Koh Tao: All three migrant workers confess to rape and murder of British tourists

[ChrisY1]

Have to admit, I am very sceptical about all this.......just seems to me, to be too simple.....hopefully I'm wrong and these guys are the felons.......we only have the word of the RTP

[brizzle]

With regard to all this everyone should ask themselves a basic fundamental question:- ''Do you trust the Royal Thai Police'' ?

I really don't think we need to run a poll to know the overwhelming answer to this simple question.

It's very sad but If convicted nobody will ever truly believe that these Burmese were responsible unless the DNA results are confirmed by a third party. Since the victims were British then it is the British that would logically make the ideal candidate for such a confirmation.

If reconfirmed then the Thai police would be able to go to sleep at night knowing they had finally done a good job in the worlds eyes. The doubters such as myself would have to eat humble pie....and for an excellent reason I would be more than pleased to do so.After recent form it would be quite a dramatic turn of events for them.

Only a fool or a Thai policeman would not take this opportunity now.

[BSJ]

Mmmm! Taken to a safe house to protect them from a crazed group of English tourists brandishing travel guide books and beach towels? What happened to interviewing the suspects at the POLICE STATION!

" Win stated that he was curious and grabbed a garden hoe and went to sneak a peek of the couple making out."

Yes, I am sure every pervert takes a hoe when perving on couples making love....NOT!

[lildragon]

What about the taxi driver that was beaten and intimidated by cops to give a confession, and the Burmese close To The crime scene were The first arrested were they not? How come the DNA evidence wasn't matched with them much, much sooner? And why the evidence planting of bloody clothes by police?

I'm not buying it. This was a crime of hate and anger. Ohh But The butler Did it. Baloney!

[daveAustin]

I believe this outcome will surely go some way to restoring people's faith in not only the RTP, but also in Thailand as a holiday destination.

Stay safe guys, use common sense and let's all stop with the silly conspiracy theories and get on with the healing process for all involved.

restoring faith in the RTP?

Are you and that so called UK ambassador to Thailand the same person? Just listen to yourself!

[Jeremy50]

At least Ambassador K#nt had his chance to heap praise on the excellent local police force, before he was driven back to the British Embassy, or what's left of it. Jobs for the boys.

[SteveFong]

tell the British Ambassador how you feel

I have, and will do so every day until they get their own DNA tests done

https://twitter.com/KentBKK

[smutcakes]

I thought there were two murder weapons?

Near a beach party people could hear 3 Burmese men playing a guitar and singing, and were able to assess it was neither Burmese or Thai....... What utter horseshit.

[aussieinthailand]

Only one way this can be fully cleared up, and that is if DNA collected and matched via independent lab testing, can anyone here say that DNA has been collected by the British from the victim? And what is with this guy Mark Kent British ambassador singing great praise for the BIB?

Why didn't this guy call them out when they said there is no mafia on Kho Tao, Something stinks and I'm not near a sea food market.

I guess it is possible they got the right guy's but that would be a very long bet in my book.

THE WORLD IS WATCHING, and not difficult to switch DNA to make a so-called match.

[elektrified]

"Win stated that he was curious and grabbed a garden hoe and went to sneak a peek of the couple making out."

Curious, so grabbed a garden hoe??

Could be lost in translation.

[ukrules]

I believe nothing

[ukrules]

tell the British Ambassador how you feel

I have, and will do so every day until they get their own DNA tests done

https://twitter.com/KentBKK

I would like to know if there was any evidence left after repatriation...

I'd like to know what kind of work permits these foreign workers were holding.

Were they staying on officially issued permits or the corrupt version issued by the local mafia / police consortium ?

[Wiggy]

Kent is obviously being told what to say from above. Apparently the British authorities care for justice about as much as this country. Sad times.

[culicine]

"taken to a safe house" and " Intensively interrogated".....

In other words, having the living shit beaten out of you until you break and sign an already written confession statement..

Any sign of the two suspects that initially denied being involved? If they had the shit beaten out of them I'm sure it would be evident....but probably the police have their ways of torture and to not leave signs.

If they really are guilty they need to be put to death. A few years in the slammer will show they have been framed.

Really want to see the DNA result, preferably from an independent lab.

[canuckamuck]

Of course the interrogation at the safe house was observed by the lawyers of the accused, was recorded on video and all rights and privileges were respected.

It's funny that the police don't have an interrogation room in their station. Maybe this is the first time they tried to solve a crime?

[elektrified]

It's funny that the police don't have an interrogation room in their station. Maybe this is the first time they tried to solve a crime?

I would imagine the Koh Tao Police Station to be quite primitive.

[webfact]

UPDATE:

Thai police say two confess to murder of British tourists

Bangkok, Thailand | AFP |

BANGKOK: -- Thai police on Friday said two men from Myanmar have admitted to killing a pair of British holidaymakers whose battered bodies were found on a resort island last month.

"Two Myanmar suspects have confessed to killing the pair," Thai National police chief Somyot Poompanmoung told AFP, adding their DNA matched traces found at the crime scene on Koh Tao island where David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, were found dead on September 15.

The two who have confessed were among three Myanmar nationals held since Thursday on suspicion of involvement in the crime, Somyot said.

"The third suspect said he left the crime scene before murder took place," Somyot, Thailand's top policeman said.

"DNA test results (from the two men) confirmed that same DNA was present that we found in body of the (female) victim," he said, without giving further details.

Police are waiting for a local court to issue a warrant so the men can be charged, he added.

The murders, on a normally tranquil island popular with divers, dented Thailand's image as a tourist haven.

Critics -- especially among the British media -- have accused Thai authorities of bungling the investigation in the near three weeks since the murders by chasing the wrong leads and failing to lock down the island in the hours following the killings.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2014-10-03

[ozsamurai]

There is no doubt that by now the police have had time to make the DNA match and it will be case closed.

Police officers then led the two to a safe-house where they were intensively interrogated.

Yeah I think they would have admitted to most anything after waterboading!!

Too simple, too clean, something is amiss.

If I was family I would be getting independent DNA sampling done and cross checked.

This is not the end of this for sure, let's make sure it is not.

Oz

[jacky54]

It's funny that the police don't have an interrogation room in their station. Maybe this is the first time they tried to solve a crime?

I would imagine the Koh Tao Police Station to be quite primitive.

No, i think it was the interrogation methods that would have been primitive

[culicine]

So where is the missing guitar?

[Sawan Chan 7]

Mrs Retsdon tells me that almost nobody Thai believes these Burmese are guilty either.

And who is she?

[lildragon]

Also wasn't Hannah's DNA on a shared cigarette butt with the killers DNA? (someone please correct me if that is wrong)

SO according to the 'confession' the killer grabbed the hoe and went off to smash and kill before inviting his buddies over. Did they interrupt the rampage to stop and share a smoke with the victims?

This could all be just sheer incompetence and these 3 are the real killers and I'll happily swallow humble pie, but I smell a stitch up.

[canuckamuck]

It's funny that the police don't have an interrogation room in their station. Maybe this is the first time they tried to solve a crime?

I would imagine the Koh Tao Police Station to be quite primitive.

Well I expect some swanky renovations in the near future. Business has been good.

[Anthony5]

After reading this and most of the other threads on this subject I have a very hard time to believe.............................that a single forum could host such a large amount of keyboard warriors unbelievers .

[Wiggy]

tell the British Ambassador how you feel

I have, and will do so every day until they get their own DNA tests done

https://twitter.com/KentBKK

Done. Others to follow.

[Mackie]

The case is almost finished. What else do you want? The suspects confessed that they killed David and Hannah, the DNA samples matched. Bear in mind that hose Burmese guys know that there is a high probability that they will be handed a death sentence. What's the point of admitting to something if you know that you might end up killed anyway? Having said that I'm all for the

independent DNA sampling carried out by the British forensic team as soon as it is practically possible.

[bristolgeoff]

better to have 3 to confess and then try and find out who may have done it.

[Sawan Chan 7]

As if the Britush governent are any better than the Thai one. One is corrupt and the other the other is a junta.

[gemini81]

Don't buy it. They decided long ago that is who they wanted to be the results of the outcome was Burmese. When you're interrogated maybe you'll confess to many things, along with the bribes certainly paid off. Wonder if the real results are the from those men. How would we ever know?

[lemonjelly]

Basically, the police have beaten confessions out of these guys, next stage.... the DNA will conveniently match (remember how the RTP didn't want FBI interference) and the case can be wrapped up in time for the coming tourist season. It stinks...really.