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. Read about our approach to external linking. There were apparently no signs of robbery or attack in the room at the hotel where Alexandr had been staying. They had been brutally beaten to death just a few feet away from their hotel rooms. Nicola Gissing, who was also on holiday with Luke when he died, has claimed her friends death was no accident. Amnesty International has demanded the Thai authorities investigate the torture allegations after one suspect reportedly said he was beaten and threatened with electrocution. [1][4][24] Witheridge's body indicated she had been raped. Photo: CSI LA. Miller had scratches on his back and water in his lungs indicating drowning. He announced that he had "ordered all security-related agencies to track down those who are behind the Myanmar demonstrations". There was no evidence of a misdemeanour, but the bodies are send to the police hospital for atopsies. The circumstances around his death are a mystery. We beg that Hannah and David are afforded privacy and dignity through the removal of these pointless and insensitive reminders. Direct quotations from the trial are unavailable, as the judges did not permit the public to take notes. koh tao murders crime scene photos Koh Tao - Thai Police - Their scapegoats, Tourist Trade Exposed by Anonymous Greetings world, We are Anonymous. The victims have been named by Thai authorities as 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge from Great Yarmouth . Ben Harrington 2012; While collecting forensic evidence, tourists and locals were allowed to walk on the beach. Had he hanged himself, the professor pointed out that the bruises should have appeared on the neck than on his wrists. The court has now been told that vital DNA evidence cannot be retested. They are said to have confessed to the crime but later retracted their statements. Both victims had been hit several times on the head; Witheridge had been raped, and Miller had been drowned. [42][48] Amnesty International stated that Thailand "must initiate an independent, effective and transparent investigation into mounting allegations of torture and other ill-treatment by police". The murders on the popular dive island of Koh Tao drew intense media attention from across the world. It is a part of a huge collection of vintage LAPD crime scene pictures unearthed by photographer Merrick Morton in 2014. She had checked into the hostel on February 11 and was due to check out on February 16, but failed to do so. [11] The two met in Koh Tao while staying at the same hotel. 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. Hannah was a University of Essex student from Hemsby in Norfolk, UK, and David was a civil and structural engineering graduate, from Jersey. [15] Public prosecutors initially rejected the report, asking for "certain flaws" to be fixed, more information to be supplied, and for the report to be made "more succinct". Anthony Cardullo 2013 (USA); This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. The evidence in the form of this Unendorsed Report would have been ruled as inadmissible in US courts and other Western courts. A royal commutation does not require an admission of guilt. She was part of the sect of the Sathya Sai Baba cult movement, and lived with a self-proclaimed "guru", and left the island on April 17 to return home. Despite claims of a fall, he had no broken bones. At least eleven European tourists have died or disappeared there since 2014 and it is now described as Death Island or Murder Island. Measuring 21 square kilometres (8sqmi) in area, it is the smallest of three popular tourist islands in the Gulf of Thailand. He had been dead about 10 days and had left to go snorkeling alone on November 8. In August 2020, Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo had their death sentences commuted to life in prison to commemorate King Vajiralongkorn's birthday and to show his "clemency". [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 authorities said he had died after striking the diving board from which he was jumping. It has a population of around 1,500 people and the main settlement is Ban Mae Hat. [53], The prosecution's case focused on findings of the police and medical examiner, with an emphasis on the DNA evidence. [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. The country's prime minister, who had been phoning the national police chief daily for updates on the investigation, said "this should not have happened at all, as it will affect Thailand in the eyes of the international community". 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. 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. Wai Phyo and Zaw Lin during a police "re-enactment" of the crime on Koh Tao. 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 She had checked into the hostel on February 11 and was due to check out on February 16 but failed to do so. Nick Pearson, from Derby, was found floating in the sea on New Year's Day 2014. [38] Both men were 22-year-old illegal migrant workers from Rakhine, Myanmar, who worked in the hospitality industry. Thai police said a post-mortem examination showed he drowned. I have created a Facebook page and a YouTube channel dedicated to looking into tourist deaths on Koh Tao. Picture: Viral Press/Australscope Mr Sachathamakul's wife, Anshoo. Fears over the safety of idyllic Koh Tao were heightened after the killings of Brits Hannah Witheridge and David Miller in 2014. Complaining about wrongdoing may invite official questions and demands for passports and documentation. But no suicide note or message were recovered and Michele is desperate for information surrounding the mysterious death. Thai police have said they will issue a summons for the British teenager raped on Koh Tao after her mother said she fled the island without reporting the crime because she feared for her life. [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. The island of Koh Tao is located in Southern Thailand. HARROWING photos of the corpses of English backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller have surfaced online, traumatising their families. [67] Protesters called for the release of the two suspects, who they believed were innocent and scapegoated for the crime. A few days later, staff checked her room to discover her mobile phone, passport and camera had all been left behind. The government of Thailand was concerned the murders might affect tourism to the island, with arrivals dropping in the months following the murders. The convictions were mired in controversy, with supporters of the two men arguing they had been framed because their initial confessions were made under duress. Thai authorities claimed he was drunk and fell, but his family believes he was murdered.. [50], An 18-day trial began on 8 July 2015 in the Koh Samui Provincial Court. [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. There have been suspicious reports of hand-sized bruises found on Lukes shoulders. With crystal-clear waters, perfect sandy beaches, palm trees and great nightlife. Our family have been further traumatised by reports that there are numerous unnecessary and senseless photographs circulating across the internet. [51][21] The trial was attended by external observers, including representatives from Amnesty International and the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Two Burmese migrant workers, Zaw Lin and Win Zaq Htun, both 21, have been accused of murdering the two backpackers and of raping Hannah. Mr Miller's body was discovered with severe head injuries several metres away, he said. Speaking at the court, Mr Miller's father Ian said he and his wife Sue had come "with an open mind", adding that it had been an emotional time for the family. 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.. Michelle, who says the death would have gone unnoticed if not for her public appeal for help, said: "I do not believe what the police have told us. The images shown to the court were graphic, reports Jonah Fisher in Thailand. Unfortunately more tragic news from the so called Death Island of Koh Tao occurred recently when on June 4th 2021 the 2 lifeless bodies of a Thai/Indian billionaire couple were found dead in the Jamahkhiri Resort & Spa hotel pool. The suspects were initially denied access to legal counsel, and alleged that police used torture and threats to secure a confession. 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. 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