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David Miller & Hannah Witheridge murdered on Thailand Island
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2014 3:17 am
by Soi Dog
(CNN) -- A British man and woman were found dead on a beach on a popular resort island in Thailand, police said Monday.
The two victims were found on the island of Koh Tao, and police are investigating their deaths as murder, authorities said.
The victims had severe injuries to their heads, and a hoe with blood on it was found near the bodies, said Col. Prachum Ruangthong, police chief of Koh Phaghan, the precinct that has jurisdiction over the area.
A search of the victims' rooms showed no sign of theft, and interviews with friends indicated the victims may have only recently met while on the larger island of Koh Phangan before traveling to Koh Tao for a party excursion.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/15/world/asi ... ?hpt=hp_t2
Re: British man and woman murdered on Thai island
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2014 3:21 am
by Francis
See Soi Dog, this was a nice, fair report without prejudice and without redneck mentality. You can do it, if you wish to. I know you can. Anyway, thanx for that info. Interesting.
Re: British man and woman murdered on Thai island
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2014 3:28 am
by Soi Dog
more, with photos
BBC.co.uk wrote:Thailand deaths: Tourists named as David Miller and Hannah Witheridge
David Miller and Hannah Witheridge
The pair were found close to the bungalows where they had been staying
Two British tourists have been killed in an attack on a beach in southern Thailand, local police have said.
David Miller, 24, from Jersey, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, were attacked on Sunday night on the island of Koh Tao, Thai police said.
Their bodies were found with serious injuries in the early hours of Monday.
The UK Foreign Office said the British consul from Bangkok was travelling to the island, which is a popular tourist destination, "as soon as possible".
'Boats blocked'
The bodies were found close to the beach-side bungalows where the pair had been staying.
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Footage showed police at the scene of the attack
Police said they wanted to speak to a man, possibly a friend of the victims, who is thought to have left the island on Monday morning.
They are also questioning tourists, and hotel and bar owners.
Boats were earlier blocked from leaving the island.
Both the victims had suffered serious injuries and a garden hoe, believed to have been used in the attack, was found nearby, police said.
They said they had yet to identify a motive or suspect in the killing of the tourists, who had arrived in Thailand last month.
Police have cordoned off the scene of the deaths of two British tourists in Koh Tao, Thailand
Police have cordoned off the scene
Officers have been reviewing closed circuit TV footage from nearby restaurants, hotels and shops.
There was a beach party on Sunday night, about 100 metres from where the bodies were found, according to local media.
Reports suggest that Ms Witheridge, who was originally from Great Yarmouth, and Mr Miller had met recently on the island.
"We are aware of the death of two British nationals on 15 September on the island of Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand," the UK Foreign Office said in a statement.
"The embassy are urgently seeking information from the local authorities and consular staff stand ready to provide assistance to friends and family at this tragic time."
Re: British man and woman murdered on Thai island
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2014 3:50 am
by General Mackevili
Wow, that's brutal.
Re: British man and woman murdered on Thai island
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2014 3:16 pm
by Cowshed Cowboy
Talk about bad timing, there was a large feature in Saturday's Times travel section on this idyllic island which I read with interest., and now this. The level of brutality seems to have shocked even the local fuzz.
My automatic assumption which is probably wrong is drunken or drugged up fishermen. There was another particularly horrific case involving a British girl a few years ago at Xmas or New Year on Koh Samui I think. She'd been sunbathing on the beach and the fishermen, who were out of it, came ashore and raped and murdered her. Another awful case. I'm glad it's getting maximum publicity back here in the UK, however short that may be, it always helps to remind every new visitor that Thailand is not always the sugar coated paradise of the brochures and like everywhere else random acts of brutality can and do happen from time to time.
Awful case, I hope they get the murderer or murderers.
Re: British man and woman murdered on Thai island
Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 12:50 pm
by King Keil
Now they called his mate back. Found a bloodstained jeans in the room where he was staying with his buddy and a blond hair in the hand of the girl according to phuketwan.
Re: British man and woman murdered on Thai island
Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 5:20 pm
by taranis
404 Not Known
Re: British man and woman murdered on Thai island
Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 10:19 pm
by Soi Dog
The investigation looks to be leading to a Thai national and/or a Burmese migrant now.
Senior police adviser Pol Gen Jarumporn Suramanee said detectives were waiting for the results of DNA tests on samples collected from 30 people. They are either alien workers or staff of hotels and restaurants...
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/4 ... rowed-down
Re: British man and woman murdered on Thai island
Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 4:08 am
by taranis
404 Not Known
Re: British man and woman murdered on Thai island
Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 6:18 pm
by Cowshed Cowboy
taranis wrote:The BBC's Jonathan Head says Thai police suspect two different samples of DNA taken from Ms Witheridge's body are from two Asian men.
Police in Thailand has also said they are investigating new evidence suggesting the murders may have taken place because of "sexual jealousy".
"Police have been made aware of reports that Hannah and David had a fight in a bar with a Thai man before they were killed, but cannot confirm if they are true."
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29300765
I had one theory of a Thai man or men having a problem and losing face, would not be the first time.
I think that could be a likely scenario given the viciousness of the crime. Seems to be moving to the local mafia/gangster angle, perhaps the perps were drunk and took a shine to her and she brushed off their unwelcome attention, so as you say major loss of face they couldn't let go. Only issue I see with this is still the murder weapon - a hoe. That seems very random.