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. 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. [1][51] According to an observer, the sittings lasted over ten hours each day. "So for an hour the families of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller looked and listened as crime scene pictures were shown in court.". 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. Coincidentally, pictures of Bernd with a snake were to be found online. 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. He also had given no indications before his death, that he had suicidal thoughts. Some of these workers said they can earn more money in Thailand compared to Myanmar. They said Wai Phyo found the mobile phone dropped on the beach, and so he kept it. [11][19] Several other suspects were also named, amid pressure to produce results, a new one every other day. Island authorities sued the online news site for violating the Computer Crime Act, which outlaws uploading false information online. 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. [92], Thailand's government became concerned the murders may affect tourism to the country. Yoshie Sazawa (Sharlyn) 2004; [72] The Supreme Court of Thailand upheld the sentence in August 2019, stating that the police handled the case correctly and the forensic evidence was "clear, credible, and detailed". The police were under pressure to produce results quickly, which affected how they conducted their investigation. 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. One of the most famous Hollywood murders of recent memory was that of Lana Clarkson, the actress and model. Witnesses said items belonging to the Moldovan were seen in the early hours of Tuesday morning and police were alerted. Posts on social media said Dallemagne had booked a ticket to Chumphon province, on the mainland, and that her luggage arrived after her death, raising questions of her intentions to take her own life. The island of Koh Tao, off the coast of Thailand, is often described as a paradise. Valentina was reported to have been visiting the island to go freediving an activity the area is famed for among backpackers. It is not known who released the photos from the crime scene. German Bernd Grotsch's body was found at his home deep in the jungle in the Mae Haad part of Koh Tao. Bernd Grotsch 2017; Witheridge was travelling with three other friends, and Miller with two others. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. . [6] Miller had just completed his undergraduate degree in civil and structural engineering at the University of Leeds and was starting a masters degree. The Koh Tao murders involved the death of two British tourists in Thailand in 2014. ", Mrs Miller said: "It's been hard, very hard. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Fears over the safety of idyllic Koh Tao were heightened after the killings of Brits Hannah Witheridge and David Miller in 2014. At the end of the trial's third day, the judge said police had informed him all the samples taken on the island were "finished" - meaning they could not be analysed again. [61], On July 10, the court ordered the DNA to be retested. But among some foreigners, Koh Tao has taken on a more sinister reputation. It was said the pair went swimming on the same beach earlier that night, and when they got out of the water they found their clothes had disappeared. Read about our approach to external linking. Andy was assisting the defence lawyers. Guardian. 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. I'm asking if they wear bikinis in Thailand, will they be safe? Deaths have been explained away by the authorities as unfortunate accidents or suicides. [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. The Thaiger 116K subscribers Join Subscribe 712 Share 29K views 10 months ago #thailand #kohtao #thailandtourist We've all heard. We are here for David because of his tragic death. The island became world news when two British backpackers, David Miller and Hannah Witheridge were brutally murdered on the island in 2014. The young backpacker had been living at a yoga and tantra retreat, which neighboured the party island of Koh Phangan, in between travelling round Asia, for two years. 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. Christina, from Orpington, South East London, died shortly after arriving on Koh Tao. There was no evidence of a misdemeanour, but the bodies are send to the police hospital for atopsies. Verdicts in the case are not expected until October. [34][35], According to the prosecution in the subsequent case, CCTV footage analysed by the police showed three individuals riding a motorcycle to 7-Eleven, where they bought beer and cigarettes, before going towards Sairee Beach. [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. But behind paradise lies a grubby underbelly where, according to one report, there are "enough suspicious disappearances to warrant the island its own CSI franchise". Hannah Witheridge and David Miller's bodies were found on a beach in Koh Tao in September 2014 Two Burmese migrants convicted over the killings had their death sentences reduced to life. [11] The two met in Koh Tao while staying at the same hotel. Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk and David Miller, 24, of Jersey were bludgeoned to death with a wooden hoe as they walked back to their hotel room late at night on September 15, 2014, on the popular Sairee Beah. 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. She was later identified by dental records and previous x-rays. [62] They were both also charged with entering the country illegally, to which Wai Phyo had already confessed. Koh Tao, Thailand, Serial killers, Unexplained murders WARNING CONTAINS SOME DISTURBING IMAGES OF DEATH The island of Koh Tao, off the coast of Thailand, is often described as a paradise. 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. [85][15][86] Prayut said that British and Burmese government representatives were "limited to observation" and had to "respect our processes". While he claimed she "kissed the gun" and that it was an accidental suicide, others - including . 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". [36] Footage near the crime scene also showed one of the three men running into a shortcut. He had not been questioned by police - even though officers had his name in their files. For a second day in a row Taiwan has reported a large-scale air force incursion, escalating tensions in the region. Direct quotations from the trial are unavailable, as the judges did not permit the public to take notes. It is always challenging to bring ACCURATE & RELIABLE information about violent crime on Koh Tao because too many people are frightened to speak out publicly and still others try to SHOOT THE MESSENGERS . 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. While police ruled out foul play, Nick's family, who say officers did not investigate a single witness, believe he was murdered. Police and court systems were hacked or taken offline in the following days, and a stash of personal information obtained from the court's servers was posted publicly. They believed he had accidentally drowned and he was thought to have been dead for around 12 hours when his body was retrieved. With crystal-clear waters, perfect sandy beaches, palm trees and great nightlife. 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. The last known video footage of the Russian woman showed her walking to Chaloke Hin Kao bay and never coming back. However, at that time I was already aware of other tourist deaths on the island. The brutality of the killings made headlines worldwide and cast a shadow across Thailands image as a safe and carefree destination for 20 million foreign visitors a year. [51][21] The trial was attended by external observers, including representatives from Amnesty International and the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. [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. Since then the Samui Times has been inundated with . Bernd's cousin Christina said: ''We cannot accept what the Thai authorities on the island are telling us. The suspects however have withdrawn their confessions to the murders and claimed Thai police forced the admissions through torture. [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. Alex was charged with Maggie and Paul's murders days after he was formally disbarred by the South Carolina Supreme Court. 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