david miller and hannah witheridge

[10][32] They highlighted a British tourist who had shared a room with Miller as a suspect, labelling it a "crime of passion"; he became the subject of a nationwide manhunt before the police quickly dropped the lead. Hannah Witheridge was a college student at the University of Essex and lived there, according to her Facebook page. 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. By the time dawn broke over Koh Tao, the beach had been . A royal decree said the sentences had been reviewed to commemorate King Vajiralongkorn's birthday on 28 July and to "illustrate the king's clemency". However, the Thai police have denied these allegations and termed them baseless. Witheridge and Miller are the two British tourists who were found dead after being chopped up on a Thailand beach. The family of murdered backpacker Hannah Witheridge has been hit by a fresh tragedy with the sudden death of her sister. [7][12], Miller and Witheridge were last seen at a bar called AC Bar[13] with friends at a party on Sunday night with around 50 people mostly foreign tourists before they left together after 1am. The second individual, Wai Phyo, had allegedly fled the island by boat the previous night. RIP, Christian May (@christianrmay) September 15, 2014. A mute Burmese beach cleaner stumbled upon the bodies shortly after dawn the following morning on Sairee Beach, near Hannahs room A5 at Ocean View Bungalows. Little wonder the conversational staple of many long-term expats is, These are the worst Thais in Thailand.. The police investigation and criminal trial were widely criticised by international media, human rights organisations, and legal experts. Laura Daniels, 30, died in hospital on Monday just five years and one day. So, if youre interested in finding out more about the case, including the perpetrators identities, heres what we know. 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. But the sheer ubiquity of drugs on Koh Tao suggests at the very least a high toleration of the trade. 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. grassroots elite basketball ; why does ted lasso have a southern accent . ; Pensions and incomes that would be less than optimum in Europe, say, or North America, can fund a life of carefree hedonism in Thailand. Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, commute his murderers' death sentences to life in prison, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies, Father tells how gunman opened fire on Texas home, Trump says 'great to be home' on visit to Scotland, NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool, Banana artwork in Seoul museum eaten by visitor, Indian 'killer' elephant relocated to tiger reserve. A royal commutation does not require an admission of guilt, says the BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok. 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. Jej rodina ji popsala jako ivouc" a nkoho, kdo rd . Over the coming weeks we hope to gain a better understanding as to how such a wonderful young man lost his life in such idyllic surroundings in such a horrible way, said Millers family in a statement at the opening of the trial. He was interrogated and captured while his clothes and motorcycle were seized as evidence. One of the three suspected individuals was identified as Mau Mau, a local living nearby. Hannah Witheridge & David Miller: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. There was so much he could be doing with his life, and having it cut short is unbelievably cruel. Back on Koh Tao, authorities have scrambled to blot out the tragedy. The head of the country's Central Institute of Forensic Science found that the DNA on the hoe did not match the defendants. 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 investigators raided Mau Maus home on October 2 and arrested one of the men named Zaw Lin. Both victims had been hit several times on the head; Witheridge had been raped, and Miller had been drowned. Thai beach murders: Hannah Witheridge's sister Laura dies in hospital "Our thoughts are also with the Witheridge family and the tragic loss of their daughter. [74], The investigation was met with criticism by international media, human rights groups, and legal experts. And the shambolic investigation also didnt help.. [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. 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. In December 2015, the pair were convicted of the murder and sentenced to death. These rocks are no strangers to explosive secrets. Nevertheless, few have rallied to the defense of the accused. Her autopsy report showed she had been raped and killed by blows to the head. He was ultimately arrested a few hours later while hiding on the vessel. The 18-day trial of the two defendants, divided into three equal parts over several weeks, began on July 8. "Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo finally admitted to the rape and murder of Hannah Witheridge and the murder of our son.". Thailand backpacker murders: David Miller and Hannah Witheridge - two Will [tourists] survive in Thailand if they dress in bikinis? he asked Sept. 17. According to reports, Davids family welcomed the commutation of the sentence. 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. [37] Two weeks after the bodies were found, on 1 October 2014, police interrogated Mau Mau, who said he took the motorcycle and separated from the other two men before the murders occurred, and found them both home asleep by the time he had returned. [4][11][14] Their bodies were discovered on Sairee Beach a few hours later, between 4 and 5am, by a mute Burmese beach cleaner. 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 5am, a few hours after their deaths. But come on. Two Burmese workers were sentenced to death in 2015,. David Miller, 24, from Jersey, was found murdered alongside Hannah . Hannah Witheridge & David Miller Murders: Where Are Zaw Lin & Wai Phyo [55], The defence claimed that the investigation was flawed due to mishandling of forensic evidence, lack of legal representation during interrogations, use of threats and intimidation to secure a confession, and intimidation of witnesses. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller have been named as the two tourists who chopped up by a hoe in Thailand. The DNA specialist conceded the perpetuators could've used gloves. 2040 / 2557, Regional Court of Appeal VIII No. 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. [67] Protesters called for the release of the two suspects, who they believed were innocent and scapegoated for the crime. It will take a bit of time to find loopholes to appeal. For while the surf has washed the blood from the sand, and life returns to normal for the islands hodgepodge of wealthy and penniless inhabitants, one fact remains clear: not just the boulders hide secrets on Koh Tao. 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. But in December, in a statement released by the Foreign Office, they said they were confident in the Thai polices work. They also. Drugs play a key role. 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. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were killed in Thailand in 2014 Aug 17, 2020 Rex The two Burmese men who were jailed for killing British backpackers, Hannah Witheridge and David. Hannah Witheridge, 23,front left, from Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, and David Miller, 24, middle right, from Jersey, were brutally killed on the island of Koh Tao last September They partied together, with the couple last seen together at a local bar called AC Bar with friends on September 14. [31] A British defence lawyer, Felicity Gerry QC, said the trial was "far too rushed and unfair to the defense". However, the defense counsel argued all the evidence against the defendants was circumstantial, and the police had no known eyewitness to the murders. Miller had scratches on his back and water in his lungs indicating drowning. Case 220: Hannah Witheridge & David Miller : r/Casefile - Reddit Both bodies were found lying on a beach, stripped naked and bloodied. [15] Some migrants who were questioned complained that officers scalded them with boiling water during interrogations, allegations which were denied by the police. He was returning from a placement in Australia when he stopped in Thailand for a holiday with a friend. They stated they were driven by a desire to rape the victim following sexual arousal when they saw the couple kissing on the beach. White sand beaches, untouched jungles, cloudless skies. [51] This decision was criticised by the Solicitors International Human Rights Group, one of the observers at the trial. Magazines, Or create a free account to access more articles, This Septic Isle: Backpackers, Bloodshed and the Secretive World of Koh Tao. Witheridge, 23, from Hemsby, near Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, was raped and beaten to death. Zaw and Wai were subjected to hours-long interrogation sessions, with the police using Burmese food vendors as interpreters since the pair did not speak Thai. There are no official figures for the number of expats who call Thailand home, but it likely runs into the hundreds of thousands. Read about our approach to external linking. [42] In the trial, the prosecution said the phone was found smashed at the home of a friend of Zaw Lin's. The area plays host to a weekly beach party on Sunday nights. Millers family also expressed confidence in the Thai judicial process, saying the evidence against the defendants seemed powerful and convincing. Wai Phyo says officers removed his clothes and left him naked in a freezing room for 20 minutes. Both victims had been hit several times on the head; Witheridge had been raped, and Miller had been drowned. And right in the foreground, rising proudly from sliver sands, protrude a scattering of granite boulders, a furtive relic of this tranquil 21-sq-km (8 sq. 2023 BBC. In fact, says Sean Turnell, a professor and expert on Burmese economics at Australias Macquarie University, The economic circumstances of Myanmars majority rural population are now marginally worse than before the reforms were launched.. They flee extreme poverty and ethnic violence in Burma (officially now known as Myanmar), the legacy of a half-century of civil war and suffocating military dictatorship. [49] Wai Phyo was also charged with stealing Miller's phone. How Did Steven Beirnes Die? What the Murder of Two Young British Tourists Tells Us About Thailand On tiny Koh Tao alone, there are some 2,000 expats alongside the 2,500 registered Thais, according to Mayor Chaiyan Turasakul. Zaw Lin was not convicted of this charge because he held a work permit for the two years preceding the murders. A process of registering irregular Burmese migrant workers has been introduced to tackle the semiofficial bribes, though many say abuses continue unabated. Hannah Witheridge & David Miller. Dilleen Hempel Murder: Who Killed Her? A post-mortem examination showed she had been raped. [39] Following an interrogation, during which police say Zaw Lin admitted he had entered the country illegally, Zaw Lin was arrested and his clothes and motorcycle were seized as evidence. [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." I think my lasting memory of him will be his smile, wonderful sense of humor, and ability to put his ideas across with conviction and thoughtfulness. David, then 24, had recently graduated in civil and structural engineering from the University of Leeds and planned onstarting a masters degree. Thailand backpacker murders: Burmese workers sentenced to death Killed in Thailand: British tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller. 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.

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