Luke Miller’s family vow to get justice after he was found dead in Koh Tao

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Luke Miller’s family vow to get justice after he was found dead in Koh Tao

 

Luke Miller – 1/4/89 – 08/01/16

 

SAMUI: -- The Family of Luke Miller, who was found dead on Koh Tao in 2016, have vowed to get justice after an open conclusion was reached at the inquest into his death yesterday.

 

Luke Miller, a bricklayer, was found dead at the bottom of a swimming pool on Sairee Beach, he had spent the previous evening with friends.

 

The post mortem in Thailand revealed that he had suffered head injuries and drowned, however the UK Home Office examination described the cause of death as unascertained.

 

Koh Tao has gained a bad reputation for unexplained deaths in recent years. Luke’s death came only mothers after the grisly murders of British backpackers Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24 British Christina Annesley, 23, was also found dead on the island in 2015, another Brit, Nick Pearson died in mysterious circumstances in 2014, neither Christina’s family or that of Nick were satisfied with the police investigation.

 

Questions were asked over the death of Dimitri Povse on 2015, when he was found hanged with his hands tied behind his back. This year Russian Valentina Novozhyonova went missing, never to be seen again. The seemingly endless and often unexplained deaths have led to the island being dubbed ‘Death Island’.

 

Nicola and James Gissing, who were holidaying with Luke when he died made exhaustive efforts to get information from the Thai police. Mr Gissing and other friends of Mr Miller are convinced he was murdered. Luke’s family have been supported by the Island-based Lucie Blackman Trust in their quest for information.

Matt Searle, the chief executive of the trust which supports families of those missing or who have died abroad, was at the inquest with the family including Luke’s mum, Sara, and his stepfather Mike Cotton.

Mr Searle said after the inquest: “This case highlights the difference in the way cases are investigated in this country and in Thailand where the police are under-funded and often seemingly disinterested.

“I will continue to support the family efforts.”

 

Source: http://www.samuitimes.com/luke-millers-family-vow-get-justice-found-dead-koh-tao/

 

-- © Copyright Samui Times 2017-06-15

[ezzra]

Kho Tao motto, come here for holiday and we gladly take your money,

but don't you go die on us coz this is where we start not to care,

as it's bad for image and business....

[steven100]

Koh Tao island is death island,  everybody knows that now. It is mafia controlled and if you sstand on someone toes on the island there will be consequences. 

I would never go there, it is dangerous for tourists and the public so people must be made aware.

[shanesox]

A mafia Island that could match Sicily a century ago


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[tracker1]

There are no Mafia in Thailand ! now let us get back to the more important issues pelvic thrusts and skimpy shorts this affects a whole nation not just an island ! PM

[darksidedog]

Did anyone truly expect the Thais to admit he was murdered? Incompetent and uncaring investigation, with a verdict so predictable, I could have written it, without even needing to check any of the facts.,

[colinneil]

His family have vowed to get justice

That is something that will not happen, cannot smear the good image of the place..

[bristolgeoff]

another case where nothing will happen,decided already case closed

[Thechook]

Good luck with that

[clockman]

Justice is a distant bell, rarely heard in Thailand!

[Crash999]

Wasn't there CCTV footage on this one? 

 

 

[IamNoone88]

The best way to catch a rat is to set a trap.

[CarlBkk]

"Police seem disinterested" is an understatement. Loss of life doesn't seem to stir their emotions.

[mark01]

I lived there 20 years ago and it was mafia controlled then too.

I did feel my life was threatened over an minor incident and I left the Island fairly soon after that.

So, maybe there have been deaths and coverups for a long, long time, but just more reported now due to social media.

[darksidedog]

11 minutes ago, CarlBkk said:

"Police seem disinterested" is an understatement. Loss of life doesn't seem to stir their emotions.

Police are incompetent and paid more by the mafia than their salary. They would be more worried about the financial implications than the family of a farang. I am sure they are mighty relieved at this verdict. Be hard to convince the world that more Burmese were murderers, if they had to come up with suspects, had the verdict been different.

Edited June 15, 2017 by darksidedog

[Sooo Upto Me]

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

Kho Tao motto, come here for holiday and we gladly take your money,

but don't you go die on us coz this is where we start not to care,

as it's bad for image and business....

Yes But they do die, more than often murdered or in mysterious circumstances. It's about time this Death Island is wiped out of all the so called mafia lowlife racist scum. ??? 

Edited June 15, 2017 by Sooo Upto Me
Not finished

[Dukeleto]

What I can't quite understand is the complete idiots who still find it necessary to visit this island. There are so may others you could go to where the risk is far less. I guess it's the old mentality of "it won't happen to me". If tourists stop going this place its mafia will die. Stop the flow of cash and they'll end up turning on each other like rats left to starve in a barrel.

[hobz]

I dont think the mafia goes around killing tourists like this... Its bad for business. Makes no sense.

 

Instead I think there's a general hatred against foreigners among the locals. I havent been to Koh Tao but I've felt the hating eyes of the locals on Samui (and phuket, etc). Ofcourse not all locals hate foreigners. But a significant percentage. Maybe rightfully. 

On Koh Tao the locals seem to have realized that they get away with it because they know how extremely incompetent and reluctant the police are on the island.

 

To sum up: killed by hateful locals. Covered up by incompetent/reluctant police. Protip, the mafia IS the police.

 

[NextStationBangkok]

Fall in line with other victims, until they found a scapegoat.

[yellowboat]

2 hours ago, bristolgeoff said:

another case where nothing will happen,decided already case closed

Sad but true.  The brick layer seems to have had a beautiful woman in his life.  Such a tragedy for somebody so young.    Hope his loved ones find a way to cope. 

 

If you want to disappear or fake a disappearance, Koh Tao is the place to go.   Can't believe people still go there.

[prakhonchai nick]

The only way one will get justice in Thailand is to take care of matters oneself.

Edited June 15, 2017 by prakhonchai nick

[hobz]

If i was a (keyboard) detective....

Start by tracing his steps that day.. Get cctv, specially from bars he might have visited. Look for evidence of altercations with any type of doormen, security guards, bartenders, shop owners. Any bar that seems to have deleted cctv i would suspect anyone working there.

 

Anyway.. Way too late for that...

[JustNo]

2 hours ago, shanesox said:

A mafia Island that could match Sicily a century ago


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lol woah there, that is a bit of an overstatement to say the least. Do you know how ruthless and wide spread the bloody murder and violence was in Sicily? It probably is still worse today than on Koh Tao, that's not to say that Koh Tao is tame because it's not. 

[wirat69]

3 hours ago, steven100 said:

Koh Tao island is death island,  everybody knows that now. It is mafia controlled and if you sstand on someone toes on the island there will be consequences. 

Maybe it should be renamed "Kow Tow"???!!!

[bander]

Didn't the RTP find any Burmese migrant scrap goats this time? I bet Burmese avoid Kho Tao after the last "investigation".

[goldenbrwn1]

I remember I went to Kho Tao in 2005, this was my first trip to Thailand. Having been to a few places in Thailand and received the warm friendly Thai smile and the feeling of this place being paradise blah blah blah.  On Kho Tao it was different, I had this eerie feeling of danger. Even the way I was looked at on occasion. When waiting to disembark the boat with a que of mailnly trustafarians and some families there was a pick up truck basically nudging people out the way to get through, some people were angry and made their feelings heard, then some Thai men jumped out and threatened a women and her husband with kids overly aggressively . This was quite shocking, my brand new thick lensed rose tinted glasses were shattered, I've never been back and never will go back to Kho Tao and going by the news over the years it seems this was an astute choice.

 

Edited June 15, 2017 by goldenbrwn1

[KC 71]

lol woah there, that is a bit of an overstatement to say the least. Do you know how ruthless and wide spread the bloody murder and violence was in Sicily? It probably is still worse today than on Koh Tao, that's not to say that Koh Tao is tame because it's not. 

Especially in the 80's !

[yooyoo]

3 hours ago, steven100 said:

Koh Tao island is death island,  everybody knows that now. It is mafia controlled and if you sstand on someone toes on the island there will be consequences. 

I would never go there, it is dangerous for tourists and the public so people must be made aware.

Don't go to Koh Tao!!!

[bander]

2 minutes ago, goldenbrwn1 said:

I remember I went to Kho Tao in 2005, this was my first trip to Thailand. Having been to a few places in Thailand and received the warm friendly Thai smile and the feeling of this place being paradise blah blah blah.  On Kho Tao it was different, I had this eerie feeling of danger. Even the way I was looked at on occasion. Waiting to disembark the boat with a que of mailnly trustafarians and some families there was a pick up truck basically nudging people out the way to get through, some people were angry and made their feelings heard, then some Thai men jumped out and threatened a women and her husband with kids. This was quite shocking, my brand new thick lensed rose tinted glasses were shattered, I've never been back and never will go back to Kho Tao and going by the news over the years it seems that was an astute choice.

 

The Thai's on Kho Tao get all the income from tourists, yet they are unfriendly and rude. I felt uncomfortable and  never went back there.

[soalbundy]

Justice ? they do realize that he died in Thailand, this isn't Europe.