+(91)-9821210096 | paula deen meatloaf with brown gravy. Ive not been threatened, but Ive too much to lose, he says. [11] The two met in Koh Tao while staying at the same hotel. Sean . Her family parents Tony and Sue, brother Paul and sisters Tania and Laura described Witheridge as a beautiful person, inside and out, saying she would have gone on to make a significant difference to the lives of many people. [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. [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". "Our thoughts are also with the Witheridge family and the tragic loss of their daughter. Photograph: PA. Rights groups have said the pair were used as scapegoats by the . Both entered through the Ranong Province, allegedly without presenting themselves at a port of entry and without possessing a passport. [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. Jej rodina ji popsala jako ivouc" a nkoho, kdo rd . Drugs play a key role. DNA was collected from these three areas and sent to a police forensics lab for analysis. 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 family of a British backpacker killed in Thailand have welcomed a decision to commute his murderers' death sentences to life in prison. They had only been in the country for days before they were murdered. He later apologised for the comment after it was met with public backlash. 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. [38] Both men were 22-year-old illegal migrant workers from Rakhine, Myanmar, who worked in the hospitality industry. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. In a wildly controversial move, the police forced the suspects to re-enact the murder in front of the media a move condemned by legal experts as prejudicing a fair hearing. The families that run the island and police that guard it deny any involvement with narcotics. These samples purportedly match those retrieved from Witheridges corpse. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. 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. [42] In the trial, the prosecution said the phone was found smashed at the home of a friend of Zaw Lin's. Indian officials wife distraught as his killer is freed. [90][91], The 2014 murders, along with other deaths and disappearances of tourists, led to British tabloids labelling Koh Tao as "Death Island". This was very different. Lin and Phyo (also known asWin Zaw Htun)were sentenced to death for the murder of Mr Miller and the murder and rape of Ms Witheridge. 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". The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Zaw Lin was not convicted of this charge because he held a work permit for the two years preceding the murders. Some of these workers said they can earn more money in Thailand compared to Myanmar. The families of Miller and Witheridge even put out a statement saying the evidence against Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo was powerful and convincing. This assertion was facilitated by the U.K. Foreign Office despite being prejudicial toward the possibility of a fair trial. True Crime: In September of 2014, Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found on Koh Tao's famous Sairee beach, dead. Zaw Lin, as pimply as any teen, chats eagerly of his love of Manchester United and star Portuguese winger Nani. The BBC reports that police in the area believe the man has already escaped Koh Tao. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules. 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. A royal commutation does not require an admission of guilt, says the BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok. However, Zaw and Wai retracted their confession after they were allowed legal counsel, with a consulate lawyer for Myanmar alleging their clients had been beaten, tortured, and threatened to make the admissions necessary to close the widely publicized case. According to reports, Davids family welcomed the commutation of the sentence. [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. By the time dawn broke over Koh Tao, the beach had been . Several forensic experts claimed the police collected forensic evidence from the scene dubiously and was not subject to independent oversight or verification. My father died when I was very young, says Zaw Lin, so l left school aged 8 and started helping my mother in the fields when I was 10. Facing worsening poverty, around two years ago he paid a broker 5,000 baht ($150) to transport him to Koh Tao, heartened by tales hed heard of fellow villagers who had eked out a successful living there. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? Read about our approach to external linking. (modern). Police and court systems were hacked or taken offline in the following days, and a stash of personal information obtained from the court's servers was posted publicly. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line. [48], The guilty verdict resulted in widespread protests in Myanmar. [42][43] The police said the suspects' DNA matched a sample of semen taken from Witheridge's body, and to the hoe and cigarette butts found near the body. The investigators raided Mau Maus home on October 2 and arrested one of the men named Zaw Lin. 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. Photograph: PA The island, two hours by boat from the nearest airport, has a low-key, undeveloped feel. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. He was interrogated and captured while his clothes and motorcycle were seized as evidence. Theories abound on Koh Tao about who killed Miller and Witheridge. As the local government was concerned about how the incident would affect the tourism prospects, the officials allegedly forced the detectives intoexpediting the investigation into the murders. Expats dont want to lose their time in paradise, Earley says, as its cheap, its nice living, and its very easy to ignore what happens.. 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. They also. Yet it remains an open secret that organized crime is rampant on these islands, says Saksith. Thailands tourist industry is already reeling from the effects of marital law. [33][34] Over 200 individuals on the island, many of them migrant workers, were tested in mass DNA testing. [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. He was ultimately arrested a few hours later while hiding on the vessel. Millers family also travelled to Koh Samui, the larger island near Koh Tao where the trial was held, to see some of the evidence. Back on Koh Tao, authorities have scrambled to blot out the tragedy. The Supreme Court of Thailandupheld the sentence in August 2019. Junta chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha enraged many by hinting that the blame, at some level, lay with the attractive victims. "But in the end the truth has been revealed," the couple added. [1][47] The national police chief, Somyot Poompanmoung, denied that torture was involved in the confessions. 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. mi.) [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. Dilleen Hempel Murder: Who Killed Her? [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. 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. [1][31] Pornthip Rojanasunand, a Thai forensic scientist, testified at the trial that the crime scene was poorly managed. [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. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? He announced that he had "ordered all security-related agencies to track down those who are behind the Myanmar demonstrations". [70] Wai Phyo was also convicted of theft for allegedly stealing a phone and sunglasses from Miller's body. So, if youre interested in finding out more about the case, including the perpetrators identities, heres what we know. Their sentences have been reviewed to commemorate King Vajiralongkorn's birthday and to show his "clemency". The family of a British backpacker killed in Thailand have welcomed a decision to commute his murderers' death sentences to life in prison. grassroots elite basketball ; why does ted lasso have a southern accent . ; Hannah was also raped. [64], Several CCTV cameras near the crime scene were reported to be nonfunctional, and cameras near the pier were not checked by the police.
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