[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. David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, didn't know each other before they met on holiday in Thailand in September. [3] The murders were the first cases of homicide on the island in over eight years. They were identified as 24-year-old David Miller and 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge, [] View Photo Gallery (PIX11/CNN) A British man and woman were found dead on a popular resort island in . Post-mortems found that Hannah had died from head wounds, while engineering student Mr Miller suffered severe blows to his head and drowned. 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. Write to Charlie Campbell at charlie.campbell@time.com. More recently, a court order to allow Dr. Pornthip to review the DNA evidence was rescinded. Attempts to appeal the sentence failed, but a royal decree was issued by King Vajiralongkorn in 2020 commuting the death sentences to life imprisonment. The suspects were initially denied access to legal counsel, and alleged that police used torture and threats to secure a confession. The names of the tourists were first announced in a Sky News tweet. Hannah, 23, from Hemsby, Norfolk, and David Miller, 24, from Jersey, were found dead on the island of Koh Tao on September 15. +(91)-9821210096 | paula deen meatloaf with brown gravy. Read More: Dilleen Hempel Murder: Who Killed Her? He hailed fromJersey, a Crown Dependency, and graduated from Victoria College in 2008. 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. Thailand murders: Hannah Witheridge and David Miller anniversary [54] They argued that the defendants intended to kill Miller, using a hoe to hit him multiple times on the head. The names of the tourists were first announced in a Sky News tweet. 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. Both had been in Thailand since August and had met just hours before their deaths. The bodies of David Miller, 24, from Jersey and Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, were found on a beach on Koh Tao in September 2014. They also pointed out several mistakes the incompetent investigators committed during the probe and alleged the officers restored to torture to make the defendants admit to the crime. [35][84] Despite not initially being permitted to assist with the investigation,[33] British police observers including homicide detectives from the Metropolitan Police and a forensics expert were eventually permitted into Thailand to observe the investigation. So, if youre interested in finding out more about the case, including the perpetrators identities, heres what we know. Torture allegations aside, the proceedings have been peppered with oddities. Back on Koh Tao, authorities have scrambled to blot out the tragedy. He added that they would if they are not beautiful., Prayuth soon backtracked on his remarks on travelers, saying, Sometimes I speak too strongly. But virtually his next breath again sought to assign blame: We have to help take care of [our nation], he said, and not let not-good people mingle with us, such as unregistered alien workers., Investigators had already steered their attention to migrant workers, via a friend of the deceased, and the son of a local headman, who were briefly considered as suspects. A post-mortem examination showed she had been raped. They threatened to kill me, saying: We can throw you into the sea and feed your corpse to the fish.. Photograph: PA. Rights groups have said the pair were used as scapegoats by the . Will [tourists] survive in Thailand if they dress in bikinis? he asked Sept. 17. [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. One of Wai Phyos former employers, who saw him soon after Sept. 15 and noticed no perceivable change in his demeanor, has refused to be a character witness or be named by TIME. However, the defense counsel argued all the evidence against the defendants was circumstantial, and the police had no known eyewitness to the murders. Foreign nationals were also immediately blamed for the crime, with a police spokesman even claiming,Thais would not do this. Their primary focus lay on migrant workers, with many alleging the authorities tortured them with scalding boiled water during interrogations. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? According to reports, the police sought his friend, who shared a room with David, in the double homicide, and a nationwide manhunt was launched. The hoe was then used to knock Witheridge unconscious, after which the defendants used force to hold her down and took turns raping her, before killing her with the hoe. Two weeks later, two illegal Burmese migrant workers were blamed for the deaths, primarily on the basis of DNA evidence, and confessed following an hours-long interrogation. [90][91], The 2014 murders, along with other deaths and disappearances of tourists, led to British tabloids labelling Koh Tao as "Death Island". He announced that he had "ordered all security-related agencies to track down those who are behind the Myanmar demonstrations". Their sentences have been reviewed to commemorate King Vajiralongkorn's birthday and to show his "clemency". The island of Koh Tao is located in Southern Thailand. All rights reserved. [92], Thailand's government became concerned the murders may affect tourism to the country. Thai beach murders: Death sentence upheld by Supreme Court But in December, in a statement released by the Foreign Office, they said they were confident in the Thai polices work. Hannah Witheridge was a college student at the University of Essex and lived there, according to her Facebook page. Thai king commutes Myanmar men's death sentence over Britons' murder, Thailand backpacker murders: Burmese workers sentenced to death, British backpacker murder case that put Thailand on trial, WhyUK role in backpackers murder case still worries rights groups, Why UK role in case still worries rights groups, in a statement released by the Foreign Office. The investigators claimed the semen sample retrieved from Hannahs body and the forensic evidence found on the murder weapons and cigarette butts matched their DNA samples. hannah witheridge and david miller - diyalab.com The team were only allowed to spend two hours on Koh Tao and did not meet with the suspects or defence. 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, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. Miller, a year older and from Jersey, also suffered blows to the head and left to drown in the shallow surf. [1][51] According to an observer, the sittings lasted over ten hours each day. He was returning from a placement in Australia when he stopped in Thailand for a holiday with a friend. Most are running guesthouses, eateries and scuba-diving operations or working as diving instructors. 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. According to reports, Davids family welcomed the commutation of the sentence. [53], The prosecution's case focused on findings of the police and medical examiner, with an emphasis on the DNA evidence. 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. [21][73], The death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment on 14 August 2020 following a royal decree to commemorate King Vajiralongkorn's birthday and "illustrate the king's clemency". The officers also charged Wai with stealing Davids mobile phone. However, the investigators quickly dismissed him as a suspect. Koh Tao is by far the smallest. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. 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. When the authorities were unable to pin the crime on migrant workers, they turned their attention toward Western tourists related to the victims. White sand beaches, untouched jungles, cloudless skies. (Both families declined to comment when contacted by TIME.). Hannah Witheridge and David Miller have been named as the two tourists who chopped up by a hoe in Thailand. Koh Tao's dark side: dangers of island where Britons were murdered The Case of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller-Death Island Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were brutally murdered while staying on Koh Tao. Theres no work permit that allows you to work in 15 different locations [under the sea], he says. Murderers of Brit backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller to be Death Island on Apple Podcasts What Have Happened to Hannah Witheridge and David Miller? Where Have Hannah metDavid Miller by chance when they and their friends stayed in adjoining rooms of the Ocean View Bungalows, a small backpacker complex overlooking the white sand sweep of Sairee beach on the Thai island of Koh Tao. These rocks are no strangers to explosive secrets. "Our thoughts are also with the Witheridge family and the tragic loss of their daughter. [11][19] Several other suspects were also named, amid pressure to produce results, a new one every other day. Mr and Mrs Miller, from St Helier, said: "Every moment we miss our son. On July 10, the bench again ordered the DNA to be retested, only for the police to reveal that certain key samples specifically those retrieved from the victims bodies had been used up. Their senseless deaths sparked international outrage and raised questions about j Wai Phyo says officers removed his clothes and left him naked in a freezing room for 20 minutes. They still maintain their innocence, as they did throughout the trial. The second individual, Wai Phyo, had allegedly fled the island by boat the previous night. . 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.. Beach cleaners discovered the Britons . [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. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller's bodies were found on a beach in Koh Tao in September 2014 Two Burmese migrants convicted over the killings had their death sentences reduced to life. Little wonder the conversational staple of many long-term expats is, These are the worst Thais in Thailand.. [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."
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