Man Confesses to Brutal Thai Murders: Cops

Police waiting on Burmese suspect's DNA test in case of slain Brit backpackers
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 2, 2014 8:54 AM CDT
Man Confesses to Brutal Thai Murders: Cops
A Burmese man has reportedly confessed to the murders of British tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller.   (KingSizeReport)

After a number of DNA dead ends in the investigation of the brutal murders of two British backpackers on the island of Koh Tao, Thai police think they finally have their man (or one of them). A Burmese man is in custody—though not yet formally arrested—and has reportedly confessed to the killings after he and two other migrant workers were detained for DNA tests, the Telegraph reports. Police earlier this week said that they suspected Hannah Witheridge, 23, had been raped and killed by two men while a third watched, the Bangkok Post reports; two different semen samples were said to be found on Witheridge's body. David Miller, 24, was also killed in the attack.

Thailand, which is worried the high-profile murders may hurt its tourism industry, is considering instituting curfews, buddy systems, and even tourist tracking devices as an extra level of security for visitors. The case reportedly put intense pressure on local officials to solve the crime, so much so that they're being accused of rushing to solve it by any means possible: The Telegraph mentions public backlash after police suggested Miller's friend may have killed the two, while a local taxi driver says police tried to bribe him to frame members of a Thai soccer team, reports the Phuket Gazette via Sky News. Police hoped to get DNA tests on the Burmese suspect back within 14 hours to determine whether charges will be filed. (More Burmese stories.)

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