He started another business in neighboring island Koh Phayam before returning in March 2018 to "tie up loose ends". The relevant standard in this case was ISO 17025. In December 2015, the pair were convicted of the murder and sentenced to death. 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 . 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. The last known video footage of the Russian woman showed her walking to Chaloke Hin Kao bay and never coming back. Alexandr Bucspun, 33, from Moldova, was found dead in the sea off Had Sai Ree on Koh Tao on Tuesday, October 9, 2018. Direct quotations from the trial are unavailable, as the judges did not permit the public to take notes. The discovery of the bodies last September sparked a major police investigation and intense local and international pressure to find those responsible. Post-mortem examinations showed that the young backpackers, who had met on the island while staying at the same hotel, both suffered head wounds and that Hannah had been raped. He had entered the country on September 26, 2018, before traveling to the island, where stayed at the Monsoon Gym and Fight Club. 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. A court in Thailand has convicted a pair of Burmese men of the murder of two young British tourists on the holiday island of Koh Tao, a verdict described as just by one victim's family but. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. [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. The two men deny murdering Miss Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, and David Miller, 24, from Jersey. "We'll go with the flow as much as we can. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/03/world/asia/thailand-koh-tao-death-island.html#:~:text=But%20among%20some%20foreigners%2C%20Koh,began%20calling%20it%20Death%20Island.&text=She%20accused%20the%20police%20of,up%20crime%20on%20the%20island. Mr Miller's body was discovered with severe head injuries several metres away, he said. She said: "I would tell them to do everything in their power to stop them going. 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. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I shall post a link to your podcast on my Facebook page. 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. [87][88] The protests angered Thailand's prime minister, who believed the demonstrations were a plot "instigated" to hurt the government. Dive resorts boast of its crystal-clear waters, and Western tourists flock to its lively beach bars. [62] They were both also charged with entering the country illegally, to which Wai Phyo had already confessed. My Facebook page is called KOH TAO DEATH ISLAND. ISBN: 9780062802910. He had recently returned to the island after building up a motorbike rental business. Valentina Novozhenova 2017; [1][11][18] A bloody hoe, believed to be the murder weapon, and a wooden club were found near the bodies,[19][4][14] along with three cigarette butts and a used condom. With crystal clear water and stunning greenery, the Thai island of Koh Tao is seen as a backpacker haven. 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 View gallery The 23-year-old is. Hannah was a fun, vibrant and beautiful young woman who will be sorely missed by all who knew her. They said Wai Phyo found the mobile phone dropped on the beach, and so he kept it. The second man, Wai Phyo,[a] was believed to have left the island by boat the previous night. But many cases appear very suspicious according to family members and insufficiently investigated. It's dangerous. [2] In 2014, the island had a population of around 5,000 locals. They still maintain their innocence, as they did throughout the trial. They are said to have confessed to the crime but later retracted their statements. They had no prior criminal records. [51] This decision was criticised by the Solicitors International Human Rights Group, one of the observers at the trial. It has long had a reputation as a home for organized crime, corruption and as a place where the police protected local interests. "There has been lots of chit-chat on the internet. Belgian backpacker Elise Dallemagne, 30, was found hanging from a tree on April 27, 2017. The trial provided an obvious example of Scientific Fraud being used to convict two scapegoats. She had checked into the hostel on February 11 and was due to check out on February 16, but failed to do so. 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. The murders on the popular dive island of Koh Tao drew intense media attention from across the world. Virat Asavachin (Mr Ban) 2002; He also had to track down a man seen on surveillance footage leaving his daughter's flat hours before she was discovered. The items were still there are 3 am and he called the police. But although David's family called the verdict 'justice', the trial of the two Burmese migrant workers was plagued by accusations of human rights abuses. Pol Lt Gen Thanate Pinmuangngam, acting chief of Police Region 8, said In the Dallemagne case, the cause of death was suffocation. There were no signs of a struggle or rape or other human DNA. [38] Police entered the home the next day; only one of the men, Zaw Lin, was present. The economy of the island is almost exclusively centered on tourism, especially scuba diving. Christina, from Orpington, South East London, died shortly after arriving on Koh Tao. [71], A lawyer for the men, Nakhon Chomphuchat, said "we will appeal as soon as we can, we have just got a copy of the court's verdict. [83] A 2016 study said the case, which it described as a litmus test of Thailand's justice system, "seriously damaged the image of Thailand and of its forces of law and order on the global level". Blood on the floor of the feedroom where Paul Murdaugh was shot dead. Most are running guesthouses, eateries and scuba-diving operations or working as diving instructors. Island authorities sued the online news site for violating the Computer Crime Act, which outlaws uploading false information online. Zaw Lin was said to have entered between 2011 and 2012, and Wai Phyo in 2012. Hannah was raped before she was killed. 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. They had been brutally beaten to death just a few feet away from their hotel rooms. Valentina was reported to have been visiting the island to go freediving an activity the area is famed for among backpackers. 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. They also raised concerns with the absence of legal counsel prior to the confession, as well as difficulties with translation and interpretation. September 23, 2014 5:57 AM EDT T he brutal murder of British tourists Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, on the Thai resort island of Koh Tao, has reverberated around the world.. But among some foreigners, Koh Tao has taken on a more sinister reputation. British holidaymaker Christina Annesley, 23, died on the island in January 2015 after apparently mixing antibiotics she was taking for a chest infection with alcohol. It has a population of around 1,500 people and the main settlement is Ban Mae Hat. After weeks of investigations, Thai Police have arrested three Burmese man in relation to the murder of two British tourists David Miller and Hannah Witheridge on the holiday island of Koh Tao.The Burmese migrant worker community is on high alert and fears a firm respond to the killings on migrant workers inside Thailand by the Thai officials. Our family have been further traumatised by reports that there are numerous unnecessary and senseless photographs circulating across the internet. senseless" photos of the crime scene, they say, which show her body . But it was in this idyllic setting that their horribly bludgeoned bodies were discovered, their blood seeping into the sand and staining the water. [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. Fears over the safety of idyllic Koh Tao were heightened after the killings of Brits Hannah Witheridge and David Miller in 2014. [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. The island became world news when two British backpackers, David Miller and Hannah Witheridge were brutally murdered on the island in 2014. "Thai courts make little allowance for the feelings of relatives," he said. Pathologist Dr. Michael Biggs told the hearing that there were many injuries on Nick's body, including to the head, limbs, and face. Shelley Bot 2017; 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. Luke Miller 2016; She was said to have died of natural causes after mixing antibiotics she was taking for a chest infection with alcohol. Dec. 24, 2015. We are furious that we have not been able to have an approved independent forensic examination.". Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo (also known as Win Zaw Htun). [29][30] The police initially speculated about who the culprit might be, alleging various individuals of perpetrating the crime without clear evidence. Photographs appear to show the mobile phone of Hannah Witheridge submitted to police by her friends, despite police claims it was found in one of their suspect's possession. wordlist = ['!', '$.027', '$.03', '$.054/mbf', '$.07', '$.07/cwt', '$.076', '$.09', '$.10-a-minute', '$.105', '$.12', '$.30', '$.30/mbf', '$.50', '$.65', '$.75', '$. 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. [54] They argued that the defendants intended to kill Miller, using a hoe to hit him multiple times on the head. [33][34] Over 200 individuals on the island, many of them migrant workers, were tested in mass DNA testing. Now their families are demanding answers. There were apparently no signs of robbery or attack in the room at the hotel where Alexandr had been staying. [1][31] Pornthip Rojanasunand, a Thai forensic scientist, testified at the trial that the crime scene was poorly managed. [25] There were no known eyewitnesses to the murders. To narrow down the search and display some truly rare crime scene photographs, all images on this list have been taken by the photographer Weegee the Famous, who rose to prominence in the 1930s and 40s. 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