Murder In Paradise | Forsaken #10

Also known as the Koh Tao murders involved the death of two British tourists in Thailand in 2014. On 15 September, the bodies of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found on Sairee Beach on the island of Koh Tao, between 4 and 5 am, a few hours after their deaths. Both victims had been hit several times on the head; Witheridge had been raped, and Miller had been drowned.

Two weeks later, two illegal Burmese migrant workers were blamed for the deaths, primarily on the basis of DNA evidence, and confessed following an hours-long interrogation. The suspects were initially denied access to legal counsel, and alleged that police used torture and threats to secure a confession. Pathologists and legal experts criticised the police for mishandling the evidence, allowing contamination of the crime scene and failing to use experts to collect forensic evidence. The police investigation and criminal trial were widely criticised by international media, human rights organisations, and legal experts. In December 2015, the pair were convicted of the murder and sentenced to death. Attempts to appeal the sentence failed, but a royal decree was issued by King Vajiralongkorn in 2020 commuting the death sentences to life imprisonment.

The government of Thailand was concerned the murders might affect tourism to the island, with arrivals dropping in the months following the murders. However, the event did not materially affect tourism to the island over the following years.