Koh Tao murders: Myanmar worker confesses killing British tourists

[jaideeguy]

So, why don't you Brits call in your Scotland Yard, MI5 or some other 'real investigation' team before it's too late or maybe some private investigator could crack this case. I'll contribute to hiring a Sherlock Holmes to come over, just to put some proper closure to this mess.

[taony]

What doesn't make sense to me is that there is all this mafia, or whatever you choose to call it, in KT and all over Thailand. When something like this happens, no one will speak up because names will be named, payments have been made etc. But why do so many people go out of there way to cover up for these guys? Why don't they themselves just "disappear" and then the case goes unsolved? Like it would be done in the real mafia. Lessons get learned and no one gets outed.

[greenwoodsolar]

Total BS

[ratcatcher]

For heavens sake, you people are the saddest most miserable people I have ever come across. What meaningless, boring and sad lives you must lead. The police have got someone, they werent Thai, get used to it.

I am sure most of us are glad you were able to join us in our misery and boredom. Chok dee.

[sitti]

soo many experts behind a keyboard. Reading bunch of online articles, watching TV and now you know better than the authorities. Seems like many people here refuse to believe anything but Thai murderer, even if it really was other nationality. And only Thais are the bad guys, and people of other nations don't ever commit such crime.

[gyrosman]

One worker refrain 2 people in terror on a open beach area only 150 meters from a hotel, I think it was the 1 arm man, myself.

[ALFREDO]

For heavens sake, you people are the saddest most miserable people I have ever come across. What meaningless, boring and sad lives you must lead. The police have got someone, they werent Thai, get used to it.

Just wait and hear, we will have later more information, possibly facts and can make our own conclusions,

it can be same some believe here,- a cover up, but it can also be the truth, why not?

Just be patient and wait fort more information.

[dieseldave1951]

I guess the world will not believe them

But in typical Thai arrogance they will not care

Saving face is what the police have done (see not a Thai )

and they think all will go back to normal In kho Tao

WRONG WRONG WRONG

[johnnycthedog]

Hey fantastic. Blame everything on the Myanmar workers.

Finally a solution to who killed JFK and Martin Luther King and throw in the Marilyn Monroe "murder" as well.

It was those pesky workers from Myanmar.

Joking aside I sincerely hope they find the real killer(s) of the couple. Having read the Thai newspapers for many years there are many unsolved murders of foreigners. The killers have home ground advantage and just disappear back into the masses.

[jucel]

soo many experts behind a keyboard. Reading bunch of online articles, watching TV and now you know better than the authorities. Seems like many people here refuse to believe anything but Thai murderer, even if it really was other nationality. And only Thais are the bad guys, and people of other nations don't ever commit such crime.

You are missing the point by so much it hurts

[Emster23]

It was Lee Harvey Oswald, Jack Ruby and James Earl Ray. And they all acted alone.

[Number 3]

Suspect is Win, a 22 year old Burmese worker at Safety Stop on Koh Tao. He had dyed his hair & was about to leave the island when caught.

Chaps please correct me but I read that one initially had dyed blonde hair

He proceeded to dye it black and left for Surat Thani

The blonde hair in Hannah's hand is being attributed to this fellow.

The picture I have seen of these three on a motorcycle from 10 30pm appears to show three men with black hair.

Also I have a question - the footage that we have all been watching today of the running man and the additional people that show briefly in the edges of the clip - why were these hidden if they were Burmese workers ?

And now that we know the results of their DNA testing and can this hold a press conference regarding their capture and guilt do we now get to see all the footage and the deceased toxicology reports ?

Or would these facts deter from the great work of the rtp in solving this crime ?

[Traveller45]

You would think that the condoms would say a lot about the killer's' nationality. How many inches were they rolled out?

Wait, is it really necessary to roll them out first...? I think I have been doing something wrong all these years, no wonder that... OK never mind

[Pundi6446]

Lets see the cops already beat up, and tortured one victim that wouldn't confess to saying who supposedly did it, they still don't have the DNA of the village headman's son, but I bet they have under the table payment to look the other way, now they have some other poor victim, and more then likely have beaten him to a bloody pulp, to make this so called confession, this whole thing is smelling like a croak of Bull $hit.

Get the DNA of the headman's son, why won't he have a swab taken to fully clear him, this Sherlock (Key Stone Cops) murder investigation is getting way out of hand. For the cops to save thier all important "Thai face" they need someone, anyone, so they got thier man now, poor guy, I hope his family has made a tidy bit of cash, at least

Ok lets bring on the tagged, wrist banded, ID'd well watched, curfewed, paying as you enter, tourists back onto Koh Tao , all is over, we have solved the murder, with this very lucky break, what a boggled up mess this has been from the very start.

[dunroaming]

Shame on you Thailand's police and shame on you Thailand's authorities for allowing this to happen. Shame on you for having no respect for the victims family because if you did have any respect you would conduct the investigation honestly. But more than anything shame on you for taking the cowardly route of stitching up innocent men just to cover your inability to bring the real culprits to book.

[soalbundy]

Cool down everybody,you are all behaving like Thai's,letting emotions run wild. This case is to big to stitch up anyone,it's being watched world wide,it would be too complicated and imagine the loss of face if it turns out that they had a scape goat. It would have been far easier to let the investigation run into the sand if they are trying to protect someone,ie. sorry folks no more leads but we will keep on looking, in 2 weeks it would have been forgotten. I am not naive, i know how corrupt the police or any government agency is in Thailand but in this case i think they are bound to get the truth whether they want to or not.

[Lite Beer]

Police Claim Burmese Migrant Confesses To Koh Tao Murders

By Khaosod Eng.

BANGKOK — Thai police claim that one of three detained Burmese migrant workers has confessed to murdering two British tourists on Koh Tao island several weeks ago.

According to Pol.Lt.Gen. Chaktip Chaijinda, deputy chief of Thai police, the Burmese worker told police he came across David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, while they were "having sex" on one of the island’s beaches.

The suspect then became "aroused" and decided to sexually assault Witheridge and murder her and Miller, Pol.Lt.Gen. Chaktip said.

It is not clear whether the two other Burmese men in police custody were involved in the murder.

The three men's DNA samples have been collected but the results are not yet available, Pol.Lt.Gen. Chaktip said. Police have collected hundreds of DNA samples from residents on the island in an effort to find a match with the DNA traces found on Witheridge's body.

The chief of the Thai police flew from Bangkok to Surat Thani province this evening and is expected to hold a formal police press conference on Koh Tao tomorrow.

Read More: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1412253063

-- Khaosod English 2014-10-02

[dondon950]

If the bike photo is of the 3 suspects of the incident beforehand.. does that mean they went home and changed.. as none of them have light colour shorts on which were worn by the 'running man' on CCTV. Although it could be something that CCTV can do.. depending on the light ? Or the CCTV may not be of any of the 3.

[Bkkbound]

This is true to form for the bib, it's a farce.

[crickets]

Just playing my guitar and see two people having sex.....yeah ill go kill and rape them.

[kriswillems]

The parents of Win and his children will be very proud, now they are out of financial worries for the rest of their lives.

[JenksB]

I cannot believe how many armchair detectives have worked so hard to disregard any "evidence" sic that the police may or may not gathered, I swear some people on TV would disbelieve their own name, OK the BiB are not known for their brilliance in deduction but the torrent of abuse from some of these posters is just beyond the pale, insulting the whole Thai Nation's IQ is just not acceptable IMHO, perhaps some people have an axe to grind but they really need to remember they are guests, albeit paying guests in the country which they have chosen to live in as expats so they should remember that they should show some respect for the nation, Not all police are corrupt & or stupid. I have no doubt that I will be vilified for these comments by those whose intelligence is as suspect as the ones they are insulting, there is an old adage that you don't insult the host. If you think that the country is so stupid and the police are universally corrupt why do you stay, is it to exploit those very people! Go back to being Hercule Poirot and solving crimes in your dreams and stop writing slanderous rubbish on TV.for example "this was a crime of anger and fury" was the commenter there to know this, Murder by its very nature is usually a crime of anger and fury but people who have made statements like this have absolutely no evidence to base this statement on, only from police statements and "news"paper reports so they seem to be second guessing the police, unless of course they were witnesses to the event, then they should give the police a statement to assist them in their inquiries, Speculation all of it, mostly second or third hand

You are perfectly entitled to express this point of view. Equally, I get irritated by always being called a 'guest', which appears to imply I should have no opinion, based on years of residency and experience.

It's drip feed corruption that, if you like, poisons the mind to some extent.

In all my years I have never heard a foreigner in the UK refer to himself/herself as a 'guest'. They, the foreigners, are always demonstrating about something or other, and good luck to them. They are entitled to an opinion.

Just because you don't like it doesn't make the fact go away I know you may not like to be called a guest but what do you consider yourself to be, you if you are on a visa are not a citizen, you are allowed to stay in Thailand as a Tourist, immigrant worker, Married to a Thai or retired, there are many other sub divisions of visa I know, but you are allowed to stay in Thailand by the grace of the Thai government, they can withdraw the visa at any time and deport you for many reasons like it on not semantics apart you are for most relevant purposes a guest in Thailand by the let of the Thai Government, it is not what you call yourself as a foreigner that matters, you are an alien in Thailand.Why are you on about what foreigners do in UK That has nothing to do with the insults on TV about the Thai Nation from people who according to their views are better educated than the "ignorant Thai people" I have no problem with people expressing a point of view, what I have a problem with is people who take advantage to live the lifestyle they want in Thailand which they can't do in their home country & then spend their sorry lives insulting any one who would dare disagree with the Jaundiced point of view the have developed possibly from over imbibing the local brew, how dare I disagree! I should be deported, except I have gone back home because of these Jaundiced views. I am married and have been for several years to a Thai and still don't understand Thainess but I don't insult her because of it, I have learned to embrace the differences not forment hatred because of them. As I said opinions are one thing Deliberate insults are something entirely different. please don't tell me as I no longer live in Thailand that I'm not entitled to a point of view as I still have family living in Bangkok.

[pasak]

Why don't they wait for the DNA results first, but rush to make a statement again.

So many times they have been proved wrong in the past.

Why should I believe them now?

No need, the deal has been made, to hell with DNA results, not needed they have confessed.

The deal is done. The Myanmar worker's families will be given a large sum of money. Well, large by Myanmar standards.

The real culprit successfully; found an alibi, found a witness, and then found a cheap scapegoat.

Exactly the same point I made earlier. Members are naive to feel sorry for these Burmese boys. They think

they are doing very nicely out of this: Families looked after in Burma, they will be shifted to a jail somewhere,

separated from other inmates and then released when all has quietened down, probably repatriated.

Every time the Thais plan anything they always plan it in the most self advantageous way, without any regard

to morality or consideration for anyone else.

So further along the line the Burmese families will not be rewarded with the monies promised. They will be

short changed and the monies that the headman has paid to get his sons off the hook will fall to a larger

extent into the hands of the police and government officials.

Dog eat dog.

[Dieselnoi]

I cannot believe how many armchair detectives have worked so hard to disregard any "evidence" sic that the police may or may not gathered, I swear some people on TV would disbelieve their own name, OK the BiB are not known for their brilliance in deduction but the torrent of abuse from some of these posters is just beyond the pale, insulting the whole Thai Nation's IQ is just not acceptable IMHO, perhaps some people have an axe to grind but they really need to remember they are guests, albeit paying guests in the country which they have chosen to live in as expats so they should remember that they should show some respect for the nation, Not all police are corrupt & or stupid. I have no doubt that I will be vilified for these comments by those whose intelligence is as suspect as the ones they are insulting, there is an old adage that you don't insult the host. If you think that the country is so stupid and the police are universally corrupt why do you stay, is it to exploit those very people! Go back to being Hercule Poirot and solving crimes in your dreams and stop writing slanderous rubbish on TV.for example "this was a crime of anger and fury" was the commenter there to know this, Murder by its very nature is usually a crime of anger and fury but people who have made statements like this have absolutely no evidence to base this statement on, only from police statements and "news"paper reports so they seem to be second guessing the police, unless of course they were witnesses to the event, then they should give the police a statement to assist them in their inquiries, Speculation all of it, mostly second or third hand

exactly what evidence this they ever collect? Testing the entire island for DNA. waiting for someone to "confess"?? Thai police did jack %%%%. oh wait, this guy smokes the same cigarettes? YES! we have our man!

Do you know it took the Australian police eight years to catch the abductor and murderer of a child? and that happens in a broad day light and in mainlain Australia heavy traffic. This case happened at night time in an Island involving foreigners. Do you expect the case to be solved within a week?

Hello again Dieselnoi,

What's with the anti-Australian sentiment?

Yes it did take a long time for police to find Daniel Morcombe's killer but mainland Australia is a little bit bigger than Koh Tao. I can also tell you that the forensic squad didn't allow local bar managers to walk all over the crime scene and the police didn't post photos of the scene on Facebook when they arrived.

Anyhow, I'll help you out. Here's a better example because it happened on an Australian island with just over 2000 inhabitants. Took four years to get a conviction and it's still controversial: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janelle_Patton

I am living in Australia so I am quite familiar with news in Australia- hence why I use them as examples. My point is, to solve cases like this is very difficult, I use Australia as an example because even in what we considered a first world country- it still takes a long time to finally resolve the case. The Thai police is under extreme pressure to solve the case immediately, people says now it's been too long etc.

It is difficult in Koh Tao because there are many traffic of people coming in and out, many from different countries. Alot of foreigners (Burmese) are even here illegally (not registered), even some Westerners are working there illegally. So ofcourse it will be difficult to trace the murderer.

[Tazwa]

If this does not scream "Frame!" and "Patsy", I don't know. Dunno how many bones they have broken in that guy to make him sign this crap, but this is B S !

If anyone here has seen the uncensored crime scene photos (I unfortunately did), he/she knows that this was a hate crime.

If a rape is the plan, a culprit would knock the guy out and the girl, but not destroy their skulls completely and beyond recognition (as with poor Hannah).

If rape is the intitial motive, a rapist would not bash the victim's head into a mush (nothing there reminded of a person anymore, letting alone a girl), unless he is into necrophelia.

Something went completely wrong there from day one onwards and it makes me wanna scream!!!

Bashing David's and Hannahs heads into a bloody pulp was an act of hatred; of revenge. Someone lost his face (Thais tend to do that, not Burmese) and felt the need to show the white people who is in charge on that island.

I feel so sorry for the victims and their families that words can hardly describe it. What a shame this whole case has become, what an insult to the words justice and to the human race itself...

Do you even know what a hate crime is? Here's a definition -

hate crime

noun

noun: hate crime; plural noun: hate crimes

a crime motivated by racial, sexual, or other prejudice, typically one involving violence

I have seen the photos uncencored. It does look very brutal, but there is no evidence at all that this is a hate crime. Homicide or sexual crime can be as brutal as this, just because she is brutally murdered doesn't make it a hate crime.

I don't understand why you guys are so upset that it is the Burmese and not 'the Thais' that are being convicted here. I have had business in Koh Tao and I must say there are probably more Burmese workers than Thais there- the murderes and be anyone. I don't see why nationality has anything to do with it.

For those who will be arguing that the authority picked the Burmese becase they want to save Thailand's face and blame on foreigners. May I ask you why they even mentioned an involvment from a Thai person in this case? There was a case of rape this week in Phuket, and the authority publicly announced the rapist was Thai, the same went for the Train rapist.

Earlier this year a 19 year-old Thai murdered 3 kids in a foreigner's house his GF was supposely baby sat for- the Thai authority suspected a Thai criminal since the begining, and arrested him.

I completely don't understand why you WANT the criminals to be Thais - let's assume they arrest 3 Thai men for this case- Will that still make you coming out and scream 'scape goat'?

There are no evidence for your claim that these guys are scape goat- if you are in court your claim will make a very very weak case. Yes, Thai authority have bad images, but they have also made coreect arrests regarding to rape cases as well.

oh also, if any of you is an Australian commenting on how bad the Thais are or bad the country is- may I say '<deleted> OFF WE'RE FULL'....

Dear Dieselnoi,

Perhaps it's better you wait until your period is finished before posting next time.

Anyway, with regards to the Russian woman who was raped in Phuket this week, the police investigators did a sterling job of finding the Thai culprit. Oh, hold on, that right - the Russian woman wasn't murdered like these two on Koh Tao! In this case the victim was a live witness who could clearly identify the perpetrator. Me thinks there's a bit of a difference.

Thai police would never use a scapegoat. Yeah right! They couldn't buy the taxi driver to be a witness so it looks like they've approached the next person on their list.

Oh also, I'm an Australian and too bad for you - Immigration told me to come back as often as I wish. Sorry!

Please show where did I say 'Thai police never use a scapegoat'. This is your poorly comprehended conclusion. Please read comprehensively before replying to a post.

Well it's just that you said there was no evidence for our claims that these Burmese were being used as scapegoats.

I'd argue the fact that the police tried to buy a witness the previous day makes pretty good evidence. It shows those at the frontline of the investigation are willing to fabricate evidence for an arrest - but that's just my opinion.

[bigjules007]

You see everyone, the police were right from day one. They said a Thai couldn't do something like this and it turns out they were right. Well done RTP, you have redeemed yourself for the fiasco you called a police investigation! I for one have full confidence in your abilities to solve crime in such a methodical and proffessional manner.............

And if you believe that you will also believe that these poor 3 Burmese Patsies are the murderers! I presume theyre families will be adequately compensated!

[fish fingers]

If her DNA was on the shared cigarette, and the semen matches the DNA on the cigarette also , how does his testimony work??

[Local Drunk]

Suspect is Win, a 22 year old Burmese worker at Safety Stop on Koh Tao. He had dyed his hair & was about to leave the island when caught.

Chaps please correct me but I read that one initially had dyed blonde hair

He proceeded to dye it black and left for Surat Thani

The blonde hair in Hannah's hand is being attributed to this fellow.

The picture I have seen of these three on a motorcycle from 10 30pm appears to show three men with black hair.

Also I have a question - the footage that we have all been watching today of the running man and the additional people that show briefly in the edges of the clip - why were these hidden if they were Burmese workers ?

And now that we know the results of their DNA testing and can this hold a press conference regarding their capture and guilt do we now get to see all the footage and the deceased toxicology reports ?

Or would these facts deter from the great work of the rtp in solving this crime ?

As believable as the stills from Mon's lawyer's time stamped photographs that prove with out a doubt that he was in Bkk at the time of the murders.

[AjarnMartin]

Win attests that he saw the victims having sex and yet in previous statements made by the Thai Royal Buffoons there was no DNA found from Miller??? This case gets odder and odder and should trigger international agencies to get involved on the basis of a complete lack of justice and the human rights of the unfortunate Myanmar scapegoats. :-(

[Silents]

Police Claim Burmese Migrant Confesses To Koh Tao Murders

By Khaosod Eng.

BANGKOK — Thai police claim that one of three detained Burmese migrant workers has confessed to murdering two British tourists on Koh Tao island several weeks ago.

According to Pol.Lt.Gen. Chaktip Chaijinda, deputy chief of Thai police, the Burmese worker told police he came across David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, while they were "having sex" on one of the island’s beaches.

The suspect then became "aroused" and decided to sexually assault Witheridge and murder her and Miller, Pol.Lt.Gen. Chaktip said.

It is not clear whether the two other Burmese men in police custody were involved in the murder.

The three men's DNA samples have been collected but the results are not yet available, Pol.Lt.Gen. Chaktip said. Police have collected hundreds of DNA samples from residents on the island in an effort to find a match with the DNA traces found on Witheridge's body.

The chief of the Thai police flew from Bangkok to Surat Thani province this evening and is expected to hold a formal police press conference on Koh Tao tomorrow.

Read More: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1412253063

-- Khaosod English 2014-10-02

If it's the guy in white, he do looks like the cctv man. I'm the first to say I was thinking wrong.

But how could it take 2 weeks to find this guy is a mystery.