He announced that he had "ordered all security-related agencies to track down those who are behind the Myanmar demonstrations". A post-mortem examination showed she had been raped. [10], Witheridge and Miller travelled and arrived on the island separately on 25 August. "The final admittance of their guilt has allowed this act of clemency to become possible," they continued. The episode tries to deconstruct the complex case for the listeners as it narrates the incidents chronologically and questions several alleged incompetencies in the murder probe. Sean . [1][96], Although tourist arrivals to Koh Tao dropped in the months immediately following the murders, there was little lasting effect on tourism to the island.[92]. In a statement, Ian and Sue Miller, who have campaigned against the death penalty, said: "We are grateful to His Majesty the King of Thailand for showing his clemency to the murderers of our son David. [94] She suggested using identification wristbands for tourists to improve safety, but the idea was quickly scrapped. [51][21] The trial was attended by external observers, including representatives from Amnesty International and the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Her housemate Lucy Dunkley said, No one could say a bad word about her. It will take a bit of time to find loopholes to appeal. Witheridge, 23, from Hemsby, near Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, was raped and beaten to death. Hannah Victoria Witheridge se narodila v Hemsby, Great Yarmouth Borough, v Norfolku, Anglie, 15. jna 1990. [54] They argued that the defendants intended to kill Miller, using a hoe to hit him multiple times on the head. It has over 100 hotels and resorts and was deemed the busiest diving centre in Southeast Asia in 2014. . Thai king commutes Myanmar men's death sentence over Britons' murder, Thailand backpacker murders: Burmese workers sentenced to death, British backpacker murder case that put Thailand on trial, WhyUK role in backpackers murder case still worries rights groups, Why UK role in case still worries rights groups, in a statement released by the Foreign Office. Both were. 2145/2559, "Two British tourists found dead on Thai island of Koh Tao", "Suspects in Thai Tourist Murders Face Dubious Trial", "Manhunt underway after brutal murder of 2 British tourists on Koh Tao", "Thailand's paradise island murder mystery", "What the Murder of Two British Tourists Tells Us About Thailand's Dark Side", "Thailand's Supreme Court upholds death penalty for men convicted of murdering British backpackers", "Koh Tao DNA evidence & international standards", "Thai court upholds death penalty for murder of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller", "Thailand backpacker murders: Burmese workers sentenced to death", "Thailand beach murders: A flawed and muddled investigation", "Koh Tao murders: DNA matches, confessions obtained, crime re-enacted", "Hearings Open Into Killings of Two British Tourists on Thai Island (Published 2014)", "Thai king commutes death sentence for Myanmar men in British tourist murder case", "Burmese men confess to killing British tourists on Koh Tao, Thai police say", "The Investigation Into Thailand's Backpacker Slayings Is Officially a Farce", "Migrants accused of murder of British couple in Thailand recant confessions", "Thai Dictator Faces Ire Over Murder Probe", "Koh Tao murder suspects plead not guilty", "Burmese pair to be executed for murder of British tourists on Koh Tao, Thailand", "2 Sentenced to Death in Killing of British Tourists in Thailand (Published 2015)", "Thailand murders: Two men found guilty and face death for UK killings", "Thai beach murders: Convicted men lose death sentence appeal", "Thai beach murders: Death sentence upheld by Supreme Court", "Backpacker's family 'grateful' for Thai king's clemency", "Koh Tao pair claim they were tortured before confessing", "Thai beach murders: DNA investigation into death of British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller 'incompetent at best', "Koh Tao murders: suspects in killing of David Miller and Hannah Witheridge say they were framed", "Koh Tao's dark side: dangers of island where Britons were murdered", "Thai Paradise Gains Reputation as 'Death Island', "Foreign Office calls in Thai diplomat over murder inquiry concerns", "Thailand murder suspects can't have British police report: UK judge", "Thai officials on alert as Myanmar protests spread", "Prayut lashes out at Myanmar Koh Tao protestors", "Thailand's Migrant Worker Woes Exposed in Koh Tao Murder Case", "Govt vows "high-tech" defence against hackers", "Island killings prompt stiffer worker rules", "Contesting narratives: the Koh Tao tourists murders", "Unofficial translation of Koh Samui Provincial Court No. Miller had scratches on his back and water in his lungs indicating drowning. David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, didn't know each other before they met on holiday in Thailand in September. Dehumanizing as it sounds, they are a commodity for some people., Asked whether he has a message for his compatriots considering working in Thailand, Wai Phyo simply says, Be careful when you go out at night as you might step in the wrong place., WE HAVE LEARNED TO TAKE CARE OF VISITORS. Family members of Hannah Witheridge comfort one another at the headquarters of the Royal Thai Police in Bangkok, on Sept. 18, 2014, Burmese migrant workers Wai Phyo and Zaw Lin arrive at the Koh Samui Provincial Court, in Koh Samui, Thailand, on July 8, 2015, Police measure footprints of a man as data is collected from people who work near the spot where bodies of two killed British tourists were found, on the island of Koh Tao, Thailand, on Sept. 19, 2014, David Miller, 24, from Jersey, left, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Great Yarmouth, Thailand is Suffering From The Worst Drought in Decades. [20] Both bodies were found semi-naked;[21] a pile of clothes was found nearby. The family said it had brought to a close a "lengthy and disturbing period" where activists on social media had attempted to influence justice in Thailand and public opinion elsewhere. News reports stated officers rounded up200 alleged suspects, most migrant workers, and used mass DNA testing. Scared is right. [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. [70] Wai Phyo was also convicted of theft for allegedly stealing a phone and sunglasses from Miller's body. 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. Witheridge is a native of Great Yarmouth in the Southwest coast of England. "But in the end the truth has been revealed," the couple added. Miss Witheridge, a University of Essex student from Hemsby, Norfolk and Mr Miller, a civil and . Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? With no leads or suspects, the police wildly speculated who the culprit might be as they alleged several individuals to be the supposed killer without any evidence. Both had been in Thailand since August and had met just hours before their deaths. Hannah Witheridge, 23,front left, from Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, and David Miller, 24, middle right, from Jersey, were brutally killed on the island of Koh Tao last September During the trial, the prosecution also claimed Davids stolen phone was discovered smashed at the home of a friend of Zaw Lins. The sweet reek of marijuana is commonplace even in prominent beachfront bars, while cocaine and crystal meth, known locally as yaba or crazy drug, are not hard to find, say locals. Both entered through the Ranong Province, allegedly without presenting themselves at a port of entry and without possessing a passport. Naturally, a pall of silence engulfs this clannish, cliquey atoll, owing in no small part to the legal standing of its foreign contingent. However, the defense counsel argued all the evidence against the defendants was circumstantial, and the police had no known eyewitness to the murders.
The seven tourists found dead on Thailand's 'murder island' One of Wai Phyos former employers, who saw him soon after Sept. 15 and noticed no perceivable change in his demeanor, has refused to be a character witness or be named by TIME. In September 2014, Hannah Witheridge and David Miller only met by chance while backpacking on the island, but when their bodies were found together on Sairee Beach, they would become linked forever by a tragic mystery. Koh Tao is very safe, says Mayor Chaiyan. Wai was also convicted of theft and pled guilty to entering the country illegally, while Zaw was not charged since he held a work permitfor the two years preceding the murders. Back on Koh Tao, authorities have scrambled to blot out the tragedy.
Murderers of Brit backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller to be [95] The mayor of the island, Chaiyan Turasakul, announced a new police station and staffed it with 40 full-time officers, compared to five previously.
Koh Tao murders - Wikipedia 2023 BBC. [35][84] Despite not initially being permitted to assist with the investigation,[33] British police observers including homicide detectives from the Metropolitan Police and a forensics expert were eventually permitted into Thailand to observe the investigation.
Murdered backpacker's family fight against of attackers death In December 2015, the pair were convicted of the murder and sentenced to death. "But in the end the truth has been revealed," the couple added. Two weeks later, two illegal Burmese migrant workers were blamed for the deaths, primarily on the basis of DNA evidence, and confessed following an hours-long interrogation. That the victims were tourists automatically drew more attention, says Thai political analyst Saksith Saiyasombut. The families of Miller and Witheridge even put out a statement saying the evidence against Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo was powerful and convincing. This assertion was facilitated by the U.K. Foreign Office despite being prejudicial toward the possibility of a fair trial.
Death Island: The Case of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller en Apple Read about our approach to external linking.
Death Island on Apple Podcasts [67] Protesters called for the release of the two suspects, who they believed were innocent and scapegoated for the crime. They had only been in the country for days before they were murdered. Taupin was ultimately not allowed to testify by the defence, and these issues were not raised by the defence until their closing statement. British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were killed in September 2014, Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo were convicted of the murders in a Thai court and originally sentenced to death, The bodies of Mr Miller and Miss Witheridge were found on a beach on the Thai island of Koh Tao, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. Magazines, Or create a free account to access more articles, This Septic Isle: Backpackers, Bloodshed and the Secretive World of Koh Tao. You have reached your limit of free articles. Torture allegations aside, the proceedings have been peppered with oddities. Hannah was also raped. 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.Both victims had been hit several times on the head; Witheridge had been raped, and Miller had been drowned. Witheridge was travelling with three other friends, and Miller with two others. Zaw Lin was not convicted of this charge because he held a work permit for the two years preceding the murders. Far from official oversight, de facto control falls to the owners of booming hospitality businesses that were developed on land originally obtained, via government concessions, for coconut plantations. He hailed fromJersey, a Crown Dependency, and graduated from Victoria College in 2008. Some work on fishing boats for years without seeing land, getting passed between trawlers, catching fish, squid and shrimp for American dinner tables. (Both families declined to comment when contacted by TIME.). Is climate change killing Australian wine? They still maintain their innocence, as they did throughout the trial. Several forensic experts claimed the police collected forensic evidence from the scene dubiously and was not subject to independent oversight or verification. His former headteacher described him as a bright young man and a talented artist, with real potential to forge a worthwhile and fruitful path in his life. [88][89] Hacker group Anonymous published a video on 3 January 2016 criticising the verdict. [21][25] There was tearing present at the vulva, bruising on the perineum, and a bite mark on her right nipple. The defense lawyers also claimed Wai had found Davids phone on the beach and was traveling by boat to Surat Thani for his new job on the day he was arrested. In fact, says Sean Turnell, a professor and expert on Burmese economics at Australias Macquarie University, The economic circumstances of Myanmars majority rural population are now marginally worse than before the reforms were launched.. [31] They focused on foreign nationals, with a spokesperson for the police claiming "Thais wouldn't do this". Feuding here is common and vicious. A post-mortem examination showed she had been raped.
Migrant workers convicted of murdering Hannah Witheridge and David Foreigners die surprisingly often here.
Thai king commutes Myanmar men's death sentence over Britons' murder These rocks are no strangers to explosive secrets. Police obtained CCTV footage from local bars and restaurants and zeroed in on three men riding a motorcycle to 7-Eleven on the night of the murder. In September 2014, the 23-year-oldUniversity of East Anglia graduate, who had been studying for a masters degree in speech and language therapy. Thailands forensics chief, Dr. Pornthip Rojanasunand, has said that by not using trained specialists, police contradicted the principles of forensic science.. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. The Daily Telegraph reports that the two were seen leaving a bar at around 1 a.m. Sky News reports that Witheridge had been traveling with three friends. How Did Steven Beirnes Die? They had no prior criminal records. Sean McAnna, 25, has fled the island of Koh Tao after claiming he knows who was responsible for the murders of Hannah Witheridge and his friend, David Miller. Hannah had been bludgeoned to death a few feet from her room door alongside her fellow British tourist David Miller. +(91)-9821210096 | paula deen meatloaf with brown gravy.
Thai beach murders: Hannah Witheridge's sister Laura dies in hospital So, if youre interested in finding out more about the case, including the perpetrators identities, heres what we know. Miss Witheridge, a University of Essex student from Hemsby in Norfolk, and Mr Miller, a civil and structural engineering graduate, from Jersey, were bludgeoned to death. Photograph: PA. Rights groups have said the pair were used as scapegoats by the . VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules. [58] Ostensibly, Wai Phyo changed jobs at the end of September and was travelling by boat to Surat Thani for his new job on the day he was arrested. Two Burmese workers were sentenced to death in 2015,. They stated they were driven by a desire to rape the victim following sexual arousal when they saw the couple kissing on the beach. DNA was collected from these three areas and sent to a police forensics lab for analysis. Ms Witheridge, from Hemsby in Norfolk, and Mr Miller, from Jersey, were murdered on the popular holiday island on September 15. "Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo finally admitted to the rape and murder of Hannah Witheridge and the murder of our son.". Some of these workers said they can earn more money in Thailand compared to Myanmar. Ill never meet anyone like her. Lucy and Hannah were both receiving training to help people with speech difficulties, and Lucy said Hannah wanted to go on to work with children. Two Burmese workers were sentenced to death in 2015, after being found guilty of killing David Miller, 24, of Jersey, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, of Norfolk. The families that run the island and police that guard it deny any involvement with narcotics. Most are running guesthouses, eateries and scuba-diving operations or working as diving instructors. Others labor for long hours under the burning sun farming pineapples, exposed to hazardous doses of pesticides and other chemicals.
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[email protected]. Miller had been a student at Victoria College, a fee-paying school on Jersey. According to the prosecutors, the defendants used the garden hoe to knock Hannah unconscious and held her down as they raped her before murdering her. Post-mortem examinations showed that the young backpackers, who. Witheridge, 23, from Great Yarmouth, a seaside town on the English east coast, had been raped and killed by blows to the head. Over the coming weeks we hope to gain a better understanding as to how such a wonderful young man lost his life in such idyllic surroundings in such a horrible way, said Millers family in a statement at the opening of the trial. In September 2014, Hannah Witheridge and David Miller only met by chance while backpacking on the island, but when their bodies were found together on Sairee Beach, they would become linked forever by a tragic mystery. They also raised concerns with the absence of legal counsel prior to the confession, as well as difficulties with translation and interpretation. The two young tourists were killed in the early hours of 15 September, 2014, after which their relatives endured a long wait for justice. They were identified as 24-year-old David Miller and 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge, [] View Photo Gallery (PIX11/CNN) A British man and woman were found dead on a popular resort island in . So sad to hear that young man murdered in Thailand was Jerseyman David Miller. [67][21][68] The conviction was primarily guided by the DNA evidence,[67][69] and the court said it did not consider their confessions in making the judgement. Read about our approach to external linking. But Koh Tao was a political penal colony from 1933 until 1947, and a sense of self-sufficiency and isolation exists to this day. A CCTV video of a woman running near the scene is described but not . 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 bodies of David Miller, 24, from Jersey and Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, were found on a beach on Koh Tao in September 2014. Once youve been living there for a while, youll turn a blind eye to some pretty sketchy stuff, says Mike Earley, 30, from New Zealand, who spent six months on the island working as a DJ. Magazines, Digital Miss Witheridge, a University of Essex student from Hemsby in Norfolk, and Mr Miller, a civil and structural engineering graduate, from Jersey, were bludgeoned to death. One of his former teachers,Alan Hamel, reminisced, He was a young man of enormous potential and particularly a talented artist. In general, tourists are almost comically unaware of this malevolent undercurrent. [38] Both men were 22-year-old illegal migrant workers from Rakhine, Myanmar, who worked in the hospitality industry. The crimes brutality amid Koh Taos insular, backpacker charm caused an international sensation and threatened to further weaken a tourist industry already reeling from the military coup of May 22, 2014, which saw hundreds arbitrarily detained and draconian new controls imposed on freedom of speech and assembly. 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.. Beach cleaners discovered the Britons . Mr and Mrs Miller, from St Helier, said: "Every moment we miss our son. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller's bodies were found on a beach in Koh Tao in September 2014. A process of registering irregular Burmese migrant workers has been introduced to tackle the semiofficial bribes, though many say abuses continue unabated. Their bodies were found close to the beach bungalows where they had been staying. Greg Shepherd, 34, from Luton in the U.K., tells TIME he witnessed a man getting shot in the face in a bar north of Sairee Beach in the mid-2000s. One belonged to David, and one belonged to an unknown Asian male. According to reports, Davids family welcomed the commutation of the sentence.
Friend of slain tourist flees over 'mafia' threat | Independent.ie Irregular Burmese migrant workers were now required to register with the police in an attempt to discourage illegal workers and prevent bribery. [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. Their senseless deaths sparked international outrage and raised questions about justice on Koh Tao. Miss Witheridge's family paid tribute to their . Possessing no official status or documents, their vulnerability is extreme, and complaints of rape, extortion and physical violence are legion. The island of Koh Tao is located in Southern Thailand. [15], Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo retracted their statements following a visit from a consular lawyer for Myanmar and said they had made their statements under duress, after they had allegedly been beaten, left naked in a freezing room, and threatened with electrocution and an extrajudicial killing. The largest and most developed is Koh Samui, which also boasts the archipelagos only international airport.
The Case of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller-Death Island Both victims had been hit several times on the head; Witheridge had been raped, and Miller had been drowned. And the shambolic investigation also didnt help.. Dilleen Hempel Murder: Who Killed Her? [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.