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 testimony is just the latest in a long series of shocking setbacks that threaten to sink not only the case, but also the Thai criminal justice system. Ms Witheridge, who was doing a post-graduate speech and language therapy course at the University of Essex, was travelling with three female friends and had only arrived on Koh Tao, or Turtle Island, three before her death. "DNA and forensics evidence relied on to convict Zaw Law and Wai Phyo, and sentence them to death in the Koh Tao murder case was fundamentally flawed and unreliable in terms of international standards.". 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". 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". Doesn't seem like the killers would have left that behind.
I tend to want to see what the players look like after I am done listening, and some of the images that came up should just not be online. Press J to jump to the feed. . . 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. A bloodstained garden hoe, commonly used by beachside bars to dig fire pits, was found nearby and has now been confirmed as the principal murder weapon, along with a wooden club. 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. The trial came following accusations Lin and Phyo, who were migrant workers on the island, were being used as scapegoats by desperate investigators. 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. Around three weeks ago, on September 15, their bodies were found together on a beach on Koh Tao island. Both bodies were found lying on a beach, stripped naked and bloodied. 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. The trial is expected to conclude this month. They deny any involvement. She died at Southampton General Hospital on September 16, 2019 - five years after her sister Hannah Witheridge, then 23, was found beaten to death on a Thailand beach. 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. One year later, those test results are far from convincing. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. But the trial recently heard that a garden hoe alleged to have been used in the killings carried the DNA of two men, but there was no trace of either defendant. Davids not that bad, but my god what they did to Hannah. The bodies of the two tourists were discovered in a rocky alcove close to the hotel where they were staying on the holiday island of Koh Tao almost three weeks ago. 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, commute his murderers' death sentences to life in prison, Harry: I always felt different to rest of family, Chris Rock talks Oscars slap in live Netflix show, Everything Everywhere wins big ahead of Oscars, Mbappe breaks PSG goal record in win over Nantes, PM to end asylum claims from small boat arrivals. 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. Frenchman Dimitri Povse, 29, was found hanged in a bungalow on the island on New Year's Day 2015. Their bodies were discovered on a beach on the popular resort island of Koh Tao in September 2014. 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. Yeah, it was a but suspicious given they had the phone and there was apparently DNA evidence. I also found that extremely weird it was brought up once and never again. There is other evidence that points to these deaths being murders, but family members saying that the victims weren't suicidal is not it. She screams, he panics, so he hits her multiple times with the hoe to make her shut up - not rage as much as fear and desire to stop her screams. 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. Do you know this baby? 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. 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 . By the time dawn broke over Koh Tao, the beach had been . Lin and Phyo (also known asWin Zaw Htun)were sentenced to death for the murder of Mr Miller and the murder and rape of Ms Witheridge. Post-mortems found that Hannah had died from head wounds, while engineering student Mr Miller suffered severe blows to his head and drowned. My bets are that it was someone belonging to the Thai mafia. 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. ago This episode has been added to the Casefile Spreadsheet. The names of the tourists were first announced in a Sky News tweet. However, no toxicology report was conducted. Thai police believe that Hannah may have turned down the advances of a local man after reports emerged that the pair were seen arguing with an alleged gangster in a bar. Thai police initially blamed Burmese migrant workers (favorite targets, in the words of Paul Quaglia, a Bangkok-based risk analyst). His death was ruled as suicide but police could not explain why his hands were tied behind his back. Case over Hannah Witheridge and David Miller's deaths on Thai island unravelling. 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. One of the things I like most about Casefile fans is the respect given to the victims and their families, which is not always the case with true crime fans. POLICE have finally made a breakthrough in the shocking murders of two British backpackers in Thailand, but mystery still surrounds the horrific discovery. 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. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? To use auto build you need to . "We have the footage, but we never checked it," Police Colonel Cherdpong Chiewpreecha admitted in court, drawing gasps from those in attendance, Sky News reported. Pictures of killed British tourists David Miller and Hannah Witheridge and a message of support to their friends and families are displayed during special prayers at Koh Tao island on Sept. 18, 2014, Thailand's Increasingly Strange Strongman, What America's Richest Ski Town's Handling of COVID-19 Shows. Two Burmese migrants who were convicted over the killings had their death sentences reduced to life imprisonment in 2020. Mr Miller's family said they were "grateful" to the Thai king. But far from attempting to address the issues of visitor safety, Thai army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha, the nations self-appointed Prime Minister following a May 22 military coup, has stoked outrage by pointing fingers at the victims. Miss Witheridge's family paid tribute to their. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller have been named as the two tourists who chopped up by a hoe in Thailand. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Ukraine soldiers shoot down enemy drones with drones of their own, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts, Dozens stuck in car park as staff refuses to open gate for woman, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA. Blood spatters were not tested, he admitted. (Facebook). Hannah Witheridge and David Miller have been named as the two tourists who chopped up by a hoe in Thailand. Doubts about the case against the migrants - and the underlying mystery of who killed the tourists - have only deepened since the trial began in early July. 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. Who was Hannah Witheridge (Was Raped And Killed, Incident Detail) Wiki, Biography, Age, Hidden Facts You Need to Know. Mrs Witheridge who is separated from Miss Witheridge's father Tony Witheridge, 59, said . An autopsy examination showed that Ms. Witheridge had been raped. 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. Casey just wanted to come up with his own pronunciation of the Thai locations, but they're no more incorrect than the widely-accepted English mispronunciations of the places. The convictions were mired in a controversy with supporters of the two men who argued that they had been indicted and that they had initially confessed to the crimes under duress. The popular holiday spot has been dubbed 'death island' after a string of tourists died in shocking circumstances while holidaying there. If you have already listened to the episode, you can submit your rating at the Casefile Ratings Form. Were working to restore it. Today it emerged that two men had confessed to killing the pair. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/thailand-police-parade-burmese-killers-of-hannah-witheridge-and-david-miller-in-front-of-cameras-on-koh-tao-30635263.html RIP, Christian May (@christianrmay) September 15, 2014. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Prosecutors said DNA evidence collected from cigarette butts, condoms, and the bodies of the victims linked Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun to deaths. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. The University of Essex student and her male compatriot David Miller, formerly of University of Leeds, were subsequently murdered. 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. Police revealed that the two Thais had been interviewed but were released after refusing to provide DNA samples. The family of a British backpacker killed in Thailand have welcomed a decision to commute his murderers' death sentences to life in prison. 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. Very strange. Ms Witheridge had been raped and Mr Miller had been. Please try again later. It was not immediately clear how many prisoners could receive pardons or reduced sentences based on the different criteria listed in the decree. Koh Tao is actually pronounced 'kaw? Hannah Witheridge pictured on Facebook back in September 2013. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. She also preyed upon the families of the victims to suit her narrative. Two Burmese workers were sentenced to death in 2015,. What is the plan to protect the high seas? Her sister Hannah Witheridge was found dead on a beach in Thailand in 2014 . Sun 23 Nov 2014 10.54 EST Last modified on Wed 29 Nov 2017 23.45 EST. Basically, Myanmar shares a border with Thailand and is considerably lower on the economic development index so a lot of labour, both legal and illegal, is done by Myanmar people inside Thailand. Witheridge is a native of Great Yarmouth in the Southwest coast of England. . But his mum believes he was mugged aswallet and watch were missing. 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. News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. But Thailand's Supreme Court upheld the convictions. Then, just a few days later, a lawyer for the men insisted that the confession was false: the police had beaten it out of them. Their bodies had all sorts of bruises.". Llam demasiado la atencin? Their sentences will be reduced to life in prison after a royal clemency decree was issued on Friday, said their lawyer Nakhon Chompuchat. DNA tests on a cigarette butt found at the scene have now cleared the former. Don't google the images either I just did bad idea. Ms Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, hadbeen raped and bludgeoned to death while Mr Miller, 24, from Jersey, suffered shocking head injuries, according to police. Beach cleaners discovered the. The men said they didn't use a condom, even though police insisted they had. The case of Witheridge and Miller has, once again, laid bare the dichotomy between Thailands palm-fringed islands and dark underbelly immortalized in Alex Garlands 1996 dystopian novel The Beach. 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. The decree released Friday said the royal pardons were granted to mark the kings birthday on July 28 and to illustrate the kings clemency.. Privacy Policy. Both were found. Two weeks ago, Hannah Witheridge was raped. Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, had been raped before being beaten to death while Miller, 24, from Jersey, had been violently attacked and abandoned to drown in the shallow waters of the island's. The seemingly sluggish response was compounded by insensitive comments made by the coup-leading prime minister, Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who was forced into a rare public apology after suggesting women wearing bikinis could be more vulnerable to attack. The pair said they offered information to. However, a lawyer for Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo told the BBC that the pair had not admitted their guilt when their death sentences were commuted. The two Myanmar nationals are charged with murder (of both tourists), gang rape (of Witheridge) and stealing, Prachum Ruangthong, police chief of neighbouring Koh Phangan island, told AFP. The authorities announced that Ms Witheridge was raped, then said she wasn't, before finally saying she was raped twice. Laura Daniels, 30, died five years after her sister Hannah, 23, was killed on Koh Tao with David Miller of Jersey. When the bodies of British tourists 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge and 24-year-old David Miller were found brutally murdered on the remote Thai island of Koh Tao, the police immediately concluded that the killer had to be a foreigner, as a Thai person couldn't be capable of such brutality. Ms Witheridge was found with her face smashed in, her skirt wrenched up and her body showing signs of rape. "Our thoughts are also with the Witheridge family and the tragic loss of their daughter. David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23 Forensic tests carried out on two British tourists murdered in Thailand have found that the woman died from severe head wounds, while the man had. It is still unclear what prompted the killings. He knew enough to pronounce the initial 'v' in the common English spelling of his name (Vajiralongkorn) as a 'w', but then he pronounced the 'j' as a Spanish 'h' (it's actually 'ch'). Their bodies were found close to the beach bungalows where they had been staying. . Also, ugly people are safe in Thailand but Burmese people are not. Two of the suspects raped and killed Witheridge while another witnessed the murder, Thai police told the Bangkok Post. Miss Witheridge's family paid tribute to their "beautiful Hannah". Shortly after arresting the men, Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, Thai officials had them perform a bizarre public re-enactment of the crimes. Two Myanmar men accused of murdering two British holidaymakers David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, in Thailand will go on trial on Wednesday in a case that caused outrage in Britain and raised questions about the competence of the Thai police and the treatment of migrant labourers. They added: "Along with her bubbly and exciting personality Hannah was extremely intelligent and, after earning a degree with first-class honours from the University of East Anglia, was working towards a masters degree in speech and language therapy in Essex. The final photo of the pair looking happy and carefree, the couple appear to be with a large group of friends, enjoying their evening with drinks at a bar called Choppers. The case attracted widespread media attention in the UK at the time. Accused of murdering British tourists, Myanmar men Zaw Lin (right) and Win Zaw Htun have withdrawn their confession, that they now say was extracted through torture. Network writers. 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". Despite claims of a fall, he had no broken bones. With no DNA evidence and a contested confession, the case appears to be collapsing. The authorities scoured its jungles for suspects as islanders blocked the ferry to prevent the murderers' escape. I wish true crime media would stop using this reasoning altogether. If you have already listened to the episode, you can submit your rating at the Casefile Ratings Form. Wai Phyo and Zaw Lin had denied killing Mr Miller and raping and killing Miss Witheridge. Grieving: Hannah Witheridge's family at the headquarters of the Royal Thai Police in Bangkok last year.Credit:Reuters. 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. Stricter rules for hiring migrant workers across the archipelago were introduced in the wake of the killings with astonishing speed. Prosecutors have claimed the men are linked to the killings by DNA evidence collected from cigarette butts, a condom and the bodies of the victims. David Miller was her handsome friend from the Channel Islands. 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. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. He has now apparently fled into hiding in fear for his life. "They were a really pitiful sight. 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 both decide to take a backpacking trip to Thailand before pursuing Master's Degrees in their respective fields. Do you know this baby? In a statement they said a memorial was planned near Plemont Bay on the north coast of Jersey later this month. He said the plan would be rolled out soon on popular resort islands such as Koh Tao and Koh Phangan and also the tourist beach area of Pattaya. These two kindred spirits meet for the first time on the . Mrs Daniels went on to qualify as a paediatric nurse and the pair were married in 2018. He said he simply did not believe the killer would have taken the boat. When is Eurovision and how do you get tickets? A final picture of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller taken just hours before they were brutally murdered. That's not how being suicidal works! So sad to hear that young man murdered in Thailand was Jerseyman David Miller. Yeh I made the same mistake and I feel a bit sick now. CCTV footage shows the two leaving a bar together just hours before their battered bodies were discovered. Exact date yellow weather warning for snow and ice forecast to hit UK - will you be affected? The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Drugs, rape and assault are an unfortunate consequence of Thailands reputation for hedonism, and the criminal elements it attracts. Forensic examiners in Bangkok found water in his lungs and revealed that Miss. Given the handling of the case, its pretty clear that Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo definitely didnt do it. Agreed. Mrs. Daniels had been seriously ill, said the family statement confirming that she passed away on Sept. 16.