Koh Tao murders: Lawyer expresses doubts over new DNA test offer

[stevepompey]

• Evidence is gathered at a the crime scene. Also the island should have been shut down.
• 2 basic things would have helped considerably in this case
• basic policing and no interference from head village man or the local cat.

[hobz]

There's photos from the beach pointing towards AC BAR showing that AC BAR has CCTV camera pointing towards the beach... The killers must have been caught there.... But I remember police saying that they can only view CCTV from AC BAR etc if they willingly give it up.... Why would AC BAR not willingly give up their CCTV footage that points towards the beach?? Only makes sense if they are hiding a crime...

[Boatman]

People here at TV are assuming the suspect's DNA must match DNA inside Hanna. Perhaps it is DNA from cigarette but or murder weapon?

[snowgard]

So now even Thai lawyers doubt the integrity of the Thai police!!

Welcome to the club!!

They always have!

I believe more that the lawyer is worry that a new dna test Show again that they done it.

As a lawyer him must do the best for his Clients. Innocent or not!!!

If the RTP already have their samples, how could a second test show, they are more guilty??

The truth is, that the police have screwed up this case so badly, so sooner or later they have to let the two Myanmar guys free. Guilty or not!!

And that is the really sad thing, because that will mean no closure for the families of the victims!!

A good lawyer maybe can state that the first test was illegal about torture. So it is better to refuse the second test.

[timewilltell]

You can test them a million times if you want, but unless the reference sample has come from Miss Witheridge, you may as well not bother.

I agree, however the prosecution is saying a cigarette butt that one of the victims used was also smoked by the defendants.

In films, it goes a bit like this:

"Don't worry, we only want to find the right killer, we don't want to hurt you. Really can you think of any information that could help us? Come on, let's be friends - here, would you like some of this cigarette? Maybe it will help you calm down"

Slightly more subtle than, for example, forcible masturbation of a suspect as alleged here, http://www.chiangmaicitynews.com/news.php?id=751

I suppose you can have forcible masturbation but I think it extended to sexual assault with an intent to extract DNA from the resulting semen to plant in the victim and make a case. Quite simple really. That is why DNA needs further evidence to support it - the fact that samples can be tampered with at multiple points and especially in Thailand where there is little faith in the processes and morality of the police force in general by anyone - native or foreign.

[Dogmatix]

You can test them a million times if you want, but unless the reference sample has come from Miss Witheridge, you may as well not bother.

I agree, however the prosecution is saying a cigarette butt that one of the victims used was also smoked by the defendants.

In films, it goes a bit like this:

"Don't worry, we only want to find the right killer, we don't want to hurt you. Really can you think of any information that could help us? Come on, let's be friends - here, would you like some of this cigarette? Maybe it will help you calm down"

Slightly more subtle than, for example, forcible masturbation of a suspect as alleged here, http://www.chiangmaicitynews.com/news.php?id=751

I suppose you can have forcible masturbation but I think it extended to sexual assault with an intent to extract DNA from the resulting semen to plant in the victim and make a case. Quite simple really. That is why DNA needs further evidence to support it - the fact that samples can be tampered with at multiple points and especially in Thailand where there is little faith in the processes and morality of the police force in general by anyone - native or foreign.

This was alleged to have happened when the CM police tried to fit up a Karen hill tribesman for the murder of Kirsty Jones. He claimed they ordered him to masturbate to provide a semen sample and tried to do the job themselves when he declined. There was also a story about police paying a lady boy to provide a random sample that would never match anyone without telling him what they wanted it for. I am not sure if the Thai hospitals would even know whether the DNA samples they were matching against came from semen or another source. It might be possible to use the same sample on both sides of the equation.

[hobz]

People here at TV are assuming the suspect's DNA must match DNA inside Hanna. Perhaps it is DNA from cigarette but or murder weapon?

Interesting thoughts..

IF dna matches a cigarette near the crime scene but not semen inside the victims.. then it means there was more people involved,, right?

[jaidam]

I suppose you can have forcible masturbation but I think it extended to sexual assault with an intent to extract DNA from the resulting semen to plant in the victim and make a case. Quite simple really. That is why DNA needs further evidence to support it - the fact that samples can be tampered with at multiple points and especially in Thailand where there is little faith in the processes and morality of the police force in general by anyone - native or foreign.

This was alleged to have happened when the CM police tried to fit up a Karen hill tribesman for the murder of Kirsty Jones. He claimed they ordered him to masturbate to provide a semen sample and tried to do the job themselves when he declined. There was also a story about police paying a lady boy to provide a random sample that would never match anyone without telling him what they wanted it for. I am not sure if the Thai hospitals would even know whether the DNA samples they were matching against came from semen or another source. It might be possible to use the same sample on both sides of the equation.

This history of "sperm harvesting" to wreck an honest investigation and frame a scapegoat is of critical importance in this case.

Had the bent coppers that tried to jerk off the scapegoat been punished for their crime, it is likely that the practice would come to an end. That no bent copper was punished makes it almost certain that this MO has become standard operating procedure. The only hope of reliable DNA of the perps lies with the UK authorities.

Rather than praise and strengthen their iron grip on the peoples, it is time to disband the organized crime syndicate known as the RTP. Starting with Mr. Poompanmuang.