It means Myanmar people suffer a lot of discrimination and are generally treated as work chattel, and so it seems very easy for Thai authorities to pin crimes on them. 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. Davids not that bad, but my god what they did to Hannah. Hannah & David: Dirigido por John Barnard. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were killed in 2014 By Stephanie Cockroft 15 August 2020 A pair of migrant workers convicted of murdering two young British tourists on a Thai holiday island. The two Myanmar men, in helmets and handcuffs, charged in the killings, were made to take part in a re-enactment of the crime. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were killed in Koh Tao, where fear of mafia involvement hides under paradisical faade. Miss Witheridge, a University of Essex student from Hemsby in Norfolk, and Mr Miller, a civil and structural engineering graduate, from Jersey, were bludgeoned to death. ITV reports that the suspect may be a friend of either Witheridge or Miller. Exact date yellow weather warning for snow and ice forecast to hit UK - will you be affected? You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. Tourist police said the safety measure would be voluntary. 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. The collection, transport, testing, analysis, reporting and storage of forensic or DNA evidence used in the Koh Tao murder case did not meet international standards, said Andy Hall, a legal counsel for the families. A bloodstained garden hoe, commonly used by beachside bars to dig fire pits, was found nearby and has now been confirmed as the principal murder weapon, along with a wooden club. In case they (tourists) get drunk and fall asleep on the beach we can bring them back to their hotels, Apichai Ti-armataya, commander of the Tourist Police told AFP. "The final admittance of their guilt has allowed this act of clemency to become possible," they continued. The spotlight fell on British tourist Christopher Alan Ware, who shared a room with Miller, with police hinting at a crime of passion. Ware was arrested at Bangkoks main airport with his brother James. I mean, I do understand why they provide what the relatives say about the victims because it is kind of important to know what they think, but it would certainly be good to have a disclaimer at the beginning of episodes sometimes to remind listeners that any opinions and sentiments expressed by the people involved in the case do not reflect the opinions and sentiments of the podcast. Then, just a few days later, a lawyer for the men insisted that the confession was false: the police had beaten it out of them. They deny any involvement. Copy and paste it. Lt Gen Panya, appointed assistant national police chief earlier this week authorities had arrested three immigrant migrant workers. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Also, this may be controversial to say, but in reality we can never really take any sentiments shared by the family members (positive or negative) of the victims all that seriously (at least initially) because of how close they are to the cases. Llam demasiado la atencin? Hannah was also raped in the attack in September 2014. Mr Miller's family said their "daily thoughts" were still with their son a year after his death, adding he was "a unique and wonderful man". The names of the tourists were first announced in a Sky News tweet. Yeah, it was a but suspicious given they had the phone and there was apparently DNA evidence. 18:34 GMT 11 Aug 2021 It doesnt seem like the two convicted of the murder actually committed it, but that leaves wiide open the question of who is actually attacking + murdering backpackers on this island, and why?! Two men convicted of murdering two British backpackers in Thailand have had their death sentence upheld by its Supreme Court. Lin and Phyo initially confessed to the killings but then retracted their statements saying they were tortured. "They're pleading with the Burmese government to look into the case and find out the truth," he added. In a statement, Ian and Sue Miller, who have campaigned against the death penalty, said: "We are grateful to His Majesty the King of Thailand for showing his clemency to the murderers of our son David. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. Frenchman Dimitri Povse, 29, was found hanged in a bungalow on the island on New Year's Day 2015. CCTV footage shows the two leaving a bar together just hours before their battered bodies were discovered. Read about our approach to external linking. Very strange. The bodies of Miss Witheridge and 24-year-old David Miller, from Jersey, were found on the resort island of Koh Tao in 2014. To use auto build you need to . Do you know this baby? By 2023 BBC. I here to deliver the same warning. Thai National police today charged two Myanmar men with murder and rape after they confessed to killing the pair, with AFP reporting their DNA matched traces at the crime scene on Koh Tao island. Thoughts and prayers with his family and friends. Critics, particularly those from the British media, have accused Thai authorities of bungling the investigation in the three weeks since the murders by chasing the wrong leads and failing to lock down the island in the hours following the killing. However, the three judges who handed down the original guilty verdicts and death penalties concluded the prosecution proved its case with forensic evidence that met international standards linking the men to the murders. Later that month, graduate Christina Annesley, 23, was said to have died of natural causes after mixing antibiotics she was taking for a chest infection with alcohol. The island is known as a haven for scuba divers. The family of murdered backpacker Hannah Witheridge has been hit by a fresh tragedy with the sudden death of her sister. Shortly after arresting the men, Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, Thai officials had them perform a bizarre public re-enactment of the crimes. Her mother, Mrs Witheridge previously wept at one point in the hearing and said: 'You lose one daughter, you don't expect to lose another.'. That's not how being suicidal works! David and 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge were found bludgeoned to death on a beach on the Thai island of Koh Tao after they had been drinking in a bar. "But in the end the truth has been revealed," the couple added. The bodies of 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge and 24-year-old David Miller were found on a beach in Koh Tao in September 2014. The men said they didn't use a condom, even though police insisted they had. Cookie Notice The police are getting a lot of not only domestic media coverage but also international, and are under pressure to make statements about progress.. I also found that extremely weird it was brought up once and never again. He described the impact the tragic murder of Miss Witheridge had on the family, and how Mrs Daniels 'spearheaded the fight for justice for her sister'. In March 2015 Russian touristValentina Novozhyonova, 23,vanished from her hostel on Koh Tao in mid-February - sparking a police search. The death sentences of two men convicted of murdering two British backpackers in Thailand were upheld by the Supreme Court. The bodies of Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, were found on a beach on Koh Tao in September 2014. The men alleged that they had been tortured by the police, and legal teams claimed that the evidence was misused. Colonel Cherdpong also said that his department had not investigated rumours of a fight between Ms Witheridge and the son of a powerful Koh Tao politician on the night of the killings. October 9, 2014 - 8:57AM. Putting names to archive photos, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, In photos: India's disappearing single-screen cinemas. Laura Daniels, 30, died in hospital on Monday just five years and one day. Beware. RIP, Christian May (@christianrmay) September 15, 2014. The testimony is just the latest in a long series of shocking setbacks that threaten to sink not only the case, but also the Thai criminal justice system. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Magazines, Digital Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, had been raped before being beaten to death while Miller, 24, from Jersey, had been violently attacked and abandoned to drown in the shallow waters of the island's. Forensics results released Wednesday show that Briton David Miller had water in his lungs when he and romantic partner Hannah Witheridge were brutally killed early Monday on Koh Tao in. An autopsy examination showed that Ms. Witheridge had been raped. Miss Witheridge's family paid tribute to their. A quick scan of English-language news portals for the booming resort of Pattaya one of the countrys most popular destinations reveals a shocking litany of muggings, phone snatchings, shootings, stabbings, fatal car crashes, drownings, and more, all involving visitors. A cruise employee has had his contract terminated after he was allegedly seen filming women from a female bathroom. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. The bodies of Miss Witheridge and 24-year-old David Miller, from Jersey, were found on the resort island of Koh Tao . The families of two British tourists murdered in Thailand have spoken of their "torturous pain" and "destroyed lives" one year on from the deaths. The two were said to have been backpackers going through the tiny island of Koh Tao. He made it seem important then it was dropped. There is other evidence that points to these deaths being murders, but family members saying that the victims weren't suicidal is not it. In a statement they said a memorial was planned near Plemont Bay on the north coast of Jersey later this month. Good episode, but infuriating for the same reasons as many others. Although there were signs of sexual activity, investigators have not ascertained whether Witheridge was raped. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. being a glottal stop). Ms Witheridge was found with her face smashed in, her skirt wrenched up and her body showing signs of rape. Or, for the IPA-inclined, '/k/ /taw/'. Or should Thai law not have this' Is it the case that we should release all people when pressured'," a visibly angry Prayuth told reporters before boarding a plane to the southern province of Surat Thani.Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, both 22, were found guilty by a Thai court on Thursday of killing Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, whose . David Miller was her handsome friend from the Channel Islands. Grieving: Hannah Witheridge's family at the headquarters of the Royal Thai Police in Bangkok last year.Credit:Reuters. She is an absolute nut job with an inexplicable vendetta against Tao, who has been exiled from Thailand due to defamation charges (not just from this story), and her and her partner are supporters of the English Defence League and known racists. Myanmar men withdrew their first confessions to the crimes, saying that they were tortured by the police. He knew enough to pronounce the initial 'v' in the common English spelling of his name (Vajiralongkorn) as a 'w', but then he pronounced the 'j' as a Spanish 'h' (it's actually 'ch'). Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. 1.1M views 1 year ago True Crime: In September of 2014, Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found on Koh Tao's famous Sairee beach, dead. Basically, Myanmar shares a border with Thailand and is considerably lower on the economic development index so a lot of labour, both legal and illegal, is done by Myanmar people inside Thailand. The inquest, which began last month and finished on Wednesday, heard that Mrs Daniels had a complex medical history and had undergone numerous surgeries and treatments at various hospitals over the years. Laura Daniels, 30, died five years after her sister Hannah, 23, was killed on Koh Tao with David Miller of Jersey. She really is a truly awful and unreliable person. 'No one knows' what caused the death of Laura Daniels, 30, of Norfolk, despite extensive investigations, her family was told at a hearing in Winchester, Hampshire on Wednesday. 'No one knows, and that must be one of the hardest things for families and friends - for a young person to die and for despite all the investigation, all the inquest process we end up simply not knowing.'. 'Hannah was gripping blond hair before she died' - claim (but perhaps not as dramatic as it sounds) Murder victim David Miller likely struggled with his attacker in the sea off the Thai holiday island of Koh Tao before being hacked to death. British tourists David Miller, 24, and 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge, seen here, were killed with a garden tool after a beach party early Sept. 15, 2014 in Thailand. They had arrived in Thailand separately and met at the hotel where they were staying. The 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. With tourism critical to Thailand's economy, police. It only emerged in recent days that Witheridge, a speech therapy student from England, was brutally raped before her death. The trial of the two Burmese migrant workers was also plagued by accusations of human rights abuses. Con Jovelle Balani, Byron Charnonneau, Alexandra Chubaty Boychuk, Daniel Cifuentes. Both families have revealed their struggle to come to terms with their tragic losses, and have remained hopeful throughout the investigation. Edit: Just heard him pronounce the Thai king's name at the end of the episode. 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, commute his murderers' death sentences to life in prison, Harry: I always felt different to rest of family, Chris Rock talks Oscars slap in live Netflix show, Everything Everywhere wins big ahead of Oscars, Mbappe breaks PSG goal record in win over Nantes, PM to end asylum claims from small boat arrivals. If anything happens to them we will then know their names, nationality and hotel, said Arnuparp Gaesornsuwan, director general of the Department of Tourism told AFP. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Scan this QR code to download the app now. Miss Witheridge and Mr Miller met on Koh Tao while staying at the same hotel in Thailand. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Crowds of onlookers watched as the suspects were led to the rocky alcove along the shore where the two bodies were discovered. Also, ugly people are safe in Thailand but Burmese people are not. Also the two have no criminal history which seems unlikely they'd suddenly transform into vicious murderers and rapists - usually there is a history of violence. We are not challenging judgment. The authorities announced that Ms Witheridge was raped, then said she wasn't, before finally saying she was raped twice. Mr Miller's are planning a memorial bench. A rusty hoe, its blade broken and caked in gore, lay nearby. Police initially named a British friend of hers as a person of interest, then began taking DNA samples from hundreds of suspects. Said so, I always like to see images of the victims and perpetrators to see how they looked like and for those of you who might be sensible to gruesome scenes, I recommend you not to look at Hannahs crime scene picture. View our online Press Pack. Thailand on Tuesday announced plans to give tourists wristbands carrying their personal details and install more surveillance cameras and better lighting in major tourist areas. Cruise staffer fired after shock bathroom act. Brit David Miller was bludgeoned to death The terrifying incident happened just a year before David Miller and Hannah Witheridge died. 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". Last month, the translators, who were used to obtain the now retracted confessions, admitted in court that they were roti (pancake) vendors who barely understood Thai and spoke little Burmese, the Myanmar Times reported. This episode has been added to the Casefile Spreadsheet. He said he simply did not believe the killer would have taken the boat. But nobody familiar with Thailands feeble justice system is surprised by that. But the trial recently heard that a garden hoe alleged to have been used in the killings carried the DNA of two men, but there was no trace of either defendant. (Facebook). Defense lawyers argued that DNA from a garden hoe allegedly used as a murder weapon did not match samples taken from the men. Who was Hannah Witheridge (Was Raped And Killed, Incident Detail) Wiki, Biography, Age, Hidden Facts You Need to Know. Powered by. The bodies of Mr Miller and Miss Witheridge were found on a beach on the Thai island of Koh Tao in 2014. Win Zaw Htun and his friend Zaw Lin, both 21, are in both the Koh Samui jail and the spotlight of a gruesome crime case, although practically no one believes they really brutally murdered English tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller last month on nearby Koh Tao. In addition to tagging tourists the Department of Tourism is keen to curb partying hours in visitor hot spots. Hannah Witheridge was a beautiful blonde from eastern England. "She would have gone on to make a significant difference to the lives of many people.". "I'm not worried [about high public expectations] because I know how much the probe has been progressing. He added: 'Life was never going to be easy or the same again, we shared difficult times but we found happiness together.'. Hannah runs, with one of the assailant following her. Its also reported that Witheridge had been raped prior to her death, those reports were later found to be unfounded. The pair did not know each other before their holiday, but CCTV footage shows them leaving a bar together just hours before their battered bodies were discovered. "Our thoughts are also with the Witheridge family and the tragic loss of their daughter. The existence of two weapons has made us believe that there are at least two attackers, the deputy national police chief, Police General Somyot Pumpanmuang, told reporters Monday. It's one thing to say they never expressed suicidal thoughts previously but even in this episode the one parent said something like "they didnt express any suicidal thoughts in the last conversation I had with them" which is normal for people that end up committing suicide. student Backpacker Hannah Witheridge was found dead in Thailand was raped by two men, while the other was followed before she was killed on September 15, 2014, Ko Tao, Ko Tao, Thailand. Post-mortems found that Hannah had died from head wounds, while engineering student Mr Miller suffered severe blows to his head and drowned. Beach cleaners discovered the Britons naked bodies 20 m apart by rocks on idyllic Sairee Beach on Sept. 15. Seriously though, all I can hear is kachow. She also preyed upon the families of the victims to suit her narrative. Most of tourists are coming here for diving or to admire our nature not to party, Arnuparp said, adding new zoning curbs would likely control all-night bars and clubs. But far from attempting to address the issues of visitor safety, Thai army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha, the nations self-appointed Prime Minister following a May 22 military coup, has stoked outrage by pointing fingers at the victims. Great episode but a tragic tale! Burmese bar workers Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun were found guilty of murder in 2015. "They were a really pitiful sight. . Forensic examiners in Bangkok found water in his lungs and revealed that Miss. Read about our approach to external linking. Accused of murdering British tourists, Myanmar men Zaw Lin (right) and Win Zaw Htun have withdrawn their confession, that they now say was extracted through torture. She had checked into the hostel on February 11 and was due to check out on February 16 but failed to do so. Today it emerged that two men had confessed to killing the pair. Yeh I made the same mistake and I feel a bit sick now. Their sentences have been reviewed to commemorate King Vajiralongkorn's birthday and to show his "clemency". The second-gen Sonos Beam and other Sonos speakers are on sale at Best Buy. In a statement, Miss Witheridge's family said their daughter had been "taken from us in the most horrific way possible" and learning of her death had been an "indescribably impossible time". Finally, he said he did not think it was relevant that CCTV footage showed men fleeing from the area in clothing that was different to that worn by the Myanmar workers that night. The biggest giveaway that that book isnt going to be up to much is that the front cover is Koh Nang Yuan, which is a different island to Koh Tao altogether. vanished from her hostel on Koh Tao in mid-February - sparking a police search, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. A final picture of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller taken just hours before they were brutally murdered. In the request, Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo have called for the kings compassion, added Andy Hall, advisor to the legal defense team. The authorities scoured its jungles for suspects as islanders blocked the ferry to prevent the murderers' escape. I kept thinking the episode was going to circle back around to this aspect but it never did. Grief: Relatives of David Miller and Hanna Witheridge hug . Both bodies were found lying on a beach, stripped naked and bloodied. The family said it had brought to a close a "lengthy and disturbing period" where activists on social media had attempted to influence justice in Thailand and public opinion elsewhere. A UK autopsy later discovered Ben died of a transected aorta a rupture of the bodys largest artery rather than a broken neck. International legal and forensic scientists said in 2016 that the DNA investigation by the Thai Police Forensics Laboratory was incompetent with no chain of evidence. Hannah Witheridge & David Miller: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Despite claims of a fall, he had no broken bones. The influence of the king was on this occasion somewhat beneficial - they take the royal family so seriously that you can be sent to prison for writing even an oblique satire or parody of them. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller are perfect strangers who hail from coastal towns in the UK. Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo - also known as Win Zaw Htun - were found guilty of the rape and murder of Hannah Witheridge, 23, and the murder of David Miller, 24, on December 24, 2015. Sometime deep into the night, the friends wandered off, perhaps headed back to their bungalow resort nearby. The problem is all the distractions, Quaglia tells TIME. Please try again later. All Rights Reserved. Another one that personally gets me a lot is when relatives express vengeful feelings, saying how it would be righteous for their loved one's killer to have done to them all the heinous things they did to their loved ones or how they should be allowed the liberty to be with them privately one-on-one and do whatever they want with them. They both decide to take a backpacking trip to Thailand before pursuing Master's Degrees in their respective fields. According to the BBC, staff from the British embassy left for Koh Tao soon after the news broke of the murders. The area plays host to a weekly beach party on Sunday nights. Cuando Boyne Annesley busca al ltimo hombre que vio a su hija con vida, cree que ella estaba indagando sobre los asesinatos de Hannah Witheridge y David Miller en la playa Sairee en 2014. The murders of Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, occurred in the early hours of the morning after they left AC Bar. OP!-----Get Free Roblox VIP Servers - https://bit. Fact is scarier than fiction A community following Casefile: True Crime Podcast! 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. Asesinato es una palabra aterradora. The battered bodies of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found on a beach on the popular tourist island of Koh Tao in September 2014. The family of a British backpacker killed in Thailand have welcomed a decision to commute his murderers' death sentences to life in prison. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller have been named as the two tourists who chopped up by a hoe in Thailand. On Friday, Pornthip Rojanasunand, the head of Thailand's forensics institute, testified that DNA found on the hoe did not match that of the two accused men, the Telegraph reported. The bodies of David Miller, 24, from Jersey, and Hannah Witheridge, aged 23, from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, were discovered semi-naked on a beach in the divers' paradise of Koh Tao yesterday. Her death while pregnant was a 'double tragedy', area coroner Rosamund Rhodes-Kemp said as she recorded an open conclusion. Mrs. Daniels had been seriously ill, said the family statement confirming that she passed away on Sept. 16. Ms. Witheridge, a student at the University of Essex from Hemsby, Norfolk, was beaten to death in thailand. Both were detained on the island and questioned by police who brought them to the crime scene to re-enact their alleged crimes, a standard part of criminal investigations in Thailand. Accused of murdering British tourists, Myanmar men Zaw Lin (right) and Win Zaw Htun have withdrawn their confession, that they now say was extracted through torture. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were murdered on a Thai island in 2014 A lot of the pictures were actually by some cleaners before the police even came. He may have been protecting fellow victim Hannah Witheridge. Disturbing online photos leave family of backpacker Hannah Witheridge disgusted By Sophie Goddard 9 Oct 2014 Rex Features Last month, the tragic revelation that backpackers Hannah. By Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, both 22, initially confessed to the killings but later retracted their statements, saying they had been tortured. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Ukraine soldiers shoot down enemy drones with drones of their own, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts, Dozens stuck in car park as staff refuses to open gate for woman, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA. Jacob Thorburn For Mailonline Two Myanmar migrant workers sentenced to death in Thailand for the murder of two British backpackers had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment, their lawyer said. The case was upheld and taken to the Thai Supreme Court, the countrys last court of appeal. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Last month, a court on Koh Samui - 64 kilometres from Koh Tao - ordered that the remaining forensic evidence in the case be sent for re-examination. On Friday, a Thai forensic expert said that DNA evidence from the supposed murder weapon did not match that of the accused. The investigation descended into the absurd when the Thai Prime Minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, commented on the killings by saying that only ugly women were safe wearing bikinis in Thailand. One year later, those test results are far from convincing. The exact area where there bodies were found was the village of Hat Sat Ri. Hannah was also raped in the attack. We are saying that by giving them the death penalty, they will lose the opportunity to do something good with their lives, lawyer Nadthasiri Bergman said at the time. Were working to restore it. .06. Losing a loved one is so hard, imagine having doubt about if the right people were charged. Burmese bar workers Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun were found guilty of murder in 2015. While police ruled out foul play, Nick's family, who say officers did not investigate a single witness, believe he was murdered. Friends and family of Mr Miller have commissioned a "simple seat from a plank of oak from a tree that fell in the great storm of 1987". When residents of the affluent Southfields area of south-west London notice foul smelling smoke coming from a home on Wimbledon Park Drive in September 2017, firefighters arrive to make sure the house.- Hren Sie Case 236: Sophie Lionnet von Casefile True Crime sofort auf Ihrem Tablet, Telefon oder im Browser - kein Herunterladen erforderlich. The pair - who now face death by lethal injection - were even forced to re-enact the murders after their apparent confessions.