There were apparently no signs of robbery or attack in the room at the hotel where Alexandr had been staying. 5. A number of tourist deaths on this island in recent years have shocked the world. Ms Witheridge and Mr Miller did not know each other from at home in the UK and are believed to have met on holiday. "We're confident we have a very high chance of finding the suspects.". He had been dead about 10 days and had left to snorkelling alone on November 8. They believed he had accidentally drowned and he was thought to have been dead for around 12 hours when his body was retrieved. Elise's mother Michele van Egten says she does not believe the Thai police's version of events amid fears authorities are working to suppress speculation about the many murders on the island. Koh Tao … 4. Police recovered the body and took it to the neighbouring island of Koh Phangan. There were no signs of a struggle or rape, or other human DNA. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6729031/thailand-koh-tao-island-dad-dead-mystery/, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-30546787, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/09/17/sister-murdered-backpacker-hannah-witheridge-dies-falling-gravely/, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-53797951, https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1282946/police-clarify-koh-tao-death-cases, https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1047575-death-island-riddle%C2%A0-koh-tao-mystery-deepens-as-%E2%80%98healthy%E2%80%99-dad-becomes-tenth-westerner-to-die-in-suspicious-circumstances/, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4680394/Haunting-final-image-Koh-Tao-backpacker-Thai-hang-suicide.html, https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/thailands-death-island-tourist-33-13399601, https://www.chiangraitimes.com/crime-chiang-rai-thailand/body-of-moldavian-tourist-found-dead-in-sea-off-the-island-koh-tao-sent-to-bangkok-for-thorough-autopsy/, https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/443983/suter-hanspeter-body-found-on-beach-in-chumphon-thailand, Koh Tao Murders, Suspicious Deaths, Fatal Accidents Tribute to 20 Foreigners Tony Lotus & 1Survivor, Tagged: Koh Tao - Death Island in Paradise, Cases on the Death Island of Koh Tao, nick pearson koh tao death, The coroner concluded there was not enough evidence to say where or how he met his death. It covers an area of about 21 km2. Thailand’s prime minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, questioned the attire and behavior of foreign female tourists shortly after the killing of two British backpackers, David Miller and Hannah Witheridge on the island in 2014. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Share. 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". Nick's father ,Graham, had been the last person to see him when he walked with his son back to where the family was staying. The pair were sentenced to death for the murder of 24 year old David Miller and the murder and rape of 23 year old Hannah Witheridge. Koh Tao murders: Thai court upholds death penalty for two men convicted of killing British backpackers Wai Phyo and Zaw Lin have denied killing David Miller and … There are at least seven cases of reported murders of the foreigners on the southern island of Koh Tao in between the years of 2014-2017 with many doubts about the police investigation which was widely criticised and marked as "Incompetent at best" by the international legal and DNA forensics experts. 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. 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. An inquest had been held in 2014 as his death was being treated as suspicious. ADVERTISEMENT. The body had to be identified using dental records and previous X-rays. Phone records showed that Elise called her mother on Skype on April 17, 2017, before leaving Koh Phangan on a Ferry April 19. Posted by 1 day ago. https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30320196. Koh Tao Mayor Chaiyan Thurasakul said the website is accused of “damaging Koh Tao’s reputation by calling it Death Island”. ... murder … A local man, Ronnakorn Romruen, 24, reportedly confessed to raping then … German Bernd Grotsch's body was found at his home deep in the jungle in the Mae Haad part of Koh Tao. The autopsy stated he had drowned. But many cases appear very suspicious according to family members and insufficiently investigated. Koh Tao, where Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were murdered, is … International experts criticized the DNA testing done by the hospital at the time with claims that samples were tampered with in order to falsely incriminate two Burmese workers. Bernd's cousin Christina said: ''We cannot accept what the Thai authorities on the island are telling us. Today, we have gotten rid of them.”. A royal commutation does not require an admission of guilt. However, no toxicology report was conducted. Only if they are not beautiful.” He later apologized, saying that he meant only that foreign visitors should be careful. You are the tourist, you are visiting their country so YOU should adapt to ... 2. She was also part of the Sathya Sai Baba cult and lived with a self-proclaimed 'guru'. While police ruled out foul play, Nick's family, who say officers did not investigate a single witness, believe he was murdered. 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. The chilling toll of young Britons killed in Thailand: Murders, rapes, and 60 unexplained deaths in just two years. After spending two hours reading the 60 page verdict, the Judge upheld the rulings by two lower courts that found Zaw Lin and … A woman Povse had been interested in said he had called her twice on the phone that night but she had not picked up because she had been asleep. Koh Tao murders: Influential island figure vows to … Anonymous slams ‘ugly corruption” of Thai authorities over Koh Tao case. Koh Tao ''Turtle Island'' or Ko Tao is an island in Thailand and is part of the Chumphon Archipelago on the western shore of the Gulf of Thailand. He also had given no indications before his death, that he had suicide thoughts. Most distressing among them were the murders of British youngsters Hannah Witheridge and David Miller, who were brutally killed on the southern island of Koh Tao … The murder investigation was criticized due to the alleged torture of both Myanmar migrant workers and mishandling of evidence by Thai police. Derby coroner Louise Pinder said there was not enough evidence to say how he died and recorded an open verdict. Pathologist Dr Michael Biggs told the hearing that there were many injuries on Nick's body, including to the head, limbs and face. Thailand has been suffering large losses in tourist revenue following the murders and the martial law imposed following May’s military coup. Final Judgment: Thai Supreme Court upholds death sentence for Myanmar men over Brit killings. The two men were convicted and sentenced in 2015 and the verdict was upheld by an appeals court in 2017 and the Supreme Court in August 2019. He also took a high profile in “clearing” one of the original suspects, “Nomsod” Toowuchien of the murders. The men, U Zaw Lin and U Win Zaw Htun, both workers on the popular resort island of Koh Tao, were convicted of murder, rape and unlawful entry into Thailand… He started another business in neighbouring island Koh Phayam before returning in March 2018 to "tie up loose ends". The police quickly closed the enquiry, stating that he had drowned whilst swimming. Police concluded she wanted to break a deep diving record at more than 24 metres. The pair’s bodies were found on a beach on the tiny island, which is marketed as a palm-fringed paradise for foreign tourists, on 15 September. 1. The last known video footage of the Russian woman showed her walking to Chaloke Hin Kao bay and never coming back. Pol Lt Gen Thanate Pinmuangngam, acting chief of Police Region 8, said “In the Dallemagne case, the cause of death was suffocation. Close. But, he said that most of these would have been present prior to his death, although he could not completely rule out the possibility that Nick had been attacked. A British student found dead in Thailand was raped by two men while another watched before she was murdered, police have said. A bloodstained garden hoe, believed to be the murder weapon, was found nearby. Tweet. Island authorities sued the online news site for violating the Computer Crime Act, which outlaws uploading false information online. Two different semen samples collected from her body are the basis for DNA analysis being used to test hundreds of men. So much so, that Koh Tao was dubbed "death island" and "murder island" by the media. At least eleven European tourists have died or disappeared there since 2014 and it is now described as “Death Island” or “Murder Island”. X. X. They claim they did not receive an autopsy report and say his body was sent against their wishes to the same Bangkok hospital that carried out botched reports on the bodies of two Brits murdered on the same island in 2014. His father, Ian, earlier said that he believes his son stepped in to help Ms Witheridge during an altercation. The investigation of the Witheridge and Miller slayings was widely criticised as the crime scene was not properly secured, and questions were also raised about subsequent DNA testing. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. He had entered the country on September 26, 2018, before travelling to the island, where stayed at the Monsoon Gym and Fight Club.Witnesses said items belonging to the Moldovan were seen in the early hours of Tuesday morning and police were alerted. Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, the 2 young Burmese men sentenced to death over the Koh Tao British backpacker double murder in 2014, have had their sentences commuted to life in prison by the Thai monarch. Police major general , Surachate Hakparn, said in an interview that the police have cracked down on crime syndicates on Koh Tao since the backpackers’ double killing. The items were still there are 3am and he called police. The programme, which could impose a curfew on bars, is still being discussed and is expected to meet with resistance from tourists if imposed. The following morning the family raised the alarm when Nick failed to answer the door. 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. Respect the Thai people! 6. The Thai Supreme Court has upheld the death sentences for two Burmese 26 year old men convicted of murdering two British backpackers on Koh Tao in 2014. A judge found the workers guilty and sentenced them to death despite questions about DNA evidence and the police handling of the case. Laura Daniels, 30, has died five years after sister Hannah, 23, was killed on Koh Tao with David Miller of Jersey. Koh Tao murder victims’ final night retold via CCTV at trial. Elise went 1.5 miles (2.5km) through the jungle to Tanote Bay and took a room at the Poseidon Resort where she booked another ticket for Bangkok leaving on April 24. The bodies of 23-year-old Hanna Witheridge and 24-year-old David Miller were discovered in September 2014 on a beach on Koh Tao, a small island in the Gulf of Thailand. Latest Activity. They still maintain their innocence, as they did throughout the trial. Elise Dallemange. They were partially undressed and … Collapse. A Thai villager lays flowers during a memorial service for two murdered British tourists on Koh Tao island, Two Myanmar migrant workers Win (left) and Saw (right) are suspects in the killing of two British tourists, Two Myanmar migrant workers suspected of killing two British tourists participate in a crime re-enactment, The two suspects (wearing hard hats) during a re-enactment of the alleged crime, Thai policemen conduct DNA tests on staff from two beachside bars as part of the investigation on the murder of two British tourists on the southern resort island of Koh Tao, Police chiefs look at a beach near the spot where bodies of two killed British tourists were found on the island of Koh Tao, Police in Koh Tao said they were liaising with officers in Bangkok to try and detain the second man, A Thai villager lays flowers during a memorial service for two murdered British tourists at the crime scene on a beach of Koh Tao resort island, A police searches for clues near the spot where bodies of two killed British tourists were found, on the island of Koh Tao, Thai workers carry the bodies of two British tourists on Koh Tao island in the Surat Thani province of southern Thailand, Hannah Witheridge, 23 was killed on the small island of Koh Tao on 15 Septembe, David Miller, 24, was killed on the small island of Koh Tao on 15 September, Thai PM suggests 'attractive' female tourists are not safe, Thai police will conduct DNA tests on every man on island, Thai police offer £13,000 reward for information, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}, Thailand: Hannah Witheridge 'raped by two men before being killed', Booking.com promo: 10% extra saving with Level 1 Genius membership, Debenhams discount code for 15% off selected luxury beauty products, Exclusive Ideal World promo code: 20% saving on fitness, Receive a £2 AliExpress promo code with the official App, Argos promo: 20% off selected LEGO toys this Easter. The bodies of Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, were found on a beach on Koh Tao in September 2014. Nick Pearson, 25, was found floating in an island bay, at the foot of a 50ft drop by scuba divers in the sea after he disappeared following a night out with his family on New Year's Eve. 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. We are furious that we have not been able to have an approved independent forensic examination.". Last week police colonel Kissana Phathanacharoen announced the offer of a 700,000 baht (£13,300) reward for information leading to arrests. His body was found at the beach at the Hillside Resort on Koh Tao, on January 1, 2014. Posts. Miriam Beelte was raped and murders on the island of Koh Sichang. The family have contested the police version of events. Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo (also known as Win Zaw Htun). Koh Tao murders : Two Britons dead in Thailand. 3. There was no signs he was suicidal. In an effort to ease safety fears, the tourism minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul has outlined a plan for identification wristbands for visitors and a “buddy system” to keep them safe. British Bricklayer Luke Miller, 26, was found at the bottom of a swimming pool at the Sunset Bar at Sairee Beach in January 6, 2016.His family accused the Thai police of a cover-up. The authorities said he had died after striking the diving board from which he was jumping. A Thai villager lays flowers during a memorial service for two murdered British tourists at the crime scene on a beach of Koh Tao resort island EPA In pictures: Thailand beach murders 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, … “I’m asking, if they wear bikinis in Thailand, will they be safe? 8 Koh Tao safety tips. No suspects have yet been arrested for killing Hannah Witheridge, 23, and 24-year-old David Miller but three people are believed to be involved. Respect the Thai people and their culture. Or is Koh Tao just unlucky for visitors or is there something more sinister happening on the beautiful Thai Island and haven for Scuba divers? He had been dead about 10 days and had left to snorkelling alone on November 8. Hannah was a University of Essex student from Hemsby in Norfolk, UK, and David was a civil and structural engineering graduate, from Jersey. Koh Tao, where Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were murdered, is steeped in paradoxes. Hans Peter Suter. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. On February, 16, 2015 Russian tourist Valentina Novozhyonova, 23, vanished from her hostel on Koh Tao. Bernd’s family in Ingolstadt, Germany, said that the authorities told them he had died of “heart failure” or had been “bitten by a snake”. Photograph: Alamy. Coincidentally, pictures of Bernd with a snake were to be found online. BANGKOK — Hacker collective group Anonymous last night claimed responsibility for taking down at least 14 police websites in Thailand in a campaign for “justice” in the Koh Tao murder … But among some foreigners, Koh Tao has taken on a more sinister reputation. The economy of the island is almost exclusively centered on tourism, especially scuba diving. Burmese Koh Tao murder ‘guilty’ conviction upheld by Thai Supreme Court. There were no signs of fighting or a struggle, nor were foreign objects or substances that could cause loss of consciousness found in the body.”. They followed the animal and discovered that it had been feeding on Elise's remains, which were found among rocks behind the Tanote Family Bay Resort. “We admit that in the past, there was a mafia there that took advantage of tourist. Administratively it is a subdistrict (tambon) of Ko Pha-ngan District (amphoe) of Surat Thani Province. All previous suspects have been released and a group of Thai footballers are the latest to be questioned by police amid criticism that the hunt for the killers has stalled. Alexandr Bucspun, 33, from Moldova, was found dead in the sea off Had Sai Ree on Koh Tao on Tuesday, October 9, 2018. Alexandr Bucspun was found dead in the sea floating off the coast of Koh Tao on Tuesday morning near the Sairee Beach where Brits Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were murdered in 2014. Post-mortem examinations revealed that Ms Witheridge, from Great Yarmouth, died from head wounds, and Mr Miller, from Jersey, was killed by severe blows to the head and drowning. Despite claims of a fall, he had no broken bones. Stay away from drugs. Thailand is one of the world’s 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 country’s reputation. CCTV footage shows them leaving a bar together just hours before their battered bodies were discovered on a beach. 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. Dive resorts boast of its crystal-clear waters, and Western tourists flock to its lively beach bars. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/03/world/asia/thailand-koh-tao-death-island.html#:~:text=But%20among%20some%20foreigners%2C%20Koh,began%20calling%20it%20Death%20Island.&text=She%20accused%20the%20police%20of,up%20crime%20on%20the%20island. But they were sceptical and he was fit and healthy at the time of his death. Pol Maj Gen Pornchai Sutheerakhun, director of the Institute of Forensic Science at Police General Hospital in Bangkok, said “There were wounds around the neck due to the hanging and some non-fatal bruises in the head and no drugs were found in the body. The governor of the island said he had instructed the district chief to file criminal charges against the local online news outlet Samui Times in 2017, after it ran an article that questioned the police account of deaths and referred to Koh Tao as “Death Island”. As the Thai police chief in 2014, Somyot was instrumental in framing the scapegoats, Zaw Lin & Wai Phyo for the murders of 2 UK backpackers on Koh Tao. Choose were to stay in Koh Tao wisely. David Miller, 24, from Jersey, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Great Yarmouth, found dead on island of Koh Tao ... bungalow on the island of Koh Tao, Thai police said. Officers have collected 200 DNA samples from people on Koh Tao and the results are expected later this week. Mrs Daniels had been gravely ill, said the …