The Koh Tao Murder Mystery | 2014 |2/2

In September of 2014, the bodies of two young British tourists, Hannah Witheridge and David Miller, were discovered on the shores of Sairee Beach in Koh Tao, Thailand. At that point, Koh Tao was mostly known to the outside world as a destination island for divers, with plenty of dive schools and bars lining the beachfront. This incident however, threatened to tarnish the island's reputation, and so officials were scrambling to ensure the safety of the tourists on the island, as well as to catch the culprit responsible for the heinous crime.

 

But this is where the investigation turns tricky. There was no CCTV footage near the crime scene; and most of Koh Tao's residents were illegal immigrants with no proper documentation. And yet, in a few weeks following the discovery of the murders, the police were proud to announce that the culprits had been caught, and that they had confessed. 

 

The only issue though, was that no one in the country believed them.

 

Part 1: We look into the island's socio-political background, so as to better understand the complicated nature of investigations inherent in this case.

 

Part 2: We follow the fallout and controversy following the alleged killers' withdrawal of their initial confessions; and the legal system that fought to keep them guilty.

 

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