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". Questions remain over how the pair got to the beach and what they were planning for the remainder of the evening. Who was Hannah Witheridge (Was Raped And Killed, Incident Detail) Wiki, Biography, Age, Hidden Facts You Need to Know. I doubt we'll ever know the truth. Please try again later. Koh Tao is actually pronounced 'kaw? Although there were signs of sexual activity, investigators have not ascertained whether Witheridge was raped. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. She screams, he panics, so he hits her multiple times with the hoe to make her shut up - not rage as much as fear and desire to stop her screams. They will also have the opportunity to further reduce their sentences for good behavior. It is easy to see how/why the Thai police would want to pin this on them, but one part of their story that seemed odd to me was how they ended up with the cell phone. Their bodies were found close to the beach bungalows where they had been staying. Burmese bar workers Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun were found guilty of murder in 2015. All Rights Reserved. Their sentences have been reviewed to commemorate King Vajiralongkorn's birthday and to show his "clemency". What is the plan to protect the high seas? 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. One year later, those test results are far from convincing. The men alleged that they had been tortured by the police, and legal teams claimed that the evidence was . Video Unavailable Murdered British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller may have been in a row in a bar with a local gangster who tried to chat her up. Post-mortems found that Hannah had died from head wounds, while engineering student Mr Miller suffered severe blows to his head and drowned. Write to Charlie Campbell at charlie.campbell@time.com. Sky News reports that Miller was chopped in the back and the side of his head, Witheridges injuries were to her head. 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. Bizarre pictures showed them handcuffed wearing bicycle helmets surrounded by cops as they reconstructed the attack on Sairee beach. 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. When is Eurovision and how do you get tickets? 2023 BBC. Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, both 22, initially confessed to the killings but later retracted their statements, saying they had been tortured. Beach cleaners discovered the. But nobody familiar with Thailands feeble justice system is surprised by that. 2023 BBC. In 2019, the mothers of Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun filed a plea for clemency from the King of Thailand on Thursday, in a case tainted by allegations of wrongdoing, saying the couples confessions were obtained under duress. But his mum believes he was mugged aswallet and watch were missing. By Good episode, but infuriating for the same reasons as many others. So those other people were probably also murdered, but I am SO tired of relatives saying "she didn't kill herself, she was so happy" being used as a real argument that someone didn't kill themself. Its also reported that Witheridge had been raped prior to her death, those reports were later found to be unfounded. When is Eurovision and how do you get tickets? On September 16, 2019 she was found unresponsive in hospital shortly after speaking to staff and was pronounced dead. Belgian backpackerElise Dallemagne, 30, was found hanged in the hillson the island on April 28, 2017. Around three weeks ago, on September 15, their bodies were found together on a beach on Koh Tao island. "We have the footage, but we never checked it," Police Colonel Cherdpong Chiewpreecha admitted in court, drawing gasps from those in attendance, Sky News reported. The second-gen Sonos Beam and other Sonos speakers are on sale at Best Buy. I kept thinking the episode was going to circle back around to this aspect but it never did. Hannah Witheridge, a backpacker who was murdered in Thailand, The family of Hannah Witheridge, has had their hearts broken by the second death of her sister who died in hospital, Laura Daniels. Sun 23 Nov 2014 10.54 EST Last modified on Wed 29 Nov 2017 23.45 EST. 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. They werent trained for this. Press J to jump to the feed. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? Grieving: Hannah Witheridge's family at the headquarters of the Royal Thai Police in Bangkok last year.Credit:Reuters. Police initially named a British friend of hers as a person of interest, then began taking DNA samples from hundreds of suspects. "They're pleading with the Burmese government to look into the case and find out the truth," he added. Thoughts and prayers with his family and friends. Witheridge is a native of Great Yarmouth in the Southwest coast of England. Magazines, Digital Really sad that the victims pictures are in the internet like this. Both families have revealed their struggle to come to terms with their tragic losses, and have remained hopeful throughout the investigation. 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. Both victims had been hit several times on the head; Witheridge had been raped, and Miller had been drowned. Two Myanmar men accused of murdering two British holidaymakers David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, in Thailand will go on trial on Wednesday in a case that caused outrage in Britain and raised questions about the competence of the Thai police and the treatment of migrant labourers. The two suspects, identified only as "Saw" and "Win," appeared at a news conference this week where the Thailand police commissioner said that DNA samples from . Edit: Just heard him pronounce the Thai king's name at the end of the episode. What science tells us about the afterlife. All times AEDT (GMT +11). The two workers from Myanmar, wearing helmets and handcuffs, during a re-enactment of the alleged crime.Credit:Reuters. 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. 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. Losing a loved one is so hard, imagine having doubt about if the right people were charged. The family of murdered backpacker Hannah Witheridge has been hit by a fresh tragedy with the sudden death of her sister. 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. Killed in Thailand: British tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller.Credit:British Foreign Office. They are both eligible under a section of the royal clemency decree to have their death sentences reduced to life in prison, Nakhon said. Koh Tao Island Murders | David Miller and Hannah Witheridge Case Analysis Dr. Todd Grande 1.27M subscribers 54K views 5 months ago This video answers the question: Can I analyze the case of. 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The main suspect in the crime is a fellow British backpacker, according to The Guardian. 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. 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. 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. In a separate address, for which he has since apologized, he said that tourists think our country is beautiful and is safe so they can do whatever they want, they can wear bikinis and walk everywhere. The general even suggested that the only tourists who should feel safe in bikinis were those who were not beautiful.. Grieving: Hannah Witheridge's family at the headquarters of the Royal Thai Police in Bangkok last year. The men said they didn't use a condom, even though police insisted they had. POLICE have finally made a breakthrough in the shocking murders of two British backpackers in Thailand, but mystery still surrounds the horrific discovery. The case of Witheridge and Miller has, once again, laid bare the dichotomy between Thailands palm-fringed islands and dark underbelly immortalized in Alex Garlands 1996 dystopian novel The Beach. The killings roiled Koh Tao, a 2000-hectare island buoyed by tourism. The bodies of Miss Witheridge and 24-year-old David Miller, from Jersey, were found on the resort island of Koh Tao in 2014. It was not immediately clear how many prisoners could receive pardons or reduced sentences based on the different criteria listed in the decree. I also found that extremely weird it was brought up once and never again. Killed in Thailand: British tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller. 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. My bets are that it was someone belonging to the Thai mafia. 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. This was the first Casefile that Ive really questioned their research. We are confident that these people will be caught now or later.. Thais wouldnt do this pronounced a leading policeman, and officers started rounding up Burmese laborers for interrogation and DNA tests. The two were said to have been backpackers going through the tiny island of Koh Tao. In a statement they said a memorial was planned near Plemont Bay on the north coast of Jersey later this month. She also preyed upon the families of the victims to suit her narrative. The defense appeals were exhausted in August and a royal pardon or commutation of the death sentence by the Thai king is the last chance for a pardon. 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. Hannah, 23, and her friend David Miller, 24, were found dead on a beach on the Thai island of Koh Tao. The seemingly sluggish response was compounded by insensitive comments made by the coup-leading prime minister, Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who was forced into a rare public apology after suggesting women wearing bikinis could be more vulnerable to attack. The men alleged that they had been tortured by the police, and legal teams claimed that the evidence was misused. But their confession was, itself, confused. 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. Finally, police appeared to have found their footing when they arrested two 22-year-old migrants from Myanmar who, police claimed, had confessed to the crimes. Prosecutors have claimed the men are linked to the killings by DNA evidence collected from cigarette butts, a condom and the bodies of the victims. (Facebook). A post-mortem examination showed she had been raped. Sexual assault and rape, much of it unreported, bedevil Koh Phangans world famous full-moon parties. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were murdered on a Thai island in 2014 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. Under the scheme hotels will distribute the wristbands to new arrivals. 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. Tourist police said the safety measure would be voluntary. Mr and Mrs Miller, from St Helier, said: "Every moment we miss our son. Lawyers for the two men had claimed evidence used in the case against them was mishandled and they made confessions under duress that they later retracted, raising questions about police competence and the judicial system in Thailand. 18:37 GMT 11 Aug 2021. "As well there have been many police procedural issues exposed this week, including many inconsistencies in the timing of events around the arrest of the accused.". A UK autopsy later discovered Ben died of a transected aorta a rupture of the bodys largest artery rather than a broken neck. The case was upheld and taken to the Thai Supreme Court, the countrys last court of appeal. They both decide to take a backpacking trip to Thailand before pursuing Master's Degrees in their respective fields. The popular holiday spot has been dubbed 'death island' after a string of tourists died in shocking circumstances while holidaying there. That's not how being suicidal works! Read about our approach to external linking. Mrs Daniels went on to qualify as a paediatric nurse and the pair were married in 2018. 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 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. Magazines, Or create a free account to access more articles, What the Murder of Two British Tourists Tells Us About Thailand's Dark Side. Eventually about 300 people on the island had their DNA taken, and 10 had been at AC Bar, the last place he pair were seen alive. A royal commutation does not require an admission of guilt, says the BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok. Forensic examiners in Bangkok found water in his lungs and revealed that Miss. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller are perfect strangers who hail from coastal towns in the UK. He may have been protecting fellow victim Hannah Witheridge. He has now apparently fled into hiding in fear for his life. Their bodies were found semi-naked and severely battered, and both had severe head wounds. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. . They added: "Along with her bubbly and exciting personality Hannah was extremely intelligent and, after earning a degree with first-class honours from the University of East Anglia, was working towards a masters degree in speech and language therapy in Essex. 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. In addition to tagging tourists the Department of Tourism is keen to curb partying hours in visitor hot spots. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Burmese migrant workers Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, also known as Win Zaw Htun, were found guilty of the murders and sentenced to death in December 2015. She had checked into the hostel on February 11 and was due to check out on February 16 but failed to do so. "We're confident we have a very high chance of finding the suspects," the senior police officer said. Sue Witheridge gave evidence at the inquest into the death of. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. The pair said they offered information to. They also alleged that the evidence was misused by the police and that the couples confessions were the result of systematic harassment by immigrants in the region. Oh I found out about this case while in Myanmar, where there is a great deal of sympathy for the men they convicted. 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. Her other daughter, Hannah Witheridge, was killed in a brutal double murder in a tourist hotspot in Thailand seven years ago. He said the plan would be rolled out soon on popular resort islands such as Koh Tao and Koh Phangan and also the tourist beach area of Pattaya. "We hope that these two murderers will now spend a very, very long time in jail where they cannot harm other families and will have time to reflect on the consequences of their acts.". Police had previously given conflicting statements about the DNA evidence, initially saying that it was lost or "used up" before later insisting that it had been properly saved, Reuters reported. 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. Beach cleaners discovered the Britons naked bodies 20 m apart by rocks on idyllic Sairee Beach on Sept. 15. Jacob Thorburn For Mailonline, 'You lose one daughter, you don't expect to lose another': Mother of murdered British backpacker Hannah Witheridge, 23, tells of heartache after her other daughter, 30, dies in hospital while pregnant, Risking their lives for a tan: Sunbathers are pictured lying feet from scene of major rock fall that hit the beach over the weekend, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, TN residents say Jack Daniel's distillery spews black mold, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' 2023 TIME USA, LLC. Grief: Relatives of David Miller and Hanna Witheridge hug . The bodies of the two tourists were discovered in a rocky alcove close to the hotel where they were staying on the holiday island of Koh Tao almost three weeks ago. Hannah was also raped. 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 Miller, in. - Listen to Case 236: Sophie Lionnet by Casefile True Crime instantly on your tablet, phone or browser - no downloads needed. Fact is scarier than fiction A community following Casefile: True Crime Podcast! 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. Credit: British Foreign Office That's when the killers pounced. Were working to restore it. 2 min read. "Our thoughts are also with the Witheridge family and the tragic loss of their daughter. They were in their early 20s and holidaying together on the tiny tropical island of Koh Tao, a backpacker's paradise off the coast of Thailand. TWO men found guilty of murdering a pair of British backpackers in Thailand will be executed after their appeals were thrown out by the courts today. DNA tests on a cigarette butt found at the scene have now cleared the former. Wa-hee-rah-long-gonenever heard anyone else pronounce it like that. Frenchman Dimitri Povse, 29, was found hanged in a bungalow on the island on New Year's Day 2015. It would be "a place where Dave's spirit and love of life may be with you". If you would like to rate cases 1-199, please do so at this Casefile Ratings Form (1-199). What science tells us about the afterlife. From the beginning, there were signs that the investigation was in trouble. He added: 'Life was never going to be easy or the same again, we shared difficult times but we found happiness together.'. Ms Witheridge was found with her face smashed in, her skirt wrenched up and her body showing signs of rape. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. He didnt mention the fact that eight days after the killing of Witheridge and Miller, not a single suspect has been identified or remains in custody. Two of the suspects raped and killed Witheridge while another witnessed the murder, Thai police told the Bangkok Post. 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'). 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. Nick Pearson, 25, was found floating in an island bay, at the foot of a 50ft drop on New Years Day 2014. Our hearts go out to the Witheridge family who are also coming to terms with the sudden trauma of the equally senseless ending of their Hannahs life, Mr Millers family said in a statement earlier this week. with a blow to the head and water in his lungs, a British friend of hers as a person of interest, initially saying that it was lost or "used up". Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. , updated 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. She died at Southampton General Hospital on September 16, 2019 - five years after her sister Hannah Witheridge, then 23, was found beaten to death on a Thailand beach. His family accused the Thai police of a cover-up. On a human level, it's understandable why they would have these feelings considering the grief and emotional pain they've gone through, but at the same time, judges, juries, and prisons exist for a reason. David Miller, 24, was found murdered on a beach on Koh Tao along with 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge. Yeah, it was a but suspicious given they had the phone and there was apparently DNA evidence. HARROWING photos of the corpses of English backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller have surfaced online, traumatising their families. Mrs Daniels died five years and one day after her sister, Hannah Witheridge, 23 from Norfolk, was found dead on the island of Koh Tao in Thailand. Historic ocean treaty agreed after decade of talks, China looks at reforms to deepen Xi's control, Inside the enclave surrounded by pro-Russia forces, 'The nurses wanted me to feel guilty about my abortion, From Afghan TV fame to a US factory floor. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. 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. 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. RIP, Christian May (@christianrmay) September 15, 2014. Ms. Witheridge, a student at the University of Essex from Hemsby, Norfolk, was beaten to death in thailand. Mr Miller's family said they were "grateful" to the Thai king. 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. There is other evidence that points to these deaths being murders, but family members saying that the victims weren't suicidal is not it. The area plays host to a weekly beach party on Sunday nights. Feel so sorry for their families. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Two Burmese workers were sentenced to death in 2015, after being found guilty of killing David Miller, 24, of Jersey, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, of Norfolk. 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. Hannah Witheridge was a college student at the University of Essex and lived there, according to her Facebook page. THANK YOU. Cruise staffer fired after shock bathroom act. According to the Burmese suspects it was stolen from them while swimming. It's not always a call for help. The mother of murdered Norfolk backpacker Hannah Witheridge has spoken of her heartache of losing two daughters in five years. "The second roti seller has been on the stand and it's become very clear that he does not have much of grasp of Thai at all so we don't understand how he could have translated for police," Andy Hall, a British migrant rights advocate who is assisting the defence, told the newspaper. Powered by. David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23 Forensic tests carried out on two British tourists murdered in Thailand have found that the woman died from severe head wounds, while the man had. A final picture of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller taken just hours before they were brutally murdered.