Two Burmese migrants were convicted over the killings of Hannah Witheridge and 24-year-old David Miller, from Jersey, in 2015. The family of murdered backpacker Hannah Witheridge has been hit by a fresh tragedy with the sudden death of her sister. According to the BBC, staff from the British embassy left for Koh Tao soon after the news broke of the murders. Thailands forensics chief, Dr. Pornthip Rojanasunand, has said that by not using trained specialists, police contradicted the principles of forensic science.. "Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo finally admitted to the rape and murder of Hannah Witheridge and the murder of our son.". [1] After initially failing to find a match to one of the migrant workers, the police focused their attention on Western tourists related to the victims. Hannah had been bludgeoned to death a few feet from her room door alongside her fellow British tourist David Miller. Sister, 30, of murdered backpacker Hannah Witheridge dies [71], A lawyer for the men, Nakhon Chomphuchat, said "we will appeal as soon as we can, we have just got a copy of the court's verdict. Laura Daniels, 30, died in hospital on Monday just five years and one day. And on Koh Tao there are around 5,000 Burmese conspicuous by the golden streaks of thanaka paste, a traditional sunscreen and beauty product, garnishing their cheeks who build hotels, sweep rooms and serve drinks to the coppery throngs of tourists. 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. Burmese people are treated as second-class citizens, says Saksith. The second individual, Wai Phyo, had allegedly fled the island by boat the previous night. After finally receiving independent legal counsel, Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, who had no prior criminal records, claimed they had been tortured during interrogation and recanted. She was just a brilliant person, and she was just irreplaceable. Wai Phyo, a Real Madrid fanatic who idolizes FIFA world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo, moves a virtually hairless top lip as he talks. [46] The police then forced the suspects to re-enact the murder in front of media,[34] a move condemned by legal experts as prejudicing a fair hearing. 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. She was buried the following month near her family home following a service billed as a celebration of her life, with mourners encouraged to wear bright colours. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Read about our approach to external linking. Miller, a year older and from Jersey, one of the U.K.'s Channel. Their senseless deaths sparked international outrage and raised questions about justice on Koh Tao. The largest and most developed is Koh Samui, which also boasts the archipelagos only international airport. [42][48] Amnesty International stated that Thailand "must initiate an independent, effective and transparent investigation into mounting allegations of torture and other ill-treatment by police". Pathologists and legal experts criticised the police for mishandling the evidence, allowing contamination of the crime scene and failing to use experts to collect forensic evidence. Ms Witheridge, from Hemsby in Norfolk, and Mr Miller, from Jersey, were murdered on the popular holiday island on September 15. 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. ITV reports that the suspect may be a friend of either Witheridge or Miller. Analytical Services; Analytical Method Development and Validation [67] Protesters called for the release of the two suspects, who they believed were innocent and scapegoated for the crime. Migrant workers convicted of murdering Hannah Witheridge and David Legally, it would seem quite easy to shut these dive shops down., Insecure residency tends to breed compliance. [70] Wai Phyo was also convicted of theft for allegedly stealing a phone and sunglasses from Miller's body. "But in the end the truth has been revealed," the couple added. bubble tea consumption statistics australia. Is climate change killing Australian wine? They toil in slavelike conditions for pitiful wages in occupations typically described as 3-D dirty, dangerous, degrading. The area plays host to a weekly beach party on Sunday nights. islands volcanic inception. 2023 BBC. Witheridge, 23, from Hemsby, near Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, was raped and beaten to death. In December 2015, the pair were convicted of the murder and sentenced to death. Thailand murders: Hannah Witheridge and David Miller anniversary How Did Steven Beirnes Die? 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. However, the erstwhile national police chief denied the allegations of torture, although the police refused to cooperate with representatives of Thailands National Human Rights Commission attempting to investigate the serious allegations. Thoughts and prayers with his family and friends. "Our thoughts are also with the Witheridge family and the tragic loss of their daughter. "But in the end the truth has been revealed," the couple added. [88][89] Hacker group Anonymous published a video on 3 January 2016 criticising the verdict. The defense lawyers urgently need both crucial information gained from the re-examination of forensic evidence in this case and also adequate time to consider this information prior to the trial beginning, said lead defense lawyer Nakhon Chomphuchat in a statement last month. The 18-day trial of the two defendants, divided into three equal parts over several weeks, began on July 8. Like the Millers, the Witheridge family initially offered no comment on worries about a miscarriage of justice after the arrested men said they had been tortured to extract confessions. It has over 100 hotels and resorts and was deemed the busiest diving centre in Southeast Asia in 2014. Miss Witheridge's family paid tribute to their . What the Murder of Two Young British Tourists Tells Us About Thailand 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. 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. The second man, Wai Phyo,[a] was believed to have left the island by boat the previous night. Thai king commutes sentence of UK pairs killers, Russia launches missile attacks on Ukraine, Air strikes pound Sudan capital as truce extended, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies. In September 2014, the 23-year-oldUniversity of East Anglia graduate, who had been studying for a masters degree in speech and language therapy. (Thailand is the worlds third-largest seafood exporter.) The police removed the bodies to prevent them from being swept up in the rising tide as the locals blocked the pier to stop the unidentified killers from leaving the island. [2] In 2014, the island had a population of around 5,000 locals. Thai beach murders: Death sentence upheld by Supreme Court Two Burmese workers were sentenced to death in 2015,. The brutality of the incident shook the islands and its tourists and residents as the investigators began their probe under immense media and political pressure. Murdered backpacker's sister Laura Daniels died while pregnant 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. [1][51] According to an observer, the sittings lasted over ten hours each day. [51] The defence provided a separate explanation for the events on the night. Hannah Witheridge pictured on Facebook back in September 2013. But the seemingly idyllic paradise of Koh Tao, once known as Turtle Island, has turned from beauty to horror as a string of brutal murders and unexplained disappearances have rocked the community Their sentences have been reviewed to commemorate King Vajiralongkorn's birthday and to show his "clemency". [26][27] However, her clothes were not tested for DNA. One of the three suspected individuals was identified as Mau Mau, a local living nearby. They were at the bar with around 50 people mostly foreign tourists before they left together after 1:00 am. But in December, in a statement released by the Foreign Office, they said they were confident in the Thai polices work. grassroots elite basketball ; why does ted lasso have a southern accent . ; The country's prime minister, who had been phoning the national police chief daily for updates on the investigation, said "this should not have happened at all, as it will affect Thailand in the eyes of the international community". Hannah Witheridge and David Miller have been named as the two tourists who chopped up by a hoe in Thailand. A royal commutation does not require an admission of guilt, says the BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok. Millers family also travelled to Koh Samui, the larger island near Koh Tao where the trial was held, to see some of the evidence. David and Hannah were seen together at a local pub called AC Bar with friends on September 14th, according to reports, before they left together at 1:00 am. When the authorities were unable to pin the crime on migrant workers, they turned their attention toward Western tourists related to the victims. 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. A mute Burmese beach cleaner stumbled upon the bodies shortly after dawn. Case 220: Hannah Witheridge & David Miller : r/Casefile - Reddit Both had been in Thailand since August and had met just hours before their deaths. [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. The trial drew wide criticism from the international press and human rights groups. [6] Miller had just completed his undergraduate degree in civil and structural engineering at the University of Leeds and was starting a master's degree. Nevertheless, few have rallied to the defense of the accused. "Our thoughts are also with the Witheridge family and the tragic loss of their daughter. [34][35], According to the prosecution in the subsequent case, CCTV footage analysed by the police showed three individuals riding a motorcycle to 7-Eleven, where they bought beer and cigarettes, before going towards Sairee Beach. [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. Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, were murdered on the Thai island of Koh Tao in September 2014. But come on. [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. Foreigners die surprisingly often here. Witheridge was a graduate from the University of East Anglia who had been studying for a masters degree in speech and language therapy. [10], Witheridge and Miller travelled and arrived on the island separately on 25 August. 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.