New evidence suggests that Elise Dallemagne had used a fake name in the days before her body was found in the Thai ‘Murder Island’ of Koh Tao.
Elise is one of seven tourists to have died under suspicious circumstances on the so-called ‘Murder Island’ within the last three years, most of which have been ruled as suicides. The 30-year-old Belgium backpacker was discovered partially devoured by lizards in a jungle close the Tanote Bay Family Resort.
Her death was originally attributed to suicide by hanging, however her family believe that she could have been murdered. Koh Tao police have reopened their investigation at the request of Elise’s mother, Michele van Egten, who is concerned that authorities have tried to pass off a rash of potential tourist murders as unconnected suicides.
Fresh information suggests that Elise may have been attempting to mask her identity in the days leading up to her death, going by the alias ‘Elise Dupuis’.
A check-in book from the Triple B Bungalows in Mae Hat bay, where Elise stayed shortly before she died, shows that the traveller initially wrote her full name, before scribbling out her surname Dallemagne, writing ‘Dupuis’ instead.
An unnamed worker informed police that Elise checked in at around 3pm on April 19, and asked for the cheapest bamboo hut possible. This would have cost her 400 baht (£9) for a night. Unusually, she refused to record her passport number in the log book, promising to provide this information at a later date. This was unfortunately never to be.
At 7pm that very same evening, an unexplained fire broke out in Elise’s hut, spreading to the three adjacent huts. In the commotion, Elise fled to Tanote Bay, taking up a room at the Poseidon Resort.
It was at this resort that she booked a flight to Bangkok, a flight that she was never to take. Her half-eaten remains were found by locals, concealed between rocks on May 27.
Hopefully, these new developments can help to shed some light on the tragic mystery of Elise’s final hours.
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.