling Koh Tao as "Death Island". The Samui Times believes that it is in the best interests of any visitor to the island to be aware of the numerous tourist deaths and the fact that many families of those who died on the island are not satisfied with police investigations.. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. 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. They also raised concerns with the absence of legal counsel prior to the confession, as well as difficulties with translation and interpretation. [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. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. 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. His family accused the Thai police of a cover-up. [25] There were no known eyewitnesses to the murders. Are there serial killers operating on the island, with their crimes apparently insufficiently investigated so that the tourist industry remains protected? 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. Amnesty International has demanded the Thai authorities investigate the torture allegations after one suspect reportedly said he was beaten and threatened with electrocution. [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." The head of the country's Central Institute of Forensic Science found that the DNA on the hoe did not match the defendants. Martin Totland Frilans. 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.". Police major general, Surachate Hakparn, said in an interview that the police have cracked down on crime syndicates on Koh Tao since the backpackers double killing. [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: 'Asian man' seen on CCTV sought for q uestioning Probe into murder of two Britons on Koh Tao Manhunt on Koh Tao after tourists found brutally murdere d on beach British tourists murdered, stripped on Koh Tao beach Topics: Bangkok, Features Join the Coconuts conversation with a comment. [38] Both men were 22-year-old illegal migrant workers from Rakhine, Myanmar, who worked in the hospitality industry. A judge found the workers guilty and sentenced them to death despite questions about DNA evidence and the police handling of the case. Witnesses said items belonging to the Moldovan were seen in the early hours of Tuesday morning and police were alerted. Only if they are not beautiful. He later apologized, saying that he meant only that foreign visitors should be careful. 92 Visitor. [92], Thailand's government became concerned the murders may affect tourism to the country. 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. The bungalow is 50ft above the ocean, theres nothing but massive granite boulders between his bungalow and the ocean so how did he managed to tumble all the way down there?