Christina, from Orpington, South East London, died shortly after arriving on Koh Tao. [11] The two met in Koh Tao while staying at the same hotel. Aug 10, 2017. They also found a suicide note at the scene. "There has been lots of chit-chat on the internet. Read about our approach to external linking. It covers an area of about 21 km2. But . Ten days after he went missing from Sairee Beach on Koh Tao, the body of Swiss tourist Hans Peter Suter, 44, was washed ashore at Talay Ngam beach in Lang Suan district of Chumphon province on Tuesday, November 18, 2014. Try for $0.00. SUPAPONG CHAOLAN DNA tests have failed to provide a match. Witnesses said items belonging to the Moldovan were seen in the early hours of Tuesday morning and police were alerted. 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. Deaths have been explained away by the authorities as unfortunate accidents or suicides. She had checked into the hostel on February 11 and was due to check out on February 16, but failed to do so. An unexplained fire that evening burned down three bamboo huts, including the one Elise had been staying in. Tony Witheridge bowed his head as bloody images of his daughter's body were shown on the third day of the trial of Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. On September 20, 1988, Tara Calico left her home in New Mexico to go on a bike ride she took, In November 1981, actress Natalie Wood mysteriously drowned off the coast of Southern California during a boating trip with her, In July 2014, 52 year old Lynn Messer mysteriously disappeared from her familys 260-acre farm in Bloomsdale, Missouri. [1][51] According to an observer, the sittings lasted over ten hours each day. He was travelling Southeast Asia with a friend after completing a six-week work placement in Australia with a mining company,[6][8][9] and arrived in Thailand in August. Valentina Novozhenova 2017; Now their families are demanding answers. [59] The defence struggled to find members of the public willing to testify at the trial, as many feared retribution,[1][60] hence their alibi was not considered convincing by the court. [79] Rumours began to circulate, with residents on the island saying the island is controlled by a mafia who "have information about the true culprits", and claimed that the police is covering for them. British woman, Christina Annesley, 23, was found in a room at the In Touch Resort on Jan 21, 2015. 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.. They are said to have confessed to the crime but later retracted their statements. The island of Koh Tao is located in Southern Thailand. [48][35] A 900-page police report was produced to guide the prosecution's case, but the defence were not allowed to see the report until the trial began. As investigators descended upon the apartment, one of them picked up a camera and photographed the scene. "[78] Another commentary in the paper stated that the "overwhelming public skepticism stems from the police's longstanding notoriety for arresting poor and powerless scapegoats to save rich criminals who can afford to buy their innocence". Here's a timeline of the other suspicious deaths and disappearances on Koh Tao: On New Year's Day, 2014, before the Miller and Witheridge case first brought infamy to Koh Tao, 25-year-old Brit Nick Pearson was found dead in the water not far from the scene of that subsequent double murder. Something went wrong, please try again later. Andy was assisting the defence lawyers. 2023 BBC. It will take a bit of time to find loopholes to appeal. A few days later, staff checked her room to discover her mobile phone, passport and camera had all been left behind. ", Mrs Miller said: "It's been hard, very hard. The team were only allowed to spend two hours on Koh Tao and did not meet with the suspects or defence. Thai police said a post-mortem examination showed he drowned. [1][4][24] Witheridge's body indicated she had been raped. [6] Miller had just completed his undergraduate degree in civil and structural engineering at the University of Leeds and was starting a masters degree. Frenchman, Dimitri Povse, 29, was found hanging from the beam of a rented house on January 1, 2015. I 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. Thailand is one of the worlds most popular tourist destinations with around 35 million visitors each year and promotes itself as the Land of Smiles. The government is sensitive to criticism that could undermine the countrys reputation. "We're more and more thinking that the police information is not the right explanation.". [48], The guilty verdict resulted in widespread protests in Myanmar. [5][40] The commutation was welcomed by Miller's family. Christina Annesley, 23, was one of the many young Brits who sadly died in Koh Tao. . Pool photo, 0130 exhibit 29 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. The Backpacker Murders of Koh Tao. 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. Both entered through the Ranong Province, allegedly without presenting themselves at a port of entry and without possessing a passport. [76], The International Commission of Jurists said "the defense must be afforded adequate time and facilities to explore whether the alleged destruction of evidence in this case was appropriate and unavoidable, and to test the prosecution case overall." One of the most famous Hollywood murders of recent memory was that of Lana Clarkson, the actress and model. [1][15][16] Miller's body was found floating in the water, and Witheridge's on the beach;[17] the bodies lay approximately 20 metres apart and 30 metres away from their hotel (Ocean View Bungalows). The body had to be identified using dental records and previous X-rays. Picture: Facebook DEATH ISLAND VICTIMS REVEALED 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. Unfortunately, the Thai defence lawyers did not call Ms Taupin to give evidence even though she was available. Grace Beahm Alford/The Post and Courier/Pool Grace Beahm Alford/The Post and Courier/Pool Diagram of crime scene. In December 2015, the pair were convicted of the murder and sentenced to death. These illegal workers often reside with friends on the island, making it difficult to identify them. [70] Wai Phyo was also convicted of theft for allegedly stealing a phone and sunglasses from Miller's body. [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. Zaw Lin was not convicted of this charge because he held a work permit for the two years preceding the murders. Witheridge was travelling with three other friends, and Miller with two others. [93] Amid the investigation, Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul visited Koh Tao on 28 September 2014 in an attempt to reassure tourists. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. He started another business in neighboring island Koh Phayam before returning in March 2018 to "tie up loose ends". He said at the time: "We don't know how or why she died. Our family have been further traumatised by reports that there are numerous unnecessary and senseless photographs circulating across the internet. [1][31] Pornthip Rojanasunand, a Thai forensic scientist, testified at the trial that the crime scene was poorly managed. Koh Tao Mayor Chaiyan Thurasakul said the website is accused of damaging Koh Taos reputation by calling it Death Island. Prosecutors alleged that the double murder of Paul and Maggie was part of an effort by Murdaugh to gain sympathy and distract others from his significant financial crimes. 8 Christina is one of the many young Brits to have died on the island Credit: Handout 8 Friends and family remain suspicious of the police investigation and the insistence that Dimitri committed suicide, especially as his hands were tied behind his back. We admit that in the past, there was a mafia there that took advantage of tourists. Pol Lt Gen Thanate Pinmuangngam, acting chief of Police Region 8, said In the Dallemagne case, the cause of death was suffocation. This led to dozens of charges accusing Alex Murdaugh of stealing nearly $5million in settlement money from lawyers who sued him over the death.. On February 3, 2003, she was found dead of a gunshot wound in the mansion of famed record-producer Phil Spector. The men, apprehended soon after the pair's bodies were found, initially confessed to the crime only to retract their statements amid claims they were extracted by torture. Measuring 21 square kilometres (8sqmi) in area, it is the smallest of three popular tourist islands in the Gulf of Thailand. The publicity about their allegedly botched investigation began in 2014 with the brutal murder of two British tourists, David Miller and Hannah Witheridge . The family claimed the circumstances surrounding his death and the local police's refusal to co-operate with them have led them to believe the death is "suspicious". One of the first famous crime scene photos was taken on May 5, 1903, in the home of a Parisian woman named Madame Debeinche who had been murdered. 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". Dimitri Povse 2015; We are here for David because of his tragic death. Belgian backpacker Elise Dallemagne, 30, was found hanging from a tree on April 27, 2017. Understanding powerlessness and vulnerability of migrants across Thailand, when combined with widespread criticism of this murder investigation and allegations of powerful actors influencing developments continues to produce deep distrust or suspicion that the real people responsible for . Anthony Cardullo 2013 (USA); I am the former owner and editor of the Samui Times, a news publication on Koh Samui, and covered the stories of the so-called "backpacker murders" and other suspicious . Many young Brits who sadly died in Koh Tao is located in Southern Thailand Elise,... Do so Povse 2015 ; We are here for David because of his death! 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