docshock13

Are you saying the monk in the pic with Shark tooth is Phra Suthep?

After the endless, complicated and contradictory developments and comments concerning this case, it seems to me that it all boils down to one very simple FIRST action, at this stage, for the British investigators to perform : take a DNA sample from the two Burmese guys, with enough witnesses around so that the authenticity of the samples cannot later be questioned, and then compare them with the DNA that the British investigators have taken in Britain from the body.

The only question is : did the British perform such a sampling or did the body of this poor girl go untouched after entering British soil ? I don't recall reading anywhere, clearly, that British authorities had made such a move after recovering the body.

If the DNA of the Burmese guys is compared with samples provided by the Thai police, there will be no end to suspicion of foul play.

The whole system of evidence based on DNA works on the assumption that no one tampers with the samples because the people who perform the sampling are trustworthy and eager to serve true justice. If and when the people in question become suspicious in the eyes of the public and/or the press, then the whole process amounts to nothing, and so called evidence is rightly seen as potential manipulation.

Yep I read somewhere there was an autopsy certainly on Hannah. The law in the UK is that should a citizen be murdered abroad and the body repatriated then an independent autopsy has to be carried out before the body is handed back to the family, I am almost 100% certain this happened with Hannah - I heard perhaps not with David as he's from Jersey, but that's brobably just crap.

I also think a family can ask for specific actions to take place during the autopsy, but whatever, given the UK police are some of the best in the world I would imagine sits automatic to take DNA samples and anything which could be a reference to the case notes.

I would be surprised if they do not have multiple DNA samples from Hannah - hope so.

I'm not an expert on DNA and forensic investigation, but should the UK investigators be denied access to the suspects in order to obtain DNA could they not have the parents report to the Embassy or High Commission in Myanmar for a swab? RTP can't stop them from doing this because it is outside Thai jurisdiction. Then compare to perpetrators DNA back in the UK? I couldn't imagine the UK government/police and/or the victims' families NOT having as much evidence taken from the bodies before they were to be interred in such a criminal case. Makes no sense to bury potential evidence in an unresolved case.

Parents of two suspects now in Yangon awaiting Thai visas to visit their sons in Samui. Will be interesting to see if their visas are approved or denied.

https://www.dvb.no/dvb-video/parents-of-koh-tao-suspects-prepare-to-visit-their-boys-burma-myanmar/45181

My thoughts exactly HughJ! Will be interesting to see conclusions ofUK investigators and should a coverup be exposed to watch RTP close ranks and go head to head with the military. The fallout could lead to further instability in the short term.

Cameron obviously said to Prayuth that the British forensic team has retrieved two sets of Asian DNA from the body of Hannah and have now taken swabs from the parents of the two Burmese lads in custody and there is no match so the game is up..there is no other option for Prayuth now than to let the Brits in and throw the RTP on Kao Tao to the wolves while stating that he was only acting on information given to him by police....looks like Somyot is toast

Sorry I messed up the post. My reply is below.

If this report is true, it appears there may be some divisions forming between the police and the military government as both the Nation and BP report that Somyot will "bar" investigators (in one report) and that allowing foreign investigators to become involved is "tantamount to a breach of Thailand's sovereignty" (in the other report). Pretty strong words. Wondering if Prayut and Co. have decided to break ranks with the RTP to avoid committing political suicide domestically and save what's left of Thailand's reputation internationally?

Yes, it is very interesting.

I guess the General will sit down with Khun Somyot once he gets back and explain why the change of heart, whether it will be a "sorry, I caved in but they have a piece of evidence that proves your investigation result wrong" , or a " what the heck are you doing you moron, the Brits have evidence that the botched things....you're fired", I would be intrigued to know.

The General is going to need the police to help him run the country, whether he needs Somyot I have no idea.

Breaking ranks with the RTP at this point is the only logical and politically prudent thing for Prayut and Co. to do. If the UK investigators confirm RTP findings Prayut wins and can say "See? We had nothing to hide". If the UK investigators manage to find enough inconsistencies to bring into question the integrity of the RTP, Prayut still wins as he can say "I also had doubts, hence the foreign oversight. I now declare a war on police corruption. Thailand is safe, the military government credible, everyone can start booking their tickets to the new and improved LOS." HAHA.

If this report is true, it appears there may be some divisions forming between the police and the military government as both the Nation and BP report that Somyot will "bar" investigators (in one report) and that allowing foreign investigators to become involved is "tantamount to a breach of Thailand's sovereignty" (in the other report). Pretty strong words. Wondering if Prayut and Co. have decided to break ranks with the RTP to avoid committing political suicide domestically and save what's left of Thailand's reputation internationally?

Apparently, lawyers appointed to Burmese suspects were only given 30 minutes to prepare for today's hearing in Samui.

http://www.dvb.no/news/hearing-gets-under-way-in-koh-tao-murder-case-burma-myanmar/45004

Further, same paper reported yesterday that suspects complained of chest pains after interrogation.

http://www.dvb.no/news/koh-tao-murders-suspects-claim-chest-pains-from-interrogation/44981

I haven't seen any of this in Thai media.

The word "lured" is normally associated with bad things for the person being "lured" like murder and rape....

yes the word "lured" together in the same article with the word "target"...sounds enticing!

"The key targets are Westerners and tourists from neighbouring countries," Ittirit said

I honestly feel sick to my stomach reading this. Any tech savvy members that could start a free "Boycott Murder Island" website on Weebly? Just throwing out an idea to add to Johnson's list.

Some questions...

1) Why is banana pancake man wearing a golf tee with RTP insignia? Was he recently "deputized" and now legally in the employ of the RTP?

2) Prior to being the first foreign national to graduate from the RTP academy and receiving his badge (in record time I might add), was banana pancake man working and living legally on Koh Tao? If not, it makes Question #1 even more relevant.

That's a Tourist Police Tshirt...

Still haven't had anyone confirm whether Mons brother is the cop standing next to him in the crime scene shots,

Or whether the guy who he chased Sean with was actually a cop as suggested...

Sean has released a song on the CSI LA page, he knows more about this than he has let out,

hopefully he has a conscience and tells what he knows, there are plenty of rumours about him and Mon Sot being in cahoots with previous date raping and plenty of suggestions Sean was selling drugs for AC bar...

Think this thread titile is finally the one that will stay in the light, there seems to have been a different thread everyday...more deflection...

Hi CC,

Do you mean police volunteer shirt? As where I live the tourist police are Thai. But we have a few farang that patrol with their cracker jack laminated badges and shitty attitudes towards other foreigners and false sense of moral authority. I think one might be Deputy JTJ. Would stop to verify, but these guys are usually too busy polishing their badges.

As for McAnna, not sure why he was spirited off the island and out of the country so quickly despite being a key witness and purported friend of one of the deceased. Strange considering the 3rd individual with the 2 alleged suspects has been (or was being) detained under police "protection" without warrant and no access to representation.

As for the rumours about McAnna and how he earned his livelihood and spent his life on the island--18 months, no job, no visa, no work permit...I wish! I gotta do it the hard way. Work offshore. 90 days reporting, show cash in the bank etc.

Some questions...

1) Why is banana pancake man wearing a golf tee with RTP insignia? Was he recently "deputized" and now legally in the employ of the RTP?

2) Prior to being the first foreign national to graduate from the RTP academy and receiving his badge (in record time I might add), was banana pancake man working and living legally on Koh Tao? If not, it makes Question #1 even more relevant.

Well, observed mate.

I never even noticed his disguise. Since, this was probably him masquerading as a RTP official to keep this farcical spectacle alive and well, adding a little more glamour to this charade of imposters trying to make out - like this is really is what happened ….

My thoughts exactly. The white-washing, sleight of hand (or uniforms in this case), inconsistencies and changing theories of the RTP have turned this tragedy into a travesty. I am not assigning guilt to or presuming the innocence of any of the parties implicated in this case so far, just raising some questions about the case that remain to be answered. It just seems that at every new development, there is a purposeful misdirection on the part of the authorities to make the difficult questions go away. It appears they decided early on how the case would turn out and are now trying to fit "evidence" to match up with their desired outcome instead of the other way around--letting the evidence tell the story.

Early on in the case when the RTP claimed the murders were a crime of passion perpetrated by a spurned lover who flew into a jealous homosexual rage, the police (after preliminary investigation) concluded that there were at least 3 perpetrators and 2 weapons (the 3 perps and 2 weapons part being about the only plausible thing they have said about the whole case). However, as the focus of the investigation turned to a Thai national and then to undocumented migrant workers,this theory seems to have been abandoned. It appears that now the RTP "have their guys," the 3 perpetrators and 2 weapons theory is gone with the wind--unless we are to believe the second weapon was the plastic dust collector seen in the "re-enactment." My question is, what happened to the third (or possibly 4th or 5th) perp? It stretches my imagination to understand how only two individuals could simultaneously assault Mr. Miller and drown him (while he was evidently fighting back) and subdue, sexually assault and murder Ms. Witheridge.

My second question is, early media reports claimed the RTP sent DNA samples to Singapore for analysis. Are the RTP willing to provide the name of the agency or private lab in Singapore to confirm the DNA analysis was indeed conducted offshore? Are the RTP willing to publish the results of the analysis for public scrutiny? This would certainly lend some credibility to their claims. As it stands, I haven't seen anything to date that indicates that any DNA left Thailand.

Finally, if the university in Bangkok was willing to handover CCTV footage to the lawyer representing Mr. Warot (which many have claimed was doctored), would the university be willing to make available to the public the same footage without the interference of an intermediary who is being paid to protect the interests of his client? This would also lend some credibility to official RTP story.

Some questions...

1) Why is banana pancake man wearing a golf tee with RTP insignia? Was he recently "deputized" and now legally in the employ of the RTP?

2) Prior to being the first foreign national to graduate from the RTP academy and receiving his badge (in record time I might add), was banana pancake man working and living legally on Koh Tao? If not, it makes Question #1 even more relevant.

According to newspaper that cannot be linked here, RTP are done with the case and have nothing more to say about it.