Koh Tao murders: Nightclub raid, Asians suspected
Who killed Hannah Witheridge (14) and David Miller (23) on the night of Sunday September 24? Or: who killed, because the police suspect that more people were involved. She concludes this from DNA found on a cigarette butt. DNA from two people was found on it and that corresponds to sperm in the British.
On Thursday night, police attempted to reconstruct the events with a walk from the AC Bar, where the two victims had been, to the crime scene. She came across a square wooden stick, which could be the second murder weapon. Footprints were found in a nearby garden. From that garden comes the other murder weapon, a hoe.
The focus of the research has shifted to Asian foreign workers. Ten fishing vessels were anchored off the island at the time of the murder. Six have already sailed. The crew of all ships is known. The footwear of 25 migrants was compared yesterday with the prints in the garden.
Also yesterday, the police raided a nightclub. Drugs and chemicals have been seized, which will be compared to chemical residues found on a cigarette butt found near the crime scene.
The police have asked the American FBI to use its advanced DNA technology. It can distinguish between race and sex, which can help Thai detectives to search for a suspect in a more targeted way.
(Source: Bangkok Post, Sept. 20, 2014)
Photos: Tourist police hand out pamphlets to tourists leaving the island.
Earlier messages:
Koh Tao Murders: Investigation deadlocked
Koh Tao murder: Roommate victim questioned
British government warns: be careful when traveling in Thailand
Two tourists killed on Koh Tao
An investigation into a crime should take place behind closed doors, should not be under time pressure and should not include profiling of suspects by nationality unless there are clear indications to do so. This is piecing.
Once and also disagree.
An investigation into a crime is about finding the truth, but also about other interests such as those of the next of kin, the safety of current visitors, consumers and in some cases also the interest of the country where the crime is committed. A compromise must therefore be found between suspicions, evidence and private and public interests. It should be noted that in Thailand people certainly think differently about the interests of suspects than in many Western countries.
I think it is going too far to call the state of affairs a mess. What is shoddy work – in my opinion – is the investigation into the shooting down of MH17. There is not the slightest evidence that the Russians are responsible for this drama and the sanctions that have been imposed affect not only the Russians but also many people and entrepreneurs in the West. An explanation for the drama other than what has been proclaimed so far - without proof - becomes an embarrassment to the West and that other explanation (even if it is the truth) will therefore never come.
Moderator: please don't chat.
If this takes too long, someone will soon be conjured up from the hat who will also confess, I'm afraid. Not solving this case means a loss of face for everyone including the PM. The truth is then of secondary importance.
Prayuth reiterated this yesterday: 'I had no intention of offending anyone. I talked too fast because of the pressure. I just wanted to warn everyone to be careful because there are a lot of bad unregistered guest workers (migrants) hiding here'. Comment below 'Oh boy…..'
Prayuth once wrote a thesis calling guest workers a threat to "national security."
http://asiancorrespondent.com/author/siamvoices/
Usually the outcome is suicide. Nice and easy for the Thai police, case closed. It is a shame how they work here, 4 days later they find footprints and it is always striking that they are not Thai who are suspected.
For some I will now come across as underestimating, for others overestimating, but at first sight I think that the Thai police seem to be thoroughly investigating this murder case.
I believe that in previous criminal cases such a case was classified faster in the past, while now (obviously not as professionally as our Western standards) the search continues.
The fact that some here accuse the police of not looking for the perpetrators within their own population, I think is another typical sour reaction that we often encounter here in the West: the poor migrant is always blamed.
Or is it about people who don't realize that Thailand is still one of the most pleasant countries in the world to live in (least unpleasant may sound better)?!
Hopefully they will find these objectionable figures, we should certainly not worry about the execution of their sentence (they will have a different view on that in Thailand than we do in the West).
Dear people,
In addition to the above discussion:
I am the only journalist in Thailand to have covered all the worst murders of Britons in Thailand over the last 20 plus years and my heart sank again this week in that 'not again' feeling.
http://www.andrew-drummond.com/2014/09/ko-tao-murders-thailands-legacy.html