Police still fail to pinpoint suspects

[Lite Beer]

KOH TAO MURDERS
Police still fail to pinpoint suspects

KOH TAO: -- Desperate police Monday failed again to pin point any suspects to link them with death of two Britons as DNA test 30 out of 64 samples collected mostly from migrants in Koh Tao did not match any found on the bodies of the victims.

Monday was the eighth day since the murders but police had failed to find solid clues or the possible motive.

The officials were waiting result of DNA test of latest three suspects; two Thai and one migrant who looks like a man appeared in close circuit television earlier.

Anyway, police have confirmed that two weapons were used to kill the pair - which led them to believe they are hunting at least two people.

The body of Hannah Witheridge, the young female backpacker slain on the island, meanwhile, left Bangkok for her home country. Her family said in a statement: "We can confirm that we have now returned to the UK with our beautiful Hannah. As a family we feel enormous relief to have Hannah back at home where she belongs."

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Police-still-fail-to-pinpoint-suspects-30243862.html

-- The Nation 2014-09-22

[laolover88]

Weapons?? Forgot to mention those earlier did they?

[taony]

Its like every where else, "tell me the answer! ". They are hanging all their hopes on these DNA tests, and will pin it on the first match they get - whether its the culprit or just someone who happened to be in contact with them that night. All actual investigation is off the table.

Press statements from children, Cya, find a farang to blame it on. God damb disgrace all around.

[seajae]

so did they take dna samples from the 2 guys that were said to be the guilty parties as claimed by the guy that was a friend of the deceased and now claims his life is under threat. I mean if these two are innocent surely they will allow the police to take dna to eliminate them or are they too well connected/wealthy to be even considered by the police........

[2befrank]

Its like every where else, "tell me the answer! ". They are hanging all their hopes on these DNA tests, and will pin it on the first match they get - whether its the culprit or just someone who happened to be in contact with them that night. All actual investigation is off the table.

Press statements from children, Cya, find a farang to blame it on. God damb disgrace all around.

Yep..... She could have merely been looking after his sperm for the night and was due to return it to him the next day.

What hope is there for the truth to come out when 2 Thai men threaten to kill another tourist on the island and the police question them and let them go... Of course in Kho Tao it is legal to threaten to murder tourists while the world media is there covering the murder of two tourists, and this whole matter is linked to these threats to murder and the actual murders.

Great going Royal Thai Muppets.

Yet another scathing fact pointing to your lack of desire to bring any Thai to justice.

This sort of thing is more damaging to tourism than the actual murders.

Edited September 22, 2014 by 2befrank

[Cuchulainn]

An absolute disgrace to any police force in the world. Pathetic, corrupt, incompetent, disgraceful scoundrels.

[ttthailand]

Any fingerprints on those weapons ? If so there is a good chance they belong to the one responsible.

Did the two Thais from the bar get tested ? If not WHY ?

[2befrank]

An absolute disgrace to any police force in the world. Pathetic, corrupt, incompetent, disgraceful scoundrels.

My wife was originally of the police view, and all the Thais commenting on the Thai language forums were all speculating at Chris Ware or Migrant workers, but over the last week, they have all seemed to shift to the opinion that it was probably Thai island mafia and the police are either involved or just covering up. As one by one every attempt to point the investigation in the wrong direction has fallen apart under scrutiny of the world.

Now reluctantly the wife agrees..... This was almost certainly Thai mafia and island police colluding to hide the real identities.

Apparently a Thai who captains one of the ferries is now chief suspect as they found some of hs clothing with bloodstains and are checking the DNA..... This of course could be mere Thai gossip.

[SoilSpoil]

The short guy with the long hair who allegedly threathened Sean does look like the guy we see running in the initial security footage. This is the same guy we find at the crime scene with the police. Probably just a coincedence, but worth to at least take a DNA sample. Or is the guy police?

[WhizBang]

Time to bring in foreign crime investigation experts and take it completely out of the hands of the Royal Thai Mafia Police.

Also time time for a complete, top to bottom, reform of the police. It also might not be a bad idea to send the army in to Koh Tao to replace the police and deal with the rampant criminality there. Target Samui next.

[thesetat2013]

So they admit they are still looking mostly for migrant worker to be the killer instead of a Thai.

Seems they dont really want the killer to be a Thai and stain Thailands image in the land of smiles. This must be the progress mentioned by the TCT yesterday as well as their views on how it affects tourism only for a short time. Mai Pan Rai

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[MJP]

So they admit they are still looking mostly for migrant worker to be the killer instead of a Thai.

Seems they dont really want the killer to be a Thai and stain Thailands image in the land of smiles. This must be the progress mentioned by the TCT yesterday as well as their views on how it affects tourism only for a short time. Mai Pan Rai

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Surely they don't think the rest of the World is a complete idiot?

[englishoak]

So they admit they are still looking mostly for migrant worker to be the killer instead of a Thai.

Seems they dont really want the killer to be a Thai and stain Thailands image in the land of smiles. This must be the progress mentioned by the TCT yesterday as well as their views on how it affects tourism only for a short time. Mai Pan Rai

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Surely they don't think the rest of the World is a complete idiot?

Thainessssss

[Lozza]

Any fingerprints on those weapons ? If so there is a good chance they belong to the one responsible.

Did the two Thais from the bar get tested ? If not WHY ?

They were found in a cave on k phang nga and were too affected by drugs to get statements or dna, but, the bib did say as soon as they were out of their coma they would interview and dna them.

One is the speed boat creep the other long boat. How frightening to know these boat creeps are drug affected to the eyeballs carrying tourists and locals. <deleted>...PM Prayuth please clean up these issues asap this is affecting the genuine thai's who need tourists to support them for income and peaceful living.

I feel very sad for the lady who found them, she hasn't been able to sleep since. If I had her details I'd put some money into her account, traumatic.

I will try and track her down. I feel sick to the stomach over this poor woman.

[webfact]

MURDERS
Koh Tao: police fail another day
The Nation



Latest DNA test results, mostly on migrants, come back negative; police waiting for news on 3 'new' suspects tested

KOH TAO: -- POLICE hunting the killers of two British tourists on Koh Tao failed again yesterday to link suspects to the crimes, as DNA tests on 30 out of 64 samples collected mostly from migrants on the island did not match any found on the victims' bodies.

Yesterday was the eighth day since the murders but police have yet to reveal solid clues or the likely motive. The officials were waiting for results of DNA tests of three 'new' suspects: two Thais and a migrant who looks like a man seen on a close-circuit television camera.

However they have confirmed that two weapons we used to kill the pair - which led them to believe they are hunting at least two people.

The body of Hannah Witheridge, the young female backpacker slain on the island, meanwhile, left Bangkok for her home country. Her family said in a statement: "We can confirm that we have now returned to the UK with our beautiful Hannah. As a family we feel enormous relief to have Hannah back at home where she belongs."

Her body was found next to David Miller, also 24, on the beach of the resort island on Monday morning. Both were bludgeoned to death.

Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Somyot Pumpanmuang said yesterday that officers would have to widen the search to be beyond the island.

"We have now confirmed that the killing weapon is not only a hoe found stained with blood, but also a wooden club. This made us believe that there are at least two attackers," he said.

Somyot said police had a theory that the killers may come and left the island on the same night. "Koh Tao is an area where people, Thais, migrant workers as well as foreign tourists come and go all the time," he said.

Police have held one man, however, identified as Lerpong Suksomboon, an attendant on a speedboat for tourists between Koh Samui and Koh Tao. He was detained after residents alerted police that he was hiding in a cave on Koh Samui - and came out from time to time and asked for food.



Under influence of drugs

Police on Sunday night questioned Lerpong but he appeared to be under the influence of drugs. He reportedly kept saying he did not beat to death the tourists. Police collected samples of his hair and fingernails for DNA tests at the Institute of Forensic Medicine of Police General Hospital.

Police yesterday took two of his friends into custody; one was also high on drugs and the other, identified as Jom, is the driver of a long-tail boat. Police learnt that they had been on Koh Tao on the day of the murder.

Some fishermen fishing off Kanom district in Nakhon Si Thammarat province alerted police that they found a Thai man on a speedboat named "Little Duck" speeding south from Koh Pha Ngan. The man stopped by and asked for directions to Naiprao Island in the district. But he changed direction to Pakpanang district in the same province after his boat encountered a marine police boat on Naiprao beach.

Meanwhile, Pol Maj Gen Kittipong Kaosam-ang, a Surat Thani police commander, asked the media not to report in-depth investigation results, saying it may give some clues to the culprits. But he revealed that Thais may have been involved in the murders and had tried to destroy evidence linking them to the attacks. Some people on Koh Tao had given false information to police in a bid to divert attention.

Somyot told reporters that Prime Minister Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha and his deputy Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, telephoned him every day to know the latest developments in the case.

Police have worked closely with officials from the British Embassy and they are still confident that they will eventually arrest the culprits. It was not necessary to send investigators to Thailand to help, they said.

Government spokesman Yongyuth Maiyalarp said the PM ordered police to quickly bring the culprits to justice. Officials at the island, plus business owners and have been told to help provide advice on safety issues to tourists.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Koh-Tao-police-fail-another-day-30243890.html


-- The Nation 2014-09-23

[chooka]

All over the Australian media this morning that an English guy has fled the island after being threatened by two well connected thais on the island. apparently they were going to make the guy look like a scapegoat for the deaths, hang him and make it look like suicide.

Apparently the BIB spoke to them and let them go, no DNA samples taken. Thailand is looking worse and worse everyday as the bumbling continues.

[NongKhaiKid]

Yesterday didn't the TAT mouthpiece say that bookings for the island were increasing as progress was being made in the investigation ?

WHAT PROGRESS ?

[siampolee]

Police still fail to pinpoint suspects

Procrastination is the biggest thief of time which will also destroy and taint any evidence found linking certain people(s) to this horrific crime plus of course it also allows those with blood on their hands to escape, no doubt for a hefty fee or two as well.

The above scenario is indeed the one that the Thai Police farce force are totally professional at and well versed in

[englishoak]

Police have worked closely with officials from the British Embassy and they are still confident that they will eventually arrest the culprits. It was not necessary to send investigators to Thailand to help, they said.

Sounds to me like some have offered or want to do just that and been refused... what a farce.

[coma]

Patience I say to all the hot headed, ready made lynch mob following this thread. This investigation is nowhere as simple and straight forward as some of you percieve. Investigations in small communities come with a certain unwillingness to assist police with their investigation for fear of retribution. Also, the speedboats coming and going from these island do so at their own pleasure. There are no harbour masters keeping logs on traffic to and fro.

If you don't want a scapegoat arrested then patience. Let the BIB get on with their process of elimination investigation of potential suspects.

They WILL arrest the the killers in due process, if they haven't already.

[BangkokHank]

Some people on Koh Tao had given false information to police in a bid to divert attention.

In some countries, that might be considered a criminal offense. In certain other countries, however, lying is such a normal part of daily life that it is not punishable, even when it hampers a murder investigation.

[Emster23]

"DNA test 30 out of 64 samples collected mostly from migrants in Koh Tao did not match any found on the bodies of the victims."

It is so abundantly clear that RTP in no way wish to look at Thai population. Word that came to mind was "prejudice" as in Pre Judge. I am more comfortable now however, since it appears it is more of collusion with local mafia, fear, incompetence, intimidation and money. Returning Thailand to traditional values and happiness.

[kinmaew]

The Royal Thai Police with all of their medals and ranks are in full view and the world is watching.

[JOC]

Don't know, what is most scary: The lynch-mob menthality amongst the posters here or the imcompetence of the Thai police force??

[chrisinth]

Its my belief that the police and other investigators already have the evidence of the murderers.

All they have to do is sort it out..................

I noticed in one of the earlier reports that they believe some people on the island were providing false statements. There is a clue for a new start point.

[IAMSOBAD]

Thailand had the FBI ready to assist,but decided to be the big stars in this pathetic KEYSTONE COPS thriller.

Thumbs Down!

[monk213]

Thailand had the FBI ready to assist,but decided to be the big stars in this pathetic KEYSTONE COPS thriller.

Thumbs Down!

Firstly I know how skilled and equipped the FBI are, but do they have to do with a double British murder in Thailand? Secondly I wonder why there were not welcomed, maybe they may have found some things out

Edited September 23, 2014 by monk213

[stevehaigh]

Any fingerprints on those weapons ? If so there is a good chance they belong to the one responsible.

Did the two Thais from the bar get tested ? If not WHY ?

i wondered that from the get go. since it looks like locals, probably on lao khao and yaa baa in an opportunistic crime, i doubt any one wore gloves. there must be finger prints all over the place. why so much emphasis on DNA, if they had fingerprinted everyone on the island the day after the murder, they would have the murderers a week ago

[green job]

This marks the end of Thailands tourist industry,as they (the Thais ) know it today.And I am afraid its self inflicted. ,

[dieseldave1951]

so did they take dna samples from the 2 guys that were said to be the guilty parties as claimed by the guy that was a friend of the deceased and now claims his life is under threat. I mean if these two are innocent surely they will allow the police to take dna to eliminate them or are they too well connected/wealthy to be even considered by the police........

make sense but we are in Thailand the police probably never thought to demand one