DNA Tests For British Murder Suspects on Koh Tao Negative

 

BANGKOK – Royal Thai Police adviser Jarumporn Suramanee has reported to the press that DNA of 12 people had been tested, including nine samples from Myanmar workers and one from Mr Ware.

The tests found none of the DNA matched that collected from semen found in the female victim’s body, he said.

However, the tests found that DNA from a cigarette near the scene matched the semen.

He said the stain found on the trousers was unlikely to be blood but a chemical substance.

It was not immediately clear tonight what the next move would be for the investigators or whether the Ware brothers would be allowed to return home.

More than 70 Thai police have been questioning migrant workers and tourists on the island, visiting hotels, bars, homes and businesses as they search for the killer.

According to the Bangkok Post a police officer who asked not to be named said as police investigators were trying to piece together the murders based on the evidence found and the findings from an initial inspection of the victims’ bodies they believed Miller was attacked from behind. The victim was also believed to have engaged in a struggle with his assailant.

Meanwhile, Pol Col Prachum Ruangthong, chief of Koh Phangan police station, said police were still looking at all possible scenarios for the murder, including a theory that the killing might have been committed by a man of Asian appearance captured on a security camera at the crime scene.

Pol Lt Gen Panya Mamen, chief of Provincial Police Region 8, said later Wednesday the Asian-looking man in question had already been detained and was being questioned. He did not elaborate on the man’s identity, however.

Pol Maj Gen Pornchai Suthirakhun, chief of the IFM, meanwhile, told reporters that forensic experts who performed post mortems on the bodies of the victims have confirmed that they had found semen inside Witheridge’s body.

The IFM was working to find out if the semen belonged to one or more men, he said.

The IFM would also next compare the DNA from semen with DNA samples of the people considered as suspects in this case, Pol Maj Gen Pornchai said.

Pol Lt Gen Panya said six migrant workers and several Thai nationals had already been questioned. In response to media reports that some British tourists associated with the two murdered Britons had already returned home in the UK, he said only three females who were friends of Witheridge had already left Thailand.

Foreign Affairs Minister Gen Tanasak Patimapragorn on Wednesday sent a message of condolence to UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond over the murder of two British tourists on Koh Tao island in Surat Thani province.

Gen Tanasak said the government had ordered a thorough investigation into the deaths of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller.

On behalf of the Thai government and the Thai people, “I would like to extend to you and, through you, our sincere condolences and sympathy to the bereaved families for their irreparable losses”, Gen Tanasak said.

He said the Foreign Ministry was working closely with the British Embassy in Bangkok and was ready to render assistance in any way regarding the case.

“I wish to reassure that the Royal Thai Government attaches highest priority to protecting the safety of foreign nationals residing and visiting Thailand,” Gen Tanasak said.