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DEATH ISLAND STRIKES AGAIN

Koh Tao riddle as pretty backpacker is found hanged and eaten by LIZARDS in seventh tourist death in just three years

Police have claimed Elise Dallemagne committed suicide but her mother has revealed she does not believe their account

A young Belgium backpacker has become the SEVENTH tourist found dead in Thailand's Koh Tao in the last three years.

Elise Dallemagne, 30, was found in the jungle on April 28 having been half-eaten by lizards - with police claiming she had hanged herself.

 Elise Dallemagne from Belgium has become the latest tourist found dead in Thailand's Koh Tao
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Elise Dallemagne from Belgium has become the latest tourist found dead in Thailand's Koh TaoCredit: Viral Press
 The 30-year-old was found dead in the jungle on April 28 in Koh Tao having been half-eaten by lizards - with police claiming she had hanged herself
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The 30-year-old was found dead in the jungle on April 28 in Koh Tao having been half-eaten by lizards - with police claiming she had hanged herselfCredit: Viral Press
 Elise is the seventh tourist death in three years on the tiny island now dubbed by expats as "murder island"
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Elise is the seventh tourist death in three years on the tiny island now dubbed by expats as "murder island"Credit: Viral Press
 Her heartbroken mum, Michele (pictured here with Elise) has now revealed she does not believe the police account of events
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Her heartbroken mum, Michele (pictured here with Elise) has now revealed she does not believe the police account of eventsCredit: Viral Press

Elise’s devastated mother Michele van Egten has now revealed she does not believe the police account of events -  as Elise is the seventh tourist death in three years on the tiny island now dubbed as "murder island".

Michele said: "I do not believe what the police have told us. We fear somebody else was involved.

"We're more and more thinking that the police information is not the right explanation."

The devastated mum told Der Farang magazine that she has still not been delivered an autopsy report which she was promised.

An officer from Koh Tao police said there were no questions to answer regarding Elise's death.

The policeman, who would not elaborate, said: ''This news is so old already, it has been misunderstood. There is no more to say.''

Elise had been living at a yoga and tantra retreat on neighbouring full-moon party island Koh Phangan in between travelling around Asia for the last two years.

Phone records show that Elise, had a degree in medicine from the European Institute Of Medicine Natural in Brussels, called her mother on Skype on April 17 and was planning to return to Belgium.

She left on a Ferry April 19 - but it is not known why she alighted on Koh Tao instead of continuing on to the mainland.

 Locals living near the island’s idyllic Tanote Bay became suspicious of a monitor lizard going back and fourth into the jungle and which led them to Elsie's body
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Locals living near the island’s idyllic Tanote Bay became suspicious of a monitor lizard going back and fourth into the jungle and which led them to Elsie's bodyCredit: Getty Images
 Elise had been living at a yoga and tantra retreat on neighbouring full-moon party island Koh Phangan
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Elise had been living at a yoga and tantra retreat on neighbouring full-moon party island Koh PhanganCredit: Viral Press
 She had been in between travelling around Asia for the last two years
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She had been in between travelling around Asia for the last two yearsCredit: Viral Press

Michele has claimed her daughter used a fake name of ''Elise Dubuis'' to check into the Triple B Bungalows next to Mae Head Pier on Koh Tao as she travelled via the island on a ferry bound for Chumphon province on her route back to capital Bangkok.

An unexplained fire that evening burned down three bamboo huts - including the one Elise had been staying in.

Elise fled 2.5km to through the jungle to Tanote Bay and took a room at the Poseidon Resort where she booked another ticket for Bangkok leaving on April 24.

Eight days later when locals living near the island’s idyllic Tanote Bay became suspicious of a monitor lizard going back and fourth into the jungle they discovered Elise’s half-eaten body on May 27 among rocks behind the Tanote Family Bay Resort.

 Despite police saying Elise committed suicide - no suicide note or message were recovered and Michele is desperate for information surrounding the mysterious death
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Despite police saying Elise committed suicide - no suicide note or message were recovered and Michele is desperate for information surrounding the mysterious deathCredit: Viral Press
 Elise's mum is also still waiting for an autopsy report which she was promised
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Elise's mum is also still waiting for an autopsy report which she was promisedCredit: Viral Press

Police told Elise’s mother Michele that her daughter had committed suicide by hanging herself from a tree around three days before she was found.

However no suicide note or message were recovered and Michele is desperate for information surrounding the mysterious death.

Michele said she had never been shown pictures of her daughter hanging from the tree where police claim she was found - normal practice for officers and rescue workers to photograph the scene.

She is now working with a German investigator to trace locals who discovered Elise's corpse to confirm where she was hanging.

Michele is also looking for answers from the German cult guru Raaman Andreas, whom she claims left the island of Koh Phangan when she visited in May to retrace her daughters footsteps.

She added: ''We were told by police in Koh Tao that they have no jurisdiction on the neighbouring island Koh Phangan, so a lot of questions have not been investigated.''

Mysteriously, Elise’s bags appear to have actually been loaded onto the ferry she was due to take, and arrived at Chumphon province where she should have caught a bus to the capital.

An autopsy was performed in Surat Thani Hospital and later by the Institute of Forensic Medicine Police Hospital, Bangkok and Elise was cremated 14 days later.

Michele said: "Too many things show us that someone is involved. Police told us that Elise hanged herself up in the jungle. I cannot accept why my daughter should have killed herself.

"She was normal in the last conversation and no signs of depression were visible.

'"I don’t know why she would have booked a transfer to Bangkok and then went into the jungle to commit suicide.

"I am devastated by events. I am still waiting for the final autopsy report. We just want more information."

The death on Koh Tao is the latest in a number of high profile cases.

In March Russian tourist Valentina Novozhyonova, 23, vanished from her hostel on Koh Tao and has still not been found.

Bricklayer Luke Miller from the Isle of Wight was found dead in a swimming pool on January 8 with an inquest earlier this month found ''no evidence’’ he was murdered.

British holidaymaker Christina Annesley, 23,  died on the island in January 2015 after apparently mixing antibiotics she was taking for a chest infection with alcohol. But her parents slammed Thai authorities for failing to investigate the death.

Frenchman Dimitri Povse, 29, was found hanged in a bungalow on the island on New Year's Day 2015 and his death was ruled as suicide despite his hands being tied behind his back.

In the most high-profile case, Brits Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were murdered as they walked back to their hotel rooms in September 2014.

While on New Year's Day 2014, 25-year-old Nick Pearson, from Derby, was found floating in the sea and his parents believe he was murdered - despite police claims he fell 50ft and drowned.


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