'It's not lost': Thai police insist they still have crucial DNA evidence in tourist murder trial
Thai police criticised over 'lost' evidence in case of two UK tourists killed on resort island
After three days of testimony in the murder trial of two Burmese migrants accused of killing two young British tourists on a Thai resort island, confusion remains over key evidence.
Accounts by Thai media and spectators at the trial said the court on the southern island of Koh Samui on Friday ordered forensic retesting of several items found at the crime scene, including a shovel that is alleged to be the murder weapon.
However, the court failed to clarify what if anything should be done about DNA evidence obtained from the bodies and elsewhere that the defence has said is crucial to its case.
The trial has drawn global attention both for the gruesome murders on the quiet, scenic island of Koh Tao last September and for an investigation that raised questions about police and judicial competency in Thailand.
Initial press reports said the DNA evidence had been lost, but police have said that was a misunderstanding. They have reportedly told defence lawyers that at least in some cases, the samples were used up by the initial testing. But no clear official explanation has been issued.