All Rights Reserved. Sun 23 Nov 2014 10.54 EST Last modified on Wed 29 Nov 2017 23.45 EST. Really sad that the victims pictures are in the internet like this. Both families have revealed their struggle to come to terms with their tragic losses, and have remained hopeful throughout the investigation. Hannah Witheridge was a college student at the University of Essex and lived there, according to her Facebook page. The defense appeals were exhausted in August and a royal pardon or commutation of the death sentence by the Thai king is the last chance for a pardon. A summary of the appeal by the 'Koh Tao Two' against conviction and the death sentence for the murders of British tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller appears to totally demolish a sloppy prosecution case in the controversial trial in Thailand. A UK autopsy later discovered Ben died of a transected aorta a rupture of the bodys largest artery rather than a broken neck. Please note: Starting with Case 200, we are using a new Casefile Ratings Form (200-). POLICE have finally made a breakthrough in investigating the shocking murders of two British backpackers whose battered bodies were found last month on a beach in southern Thailand, but mystery still surrounds the horrific discovery. A quick scan of English-language news portals for the booming resort of Pattaya one of the countrys most popular destinations reveals a shocking litany of muggings, phone snatchings, shootings, stabbings, fatal car crashes, drownings, and more, all involving visitors. Thailands tourist industry is already reeling from the effects of marital law. Our hearts go out to the Witheridge family who are also coming to terms with the sudden trauma of the equally senseless ending of their Hannahs life, Mr Millers family said in a statement earlier this week. The two suspects, identified only as "Saw" and "Win," appeared at a news conference this week where the Thailand police commissioner said that DNA samples from . Specially how their entire investigation depended entirely on their DNA evidence, which honestly, sounded like it either was completely made up or staged. All times AEDT (GMT +11). The bodies of Mr Miller and Miss Witheridge were found on a beach on the Thai island of Koh Tao in 2014. Crowds of onlookers watched as the suspects were led to the rocky alcove along the shore where the two bodies were discovered. We are saying that by giving them the death penalty, they will lose the opportunity to do something good with their lives, lawyer Nadthasiri Bergman said at the time. It was a year ago that the bodies were discovered on the beach: nearly naked, their blood mixing with the morning surf. Maybe I missed it but I dont think the fate of the guitar was addressed? 2022 - Wiki and Biography world. Lt Gen Panya, appointed assistant national police chief earlier this week authorities had arrested three immigrant migrant workers. They still maintain their innocence, as they did throughout the trial. With tourism critical to Thailand's economy, police. For other inquiries, Contact Us. The men alleged that they had been tortured by the police, and legal teams claimed that the evidence was misused. (Facebook). The men have been charged with the murder of both Britons -- a charge which carries the death penalty. They lost their appeal in 2017. . - Listen to Case 236: Sophie Lionnet by Casefile True Crime instantly on your tablet, phone or browser - no downloads needed. Thais wouldnt do this pronounced a leading policeman, and officers started rounding up Burmese laborers for interrogation and DNA tests. 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. Magazines, Digital Under the scheme hotels will distribute the wristbands to new arrivals. On September 16, 2019 she was found unresponsive in hospital shortly after speaking to staff and was pronounced dead. Today it emerged that two men had confessed to killing the pair. The University of Essex student and her male compatriot David Miller, formerly of University of Leeds, were subsequently murdered. The main suspect in the crime is a fellow British backpacker, according to The Guardian. Cruise staffer fired after shock bathroom act. That's not how being suicidal works! View our online Press Pack. However, given the inconsistencies in the investigation, doubt is likely to remain no matter the verdict. Agreed. Witheridge and Miller are the two British tourists who were found dead after being chopped up on a Thailand beach. I wish true crime media would stop using this reasoning altogether. Prosecutors said DNA evidence collected from cigarette butts, condoms, and the bodies of the victims linked Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun to deaths. Tourist police said the safety measure would be voluntary. Two Myanmar migrant workers sentenced to death in Thailand for the murder of two British backpackers had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment, their lawyer said. Please try again later. . TWO men found guilty of murdering a pair of British backpackers in Thailand will be executed after their appeals were thrown out by the courts today. "They said they didn't do it, that the Thai police beat them until they confessed to something they didn't do. Mr Miller's are planning a memorial bench. In a statement, Miss Witheridge's family said their daughter had been "taken from us in the most horrific way possible" and learning of her death had been an "indescribably impossible time". A few days later, staff checked her room to discover her mobile phone, passport and camera had all been left behind. Thai police admitted to moving Mr Miller's body, ostensibly to prevent it from washing away. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital Case over Hannah Witheridge and David Miller's deaths on Thai island unravelling. What science tells us about the afterlife. The collection, transport, testing, analysis, reporting and storage of forensic or DNA evidence used in the Koh Tao murder case did not meet international standards, said Andy Hall, a legal counsel for the families. Hannah & David: Dirigido por John Barnard. Said so, I always like to see images of the victims and perpetrators to see how they looked like and for those of you who might be sensible to gruesome scenes, I recommend you not to look at Hannahs crime scene picture. Beach cleaners discovered the. Hannah Witheridge, a backpacker who was murdered in Thailand, The family of Hannah Witheridge, has had their hearts broken by the second death of her sister who died in hospital, Laura Daniels. They were in their early 20s and holidaying together on the tiny tropical island of Koh Tao, a backpacker's paradise off the coast of Thailand. What science tells us about the afterlife. It means Myanmar people suffer a lot of discrimination and are generally treated as work chattel, and so it seems very easy for Thai authorities to pin crimes on them. Grief: Relatives of David Miller and Hanna Witheridge hug . The family of a British backpacker killed in Thailand have welcomed a decision to commute his murderers' death sentences to life in prison. In a separate address, for which he has since apologized, he said that tourists think our country is beautiful and is safe so they can do whatever they want, they can wear bikinis and walk everywhere. The general even suggested that the only tourists who should feel safe in bikinis were those who were not beautiful.. This is a classy show with classy fans. Frenchman Dimitri Povse, 29, was found hanged in a bungalow on the island on New Year's Day 2015. October 9, 2014 - 8:57AM. Koh Tao is actually pronounced 'kaw? Really surprised me since he usually goes to great lenghts get it right, however butchered this one that should have been "easy". A lot of the pictures were actually by some cleaners before the police even came. 18:37 GMT 11 Aug 2021. Both had been in Thailand since August and had met just hours before their deaths. , updated Ms Witheridge had been raped and Mr Miller had been. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. Killed in Thailand: British tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller. The murders on Koh Tao, a laid-back haven for divers, sullied Thailand's image in the tourism industry, which accounts for about 10 per cent of the country's economy. "The final admittance of their guilt has allowed this act of clemency to become possible," they continued. 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. . This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. They both decide to take a backpacking trip to Thailand before pursuing Master's Degrees in their respective fields. Thailand beach murders: Hannah Witheridge and David Miller may have argued in bar with gangsterBy Andy Lines KOH TAO: -- Police are also trying to trace a mystery western woman seen on CCTV running along the main street in the early hours on the night of the murdersMurdered British backpackers Ha. Beach cleaners discovered the Britons naked bodies 20 m apart by rocks on idyllic Sairee Beach on Sept. 15. In a statement they said a memorial was planned near Plemont Bay on the north coast of Jersey later this month. Instead, he told the court that the hoe was examined under a magnifying glass but investigators decided there were no viable fingerprints or DNA to collect, Sky News reported. being a glottal stop). Thoughts and prayers with his family and friends. Thailand backpacker murders: David Miller and Hannah Witheridge - two lives cut short The two young tourists were killed in the early hours of 15 September, 2014, after which their relatives. with a blow to the head and water in his lungs, a British friend of hers as a person of interest, initially saying that it was lost or "used up". They had been bludgeoned to death. It doesnt seem like the two convicted of the murder actually committed it, but that leaves wiide open the question of who is actually attacking + murdering backpackers on this island, and why?! Write to Charlie Campbell at charlie.campbell@time.com. Lin and Phyo initially confessed to the killings but then retracted their statements saying they were tortured. Two Burmese workers were sentenced to death in 2015,. The bodies of Miss Witheridge and 24-year-old David Miller, from Jersey, were found on the resort island of Koh Tao in 2014. Yeah, it was a but suspicious given they had the phone and there was apparently DNA evidence. DNA tests on a cigarette butt found at the scene have now cleared the former. Or should Thai law not have this' Is it the case that we should release all people when pressured'," a visibly angry Prayuth told reporters before boarding a plane to the southern province of Surat Thani.Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, both 22, were found guilty by a Thai court on Thursday of killing Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, whose . Thailands image as a tourist paradise has been badly damaged by the brutal murders. Finally, police appeared to have found their footing when they arrested two 22-year-old migrants from Myanmar who, police claimed, had confessed to the crimes. They lost their appeal in 2017. Sometime deep into the night, the friends wandered off, perhaps headed back to their bungalow resort nearby. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. The authorities announced that Ms Witheridge was raped, then said she wasn't, before finally saying she was raped twice. David Miller, 24, from Jersey in the Channel Islands, had been backpacking across Asia and Australia before spending time on the popular party island of Koh Tao. He described the impact the tragic murder of Miss Witheridge had on the family, and how Mrs Daniels 'spearheaded the fight for justice for her sister'. They both decide to take a backpacking trip to Thailand before pursuing Master's Degrees in their respective fields. "They told me that they were on the beach that night drinking and singing songs," said attorney Aung Myo Thant, a Myanmar embassy official, The Guardian reported. THANK YOU. "This tree was another tower of Jersey strength brought crashing down before its time," they said. Their bodies were found close to the beach bungalows where they had been staying. The bodies of 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge and 24-year-old David Miller were found on a beach in Koh Tao in September 2014. Bricklayer Luke Miller was found at the bottom of a swimming pool at the Sunset Bar at Sairee Beach in January 2016. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller, the two British backpackers found dead on a Thai beach last month, were reportedly killed by two Burmese men who confessed to officials this week. Whilst I dont believe the correct murderers were charged, please do not quote the woman who wrote the book. Nick Pearson, 25, was found floating in an island bay, at the foot of a 50ft drop on New Years Day 2014. Sue Witheridge gave evidence at the inquest into the death of. HARROWING photos of the corpses of English backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller have surfaced online, traumatising their families. Later that month, graduate Christina Annesley, 23, was said to have died of natural causes after mixing antibiotics she was taking for a chest infection with alcohol. On September 14, 2014, they attended an all-night party on Koh Tao's idyllic Sairee Beach, a swathe of emerald water and white sands. So sad to hear that young man murdered in Thailand was Jerseyman David Miller. They deny any involvement. For more information, please see our Killed in Thailand: British tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? Oh I found out about this case while in Myanmar, where there is a great deal of sympathy for the men they convicted. His family accused the Thai police of a cover-up. Very strange. Video Unavailable Murdered British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller may have been in a row in a bar with a local gangster who tried to chat her up. In addition to tagging tourists the Department of Tourism is keen to curb partying hours in visitor hot spots. The spotlight fell on British tourist Christopher Alan Ware, who shared a room with Miller, with police hinting at a crime of passion. Ware was arrested at Bangkoks main airport with his brother James. Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge The bodies of 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge and 24-year-old David Miller were found on a beach in Koh Tao in September 2014. When residents of the affluent Southfields area of south-west London notice foul smelling smoke coming from a home on Wimbledon Park Drive in September 2017, firefighters arrive to make sure the house.- Hren Sie Case 236: Sophie Lionnet von Casefile True Crime sofort auf Ihrem Tablet, Telefon oder im Browser - kein Herunterladen erforderlich. David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, didn't know each other before they met on holiday in Thailand in September. The case attracted widespread media attention in the UK at the time. Yet, that case has also been disintegrating. Yep and the fact that he straight up fucked off out the country for fear of persecution from locals. "But in the end the truth has been revealed," the couple added. Koh Tao Island Murders | David Miller and Hannah Witheridge Case Analysis Dr. Todd Grande 1.27M subscribers 54K views 5 months ago This video answers the question: Can I analyze the case of. Most of tourists are coming here for diving or to admire our nature not to party, Arnuparp said, adding new zoning curbs would likely control all-night bars and clubs. It only emerged in recent days that Witheridge, a speech therapy student from England, was brutally raped before her death. Fact is scarier than fiction A community following Casefile: True Crime Podcast! 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. A cruise employee has had his contract terminated after he was allegedly seen filming women from a female bathroom. The police are getting a lot of not only domestic media coverage but also international, and are under pressure to make statements about progress.. Mr Miller was found four metres away, face up, with a blow to the head and water in his lungs. I doubt we'll ever know the truth. Bizarre pictures showed them handcuffed wearing bicycle helmets surrounded by cops as they reconstructed the attack on Sairee beach. The two workers, Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, were sentenced to death for the murder of David Miller and the murder and rape of Hannah Witheridge, whose bodies were discovered on a beach on the popular tourist island of Koh Tao in September 2014. 2023 BBC. The 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. The families of two British tourists murdered in Thailand have spoken of their "torturous pain" and "destroyed lives" one year on from the deaths. Great episode but a tragic tale! Cookie Notice The popular holiday spot has been dubbed 'death island' after a string of tourists died in shocking circumstances while holidaying there. This was the first Casefile that Ive really questioned their research. The two Myanmar men, in helmets and handcuffs, charged in the killings, were made to take part in a re-enactment of the crime.Credit:Reuters. Llam demasiado la atencin? News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Powered by. Mrs Witheridge who is separated from Miss Witheridge's father Tony Witheridge, 59, said . Their bodies were discovered on a beach on the popular resort island of Koh Tao in September 2014. Their bodies were found semi-naked and severely battered, and both had severe head wounds. "Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo finally admitted to the rape and murder of Hannah Witheridge and the murder of our son.". Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, and David Miller, 24, from Jersey, were found dead on the island of Koh Tao on 15 September last year. However, the three judges who handed down the original guilty verdicts and death penalties concluded the prosecution proved its case with forensic evidence that met international standards linking the men to the murders. He added: 'Life was never going to be easy or the same again, we shared difficult times but we found happiness together.'. These two kindred spirits meet for the first time on the . "We hope that these two murderers will now spend a very, very long time in jail where they cannot harm other families and will have time to reflect on the consequences of their acts.". "I'm not worried [about high public expectations] because I know how much the probe has been progressing. Historic ocean treaty agreed after decade of talks, China looks at reforms to deepen Xi's control, Inside the enclave surrounded by pro-Russia forces, 'The nurses wanted me to feel guilty about my abortion, From Afghan TV fame to a US factory floor. But their confession was, itself, confused. Noted. A bloodstained garden hoe, which is thought to be the murder weapon, was discovered nearby, AFP reported. Don't google the images either I just did bad idea. With Jovelle Balani, Byron Charnonneau, Alexandra Chubaty Boychuk, Daniel Cifuentes. It's not always a call for help. 'No one knows, and that must be one of the hardest things for families and friends - for a young person to die and for despite all the investigation, all the inquest process we end up simply not knowing.'. Friends and family of Mr Miller have commissioned a "simple seat from a plank of oak from a tree that fell in the great storm of 1987". The battered bodies of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found on a beach on the popular tourist island of Koh Tao in September 2014. 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. They also alleged that the evidence was misused by the police and that the couples confessions were the result of systematic harassment by immigrants in the region. From the beginning, there were signs that the investigation was in trouble. They lost an appeal in 2017. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. The BBC reports that police in the area believe the man has already escaped Koh Tao. 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. Burmese migrant workers Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, also known as Win Zaw Htun, were found guilty of the murders and sentenced to death in December 2015. Post-mortems found that Hannah had died from head wounds, while engineering student Mr Miller suffered severe blows to his head and drowned. And wasnt the English guy that was an initial suspect found with a blood stained guitar? Shady. Both bodies were found lying on a beach, stripped naked and bloodied. Credit:Reuters. By the time dawn broke over Koh Tao, the beach had been . As police linked arms to keep onlookers off the beach, the confused looking suspects fumbled to oblige. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller have been named as the two tourists who chopped up by a hoe in Thailand. She also preyed upon the families of the victims to suit her narrative. David Miller is from the island of Jersey in the English channel between the United Kingdom and France. "She would have gone on to make a significant difference to the lives of many people.". I also found that extremely weird it was brought up once and never again. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? The authorities scoured its jungles for suspects as islanders blocked the ferry to prevent the murderers' escape. On Friday, a Thai forensic expert said that DNA evidence from the supposed murder weapon did not match that of the accused. Read about our approach to external linking. Finally, he said he did not think it was relevant that CCTV footage showed men fleeing from the area in clothing that was different to that worn by the Myanmar workers that night. Then came Friday's bombshell about the DNA on the bloody hoe. The pair said they offered information to. All Rights Reserved. The bodies of David Miller, 24, from Jersey, and Hannah Witheridge, aged 23, from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, were discovered semi-naked on a beach in the divers' paradise of Koh Tao yesterday. The investigation descended into the absurd when the Thai Prime Minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, commented on the killings by saying that only ugly women were safe wearing bikinis in Thailand. Doesn't seem like the killers would have left that behind. German Bernd Grotsch, 47, was found dead at his home deep in the jungle in the Mae Haad part of Koh Tao. Two Burmese migrants who were convicted over the killings had their death sentences reduced to life imprisonment in 2020. However, no toxicology report was conducted. By The pair were killed with a wooden hoe as they walked back to their hotel rooms late at night on a beach. Con Jovelle Balani, Byron Charnonneau, Alexandra Chubaty Boychuk, Daniel Cifuentes. To use auto build you need to . The influence of the king was on this occasion somewhat beneficial - they take the royal family so seriously that you can be sent to prison for writing even an oblique satire or parody of them. A baby girl has died in tragic circumstances on a family holiday, after ingesting drugs her parents believe were left out in an Airbnb. Speaking at the inquest, she said: 'Given the post-mortem findings it is very difficult indeed to come to any conclusion other than open and that is because no one knows quite why Laura died when she did. Belgian backpackerElise Dallemagne, 30, was found hanged in the hillson the island on April 28, 2017. I here to deliver the same warning. The men said they didn't use a condom, even though police insisted they had. The trial came following accusations Lin and Phyo, who were migrant workers on the island, were being used as scapegoats by desperate investigators. It would be "a place where Dave's spirit and love of life may be with you". The trial of the two Burmese migrant workers was also plagued by accusations of human rights abuses. 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. The pair did not know each other before their holiday, but CCTV footage shows them leaving a bar together just hours before their battered bodies were discovered. The murders of Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, occurred in the early hours of the morning after they left AC Bar. Around three weeks ago, on September 15, their bodies were found together on a beach on Koh Tao island. The family of a British backpacker killed in Thailand have welcomed a decision to commute his murderers' death sentences to life in prison. Wai Phyo and Zaw Lin had denied killing Mr Miller and raping and killing Miss Witheridge. I kept thinking the episode was going to circle back around to this aspect but it never did. Read about our approach to external linking. On Friday, Pornthip Rojanasunand, the head of Thailand's forensics institute, testified that DNA found on the hoe did not match that of the two accused men, the Telegraph reported. 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. The biggest giveaway that that book isnt going to be up to much is that the front cover is Koh Nang Yuan, which is a different island to Koh Tao altogether. International legal and forensic scientists said in 2016 that the DNA investigation by the Thai Police Forensics Laboratory was incompetent with no chain of evidence. The men alleged that they had been tortured by the police, and legal teams claimed that the evidence was . Another one that personally gets me a lot is when relatives express vengeful feelings, saying how it would be righteous for their loved one's killer to have done to them all the heinous things they did to their loved ones or how they should be allowed the liberty to be with them privately one-on-one and do whatever they want with them.