Police clarify Koh Tao victim's cellphone 'planting'

[webfact]

Police Clarify Koh Tao Victim's Cellphone 'Planting'
By Khaosod English


Photos passed around on social media of Witheridge with her phone prior to the murder, and Witheridge’s friends giving the same phone to police the next day.

BANGKOK — Thai police have dismissed the accusation that they planted evidence on the Burmese men accused of murdering two British backpackers in southern Thailand three weeks ago.

Commentators on social media accused the police of falsely implicating the two Burmese workers, named Saw and Win, as "scapegoats" in the killing of David Miller and Hannah Witheridge on Koh Tao island on 15 September.

Last week, Thai police chief Somyot Pumphanmuang said officers found Witheridge’s phone during a raid of one of the suspect’s homes. However, internet skeptics started passing around a photo of Witheridge with her phone prior to the murder, and another one of Witheridge’s friends giving the same phone to police.

Pol.Col. Prachum Ruengthong, a top officer in charge of Koh Tao, explained yesterday that there was a misunderstanding.

According to Pol.Col. Prachum, the phone uncovered by police at the suspect's residence belonged to Miller, not Witheridge.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1412601958&typecate=06&section=

-- Khaosod English 2014-10-07

[Thai at Heart]

Move along please, nothing to see here.

[Metapod]

But they specifically said it was Hannah's phone previously.....

[Somtamnication]

Phonegate, Thai style!

[EricBerg]

And anyone suggesting the RTP did anything wrong will be thrown in prison and prosecuted in a court of law. Justice will be served.

[Thai at Heart]

But they specifically said it was Hannah's phone previously.....

Shhhhh. Move along please. Nothing to see here.

[lausie]

That clears that up then

[assayer]

BANGKOK — Thai police have dismissed the accusation that they planted evidence on the Burmese men accused of murdering two British backpackers in southern Thailand three weeks ago.

Commentators on social media accused the police of falsely implicating the two Burmese workers, named Saw and Win, as "scapegoats" in the killing of David Miller and Hannah Witheridge on Koh Tao island on 15 September.

Last week, Thai police chief Somyot Pumphanmuang said officers found Witheridge’s phone during a raid of one of the suspect’s homes. However, internet skeptics started passing around a photo of Witheridge with her phone prior to the murder, and another one of Witheridge’s friends giving the same phone to police.

Pol.Col. Prachum Ruengthong, a top officer in charge of Koh Tao, explained yesterday that there was a misunderstanding.

According to Pol.Col. Prachum, the phone uncovered by police at the suspect's residence belonged to Miller, not Witheridge.

BUT, What happened to the phone found with the body????

[greenchair]

Forget about the phone. It's all the other stuff.

Mostly, how did they do it? By themselves.

Why does the hoe not have David dna?

[englishoak]

Forget about the phone. It's all the other stuff.

Mostly, how did they do it? By themselves.

Why does the hoe not have David dna?

It would suggest another weapon was used on David, which in turn would suggest 2 weapons possibly = 2 murderers

[daveAustin]

Third world.

[Japhrodisiac]

The police posted on social media that anyone circulating alternative theories against the police's official story would be prosecuted

[smedly]

The Thai police have to realise there is a general mistrust especially concerning this case, there is no doubt about that and the police must realise that that is simply the way it is

The easiest way to regain confidence is to have the DNA tested by an independent agency, their flat out refusal to do so only fuels the growing doubt

Get it done and ultimately prove to the world that everything is above board then there will be no more speculation - simple

end of

[mrtoad]

I believe them, they already stated that if we don't, and question it, then we could be charged.

Nothing to see here.

[JohnThailandJohn]

Does logical and provable explanations mean anything to the conspiracy nuts? This is what it all started with a phone that police not only allowed the press to take pictures of in the first day of the investigations and stated they had but one they passed off to the family weeks ago and witnessed by UK Embassy people. Yea, it makes the conspiracy goes all the way to the UK where they stole the phone back and planted it at the suspects location last week and just forgot the press and UK authorities and parents knew they returned her phone.

Well this is what started all the conspiracy talk on Facebook. So, it clearly will be hard to drop for some but others will talk about missing video that makes no sense either. The police release video of a suspect go and coming from around the crime scene in hopes of getting the suspect identified but now they claim their is missing video and they want to know who is in those frames. Yet there is not 2-minutes missing there is many many many hours missing. The police release what they wanted to achieve what the wanted from the public and that is identifying the one person in the video coming and going.

All this because folks wanted it to be a rich Thai and because they mistrust the police. Wake up folks, even a liar sometimes tells the truth and the case they are turning over to the courts for their lawyers to defend looks pretty open and shut. Witnesses (including their friends), video, physical evidence at their place, confessions and DNA. And this is just what has come out as none of us has seen police reports or autopsy reports ... but lets no let the Facebook forensic team tell us the cause of death, murder weapon and sequence of blows and if the person was left or right handed and if the injuries were before or after death by using low res images they don't know the exact timing of when they were taken or what may have changed such as blood being wiped away inadvertently or on purpose. How stupid they even do autopsies or go out to crime scenes when a simple photo can tell a laymen so much.

We will all surely hear if they tell their lawyers they are innocent and were forced to confess and reenact the crime ... as well, lawyers will certainly retest their DNA if they have any doubt.

But why talk logic with folks who simply want to believe things like Elvis is still alive ... well actually that has more probability.

Edited October 7, 2014 by JohnThailandJohn

[Katipo]

What is exactly is the 'misunderstanding' here? First they it's one person, then when caught out, they say it's the other's. The police were either wrong , or they lied. There is no misunderstanding.

[intune53]

Ah John,

So good to hear from you again.

Just one thing-it did not start with the phone issue.That was just one on a list of inconsistencies that many were already confused about and concerned by.

Oooh look, here's one big glaring one right now:-

Here is today's interview of a policeman and a police pathologist by Sorayud on Channel 3 where a police pathologist definitively confirms the presence of an as yet unidentified third suspect's DNA on Hannah's body.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ_1WfVs7RY

"The pathologist said that DNA of B and a third person C was found on Hannah's nipples. The third person was not David. The policeman didn't explain who the police thought C was or how he came to deposit his DNA on Hannah's nipples."

(info originally shared by Dogmatix on #265 on http://www.thaivisa....spects/page-11)

All guilty should be found and brought to justice. The two should not take all the fall for an absent third . Noone who values justice can disagree with that, not even you I imagine.

Edited October 7, 2014 by intune53

[lildragon]

Seems to be a case of the boy who cried wolf for the RTP. They could actually have the killers (there's too many inconsistencies for me to believe that at the moment, but I digress...) and not many believe them for such a long history of corruption and incompetence.

If the DNA evidence is verified by an impartial 3rd party then I'll believe it. It won't happen though and doubt will forever remain.

[thesetat2013]

Last week, Thai police chief Somyot Pumphanmuang said officers found Witheridge’s phone during a raid of one of the suspect’s homes. However, internet skeptics started passing around a photo of Witheridge with her phone prior to the murder, and another one of Witheridge’s friends giving the same phone to police.

This explains everything...

Witheridge’s friend only said it was Witheridge’s phone when she gave it to the police and was lying at the time. (can't trust a farang to be honest) and both of the deceased had the same kind of phone and case.

WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT?

Forgive us stupid farang! Now we see the error of our thinking.....

[seahorse]

Police also found a pair of Mr Ware's blood-stained pants in Miller's luggage and an Apple iPhone with long blonde hairs snagged on it.

BP 17th September.

[nontabury]

Does logical and provable explanations mean anything to the conspiracy nuts? This is what it all started with a phone that police not only allowed the press to take pictures of in the first day of the investigations and stated they had but one they passed off to the family weeks ago and witnessed by UK Embassy people. Yea, it makes the conspiracy goes all the way to the UK where they stole the phone back and planted it at the suspects location last week and just forgot the press and UK authorities and parents knew they returned her phone.

Well this is what started all the conspiracy talk on Facebook. So, it clearly will be hard to drop for some but others will talk about missing video that makes no sense either. The police release video of a suspect go and coming from around the crime scene in hopes of getting the suspect identified but now they claim their is missing video and they want to know who is in those frames. Yet there is not 2-minutes missing there is many many many hours missing. The police release what they wanted to achieve what the wanted from the public and that is identifying the one person in the video coming and going.

All this because folks wanted it to be a rich Thai and because they mistrust the police. Wake up folks, even a liar sometimes tells the truth and the case they are turning over to the courts for their lawyers to defend looks pretty open and shut. Witnesses (including their friends), video, physical evidence at their place, confessions and DNA. And this is just what has come out as none of us has seen police reports or autopsy reports ... but lets no let the Facebook forensic team tell us the cause of death, murder weapon and sequence of blows and if the person was left or right handed and if the injuries were before or after death by using low res images they don't know the exact timing of when they were taken or what may have changed such as blood being wiped away inadvertently or on purpose. How stupid they even do autopsies or go out to crime scenes when a simple photo can tell a laymen so much.

We will all surely hear if they tell their lawyers they are innocent and were forced to confess and reenact the crime ... as well, lawyers will certainly retest their DNA if they have any doubt.

But why talk logic with folks who simply want to believe things like Elvis is still alive ... well actually that has more probability.

What you say is quite reasonable, however you must understand that most of these people who rightly or wrongly suspect a conspiracy by the Thai police, are basing their mistrust on their knowledge of what they know the Thai police are capable of.

[Toscano]

Forget about the phone. It's all the other stuff.

Mostly, how did they do it? By themselves.

Why does the hoe not have David dna?

Because he wasn't bludgeoned with hoe , only the girl was killed with the hoe .

[GuyL]

I'd rather hear them 'clarifying' their attempt to buy a false testimony. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/765074-police-promised-cash-reward-to-buy-false-testimony-koh-tao-taxi-driver/

[BSJ]

" Pol.Col. Prachum Ruengthong, a top officer in charge of Koh Tao, explained yesterday that there was a misunderstanding." Of course there was.....there are a lot of miunderstandings!

[jamhar]

DNA is the primary link.

The rest is just "news"

[KhaoNiaw]

I'd rather hear them 'clarifying' their attempt to buy a false testimony. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/765074-police-promised-cash-reward-to-buy-false-testimony-koh-tao-taxi-driver/

Do you actually believe that story? I reckon Drummond is closer to the mark on that one - it gave an island big shot a chance to come out and tell the police to stop harassing innocent local people ...

[GuyL]

I'd rather hear them 'clarifying' their attempt to buy a false testimony. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/765074-police-promised-cash-reward-to-buy-false-testimony-koh-tao-taxi-driver/

Do you actually believe that story? I reckon Drummond is closer to the mark on that one - it gave an island big shot a chance to come out and tell the police to stop harassing innocent local people ...

I don't know whether or not this story is true, but knowing how Thai authorities are quick to invoke defamation laws, I am still surprised that no 'clarification' (as far as I know) has been made so far on this point.

[taony]

Police also found a pair of Mr Ware's blood-stained pants in Miller's luggage and an Apple iPhone with long blonde hairs snagged on it.

BP 17th September.

What turned out to be the story with those shorts, or did it just fade into oblivion? From what I remember the theory was they were trying to pin it on David's friend but put the evidence in David's bag instead?

[Emster23]

Seems that phone has a "party line" (for those of you old enough to recall such arrangements)

[hansgruber]

I haven't seen anything about Miller's clothing. He was found naked. What about his clothes? Were they ever recovered?

Sent from my LG-D858