Thai police name two in beach murder hunt

An autopsy revealed both slain tourists had been hit by a hard object, according to Maj. Gen. Pornchai Suteerakhun, the head of the Police Hospital's Institute of Forensic Medicine, CNN reports. David Miller, 24, was hit and had scratches on his back, in addition to having water in his lungs consistent with drowning, an autopsy showed. The other victim, 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge, was hit several times on her head and face and her body had evidence of sexual intercourse, according to her autopsy. Pornchai didn't confirm or deny that authorities believe Witheridge was raped. The Suranthani provincial police chief, Kiatthipong Khaosumarng, said that two sets of DNA have been found on Witheridge's body, indicating at least two culprits in her death. Neither set matches that of Miller, the chief said. No one has been arrested yet in the deaths, nor has anyone been officially named a suspect. However, Kiatthipong told reporters Wednesday that two British citizens are under watch in the case and have been asked not to travel. They are Christopher Ware, Miller's roommate, and, James Ware, Christopher's brother, Kiatthipong said. "The matching process is ongoing" to determine if Christopher Ware's DNA matches one of the sets found on Witheridge, Kiatthipong said. Police interviewed Chistopher Ware on the small southern island of Koh Tao where the victims were found a beach Monday, then again in Bangkok. Kiatthipong added that "we are going to collect ... DNA from James" as well, to conduct a similar test. t's not clear how the focus on the Ware brothers affects, if at all, what Thai authorities had previously said about the murder investigation. Police said they had ruled out robbery as a motive. Miller and Witheridge were last seen with friends at a bar in the early hours of Monday before leaving together, according to Kiatthipong. Police have released a grainy image from video outside that bar, adding that they wanted to a person -- who they described as an Asian man -- seen in it. The victims were discovered partially undressed with severe injuries to their heads, and a hoe with blood on it was found near the bodies, police said. The deaths have shaken residents on the idyllic island of Koh Tao, which takes up only 21 square kilometers (8 square miles) amid bright blue waters in the Gulf of Thailand. Authorities said it was the first homicide case on the island -- known for its diving locations, white-sand beaches and vibrant nightlife -- in at least eight years. The confusion and heartache there, though, pales compared to that felt now half a world away in Briton, where two families are coming to grips with their loved ones' deaths. In a statement issued by the British Embassy in Bangkok, Witheridge's family said she was "a beautiful, intelligent, loving young woman who poured joy into the lives of all who knew her" and they were "utterly devastated and shocked by what has happened." Miller's family described David Miller as "an artist by temperament, so talented. "He had a creative eye that he carried with him through life and in his degree. He was hard-working, bright and conscientious, with everything to look forward to."