Actor David Carradine Dead in Bangkok

[Carib]

I have just found this picture in the Thai Rath: see for your self at http://www.thairath.co.th/today/2009/06/06 . The image is partially pixeled out and small.

1) If this is indeed a genuine photo, well then shame on the usual sensitivity of the Thai press to publish such a photo anyway. The Thai press like the Thai Rath rag ..yes it is indeed a rag, often have no concern for family members; Thai or Farang.

2) As pointing to the above quote: Even a bigger shame on the Thai press if it is a fake. If so, I hope some family member out there sues their ass off/ the Thai authorities suspend their licience for their business; the latter, I'm just dreaming LOL.

RIP DC whatever happened.

dam_n, sorry for this second post, but the Thai Rath is shameful, yes bloody shameful ! Anything for a sensationalist buck eh.

I blew this photo up in ACD as best as I could to try and analyse it.

1) Look closely, this man has clothes on (was he not found naked?), possibly Jeans. The Thai Rath has tried hard to pixel this out but not enough.

2) Man appears to have brown to black slighly curly hair.

3) Is that a bloody towel on the bed with a blood trail on the bed? (no mention of this in any reports)

4) The closet/wardrobe is made of chipboard covered with white melamine/formica with black (presumably plastic) round finger hole slider. The bottom shelf that the man is sitting on is the type that slides into position, hence the angle it is now at with the man's weight. This is basic and cheap chipboard furniture (as we used to know it in England AKA MFI). Surely the class of hotel that it is would be fitted out with better?

The Swissotel could easily confirm or deny that this is indeed their room 352.

Me, I'm sending this to the Bangkok Post ...let's see if they publish it. Thai Visa, Inform Thai Rath that they are possibly breaking the law/ tell the police to bust em.

Shame on you Thai Rath.

What a ridiculous post

[Carib]

Michael Hutchins the lead singer of INXS died in a very similar way a few years back. He was found hanging in a Sydney hotel room also with his hands tied and cord attached to his genitals. The inquest found it to be a sexual suicide.

True, and fat Elvis died on the toilet, drugged too, well nobody seems to remember that now either. The more fuzz is made about this, the more it will be known.

[zorro1]

Michael Hutchins the lead singer of INXS died in a very similar way a few years back. He was found hanging in a Sydney hotel room also with his hands tied and cord attached to his genitals. The inquest found it to be a sexual suicide.

serious demons with some superstars. Both could probably have what they want for free particularly Mike from INXS. And its not like David couldn't afford a few little ladies to play with. What is it with these guys??

[huggybear]

Michael Hutchins the lead singer of INXS died in a very similar way a few years back. He was found hanging in a Sydney hotel room also with his hands tied and cord attached to his genitals. The inquest found it to be a sexual suicide.

wouldn't this be a good way to kill somebody and not have anyone in the family want to investigate too much because of the embarrassing nature?

I still find it hard to believe that Carradine would willingly stuff himself in a closet, cord around his neck..blah, blah, blah.

How about instead, working Katoey sees a load of cash? Speculation I know, but the footprint on the bed? Someone else was there for sure.

[sabaijai]

Carradine mystery deepens, family seeks FBI help

Sat Jun 6, 2009 9:13pm EDT

By Ploy Chitsomboon and Bob Tourtellotte

BANGKOK/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The family of actor David Carradine has asked U.S. authorities to help unravel the mystery of his death, amid conflicting reports about how his body was found hanging naked in a Bangkok hotel.

Mark Geragos, a Los Angeles attorney who represented Carradine's brother, Keith Carradine, said on Saturday the family has contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation and filed a formal request to have the FBI contact authorities in Thailand for further information.

"They've done it because of the conflicting reports and the nature of those reports that have given the family great pause," Geragos told Reuters.

Speculation about the death of Carradine, 72, who starred in the 1970s-era U.S. television show "Kung <deleted>" and the more recent "Kill Bill" movies, has deepened since his body was discovered on Thursday by a maid in the Bangkok hotel suite where he was staying while filming the movie "Stretch."

With coroners awaiting results of toxicology tests, Thai media pointed to suicide or accidental autoerotic asphyxiation as possible causes of death. Some reports have said a cord was wrapped around Carradine's genitals and others that his hands were bound behind his back. None could be confirmed.

Geragos said Carradine's family had no more information than what had been written and said in the media, which was why they were seeking the FBI's help.

"I wish for them, and their sake, that they did (have more information), but it's the opposite," Geragos said. "They are getting reports that both seem conflicting and evolving."

FAMILY SEEKS HELP

Geragos said Thai authorities must invite the FBI into the investigation and he did not know how long that might take.

The family has hired forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden, a former chief medical examiner for New York City who appears on HBO cable TV show "Autopsy," to look into the death when Carradine's body returns to the U.S.

Thai television said the body was flown home to Los Angeles early on Saturday, which Geragos confirmed.

Representatives for the family in Los Angeles were not immediately available for further comment Saturday evening.

In Bangkok, police said it could take several weeks for coroners to confirm exactly how Carradine died.

"What we're doing right now is interviewing more witnesses," Police Colonel Somprasong Yentuam told Reuters.

"It should take roughly three weeks for the blood test result, then we can wrap this case up." Somprasong said he believed the likely cause of death was asphyxiation.

A maid found Carradine hanging in the closet of his hotel suite at Bangkok's Swissotel Nai Lert Park hotel. Initial reports indicated a possible suicide, but family representatives have repeatedly denied that possibility.

Carradine, the son of the late character actor John Carradine, enjoyed a long career on Broadway, TV and in films. But he was most famous for his role in "Kung <deleted>," playing Caine, a martial arts specialist who wandered through the American Old West seeking wisdom and beating up bad guys.

-- Reuters 2009-06-07

[chen168]

After Carradine’s half-brother, Keith Carradine, met Friday with FBI officials in Los Angeles, those officials contacted the FBI's legal attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok “to determine if the Thai authorities are requesting or would welcome FBI assistance in this matter,” FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimilller tells PEOPLE. She adds there is no word yet as to whether Thai authorities will invite the FBI to join their investigation.

Keith Carradine, 59, “wants authorities to investigate his brother’s death, and to determine if anyone else was involved,” says Keith Carradine’s attorney, Mark Geragos, who arranged Friday’s meeting with the FBI.

Geragos tells PEOPLE that Keith and other family members are finding the grieving process even more difficult because they keep getting conflicting details regarding the condition of Carradine’s body when it was discovered.

I agree,There are too many conflicting details.

I would do the same thing if it was my brother

[huggybear]

"to determine if the Thai authorities are requesting or would welcome FBI assistance in this matter," FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimilller tells PEOPLE. She adds there is no word yet as to whether Thai authorities will invite the FBI to join their investigation.

Yeah, right, the Thai authorities will invite the FBI...................so they can lose face?

Not gonna happen.

[YouYouYou]

What a ridiculous post

Yep it's 'ridiculous' that the Thai press can do this kinda stuff with little thought. But hey, your opinion as to me is as valid as my opinion about the Thai Rath.

[Carib]

What a ridiculous post

Yep it's 'ridiculous' that the Thai press can do this kinda stuff with little thought. But hey, your opinion as to me is as valid as my opinion about the Thai Rath.

""Me, I'm sending this to the Bangkok Post ...let's see if they publish it. Thai Visa, Inform Thai Rath that they are possibly breaking the law/ tell the police to bust em"".

Did you send it, and who did you expect to call the police??

[Carib]

"to determine if the Thai authorities are requesting or would welcome FBI assistance in this matter," FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimilller tells PEOPLE. She adds there is no word yet as to whether Thai authorities will invite the FBI to join their investigation.

Yeah, right, the Thai authorities will invite the FBI...................so they can lose face?

Not gonna happen.

Well Huggy, I wouldn't be to sure about that...

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/06/07...al_30104534.php

But It will all be OK, since the FBI will treat it as another celebrity death, so they will be very very carefull.......

Lets be honest folks, if the guys name had been Jones, we wouldn't have spend 13 pages on him. But a "celebrity" in some parts of the world is " different". They don't do things like Jones would...

Well THEY DO.

[CFIT]

Thai police told The Sun the actor was found with a curtain rope tied around his neck and genitals......

......the actor was in Thailand to shoot a film called Stretch.

You just can't make up stuff like this ..

ON Cnn, LArry King yesterday , the lawyer for the family was saying his hands WERE tied behind his back..BUT Tie authorities were contradicting themselves repeatedly .

[marsteele]

"to determine if the Thai authorities are requesting or would welcome FBI assistance in this matter," FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimilller tells PEOPLE. She adds there is no word yet as to whether Thai authorities will invite the FBI to join their investigation.

Yeah, right, the Thai authorities will invite the FBI...................so they can lose face?

Not gonna happen.

Why would the FBI think that they could do a better job? Thai authorities could solve a detailed and complex investigation in a matter of hours. Would probably take the FBI a couple of months and maybe then be wrong according to thai authorities. Thailand has far more experienced criminal and forensic investigators along with more resources available. When a farang dies on Thai soil thai's will leave no stone unturned at any expense.

[JackSterling]

no way.. it had to be a murder.. I knew this guy.. no way..

[zorro1]

no way.. it had to be a murder.. I knew this guy.. no way..

how did you know him? I shared some weed with Mel Gibson 30 years ago (his not mine) at a mates place just before mad max

[mickba]

There is some good news to come from this tragedy.

You can still spank the monkey at 72.

RIP D.C.

Looking around at some of the guys here in Pattaya it goes on well past 72!

[DMasut]

It was NOT LIKELY A SUICIDE.

According to the movie Producer he was working with, David Carradine born John Arthur Carradine was found hanging in his Hotel closet with his hands tied behind his back and rope around his neck and genitals.

Someone please tell me how you classify that as a suicide?

Family, friends and co-workers close to him also say he was not depressed and would not be inclined to suicide.

[prinzregent]

I found this comment very interesting:

"Could this be a coverup for a sex robbery murder. The Royal Thai Police have shut the door on this case all too quickly. The tourist industry has been severely damaged by the recession and political instability. The murder of a famous film star would be a final nail in the coffin of the tourism industry."

http://www.theinsider.com/news/2252975_New...Update#comments

I found it.

[jumnien]

Why would the death of a film star by autoerotic asphyxiation be so much more beneficial to Thai tourism that a simple hotel murder?

[DP25]

It was NOT LIKELY A SUICIDE.

According to the movie Producer he was working with, David Carradine born John Arthur Carradine was found hanging in his Hotel closet with his hands tied behind his back and rope around his neck and genitals.

Someone please tell me how you classify that as a suicide?

As has been said, the only ones saying the hands were tied behind the back seem to be the lawyer and the publicist in America. All other reports seem to be that they were not tied together.

[eek]

If he had died in a western country in the same way, I wonder if although many would still query about whether another person was with him, they wouldnt be speculating about it to the same degree here (and about it being a prostitute). I guess its just too impossible for some of the men here to imagine that another man may not actually like the idea of paying someone to have 'fun' with. Not all people have the same mentality as yourselves. Even red-blooded men. Even red-blooded older men. Even men with 'cagey' pasts.

[chen168]

It was NOT LIKELY A SUICIDE.

According to the movie Producer he was working with, David Carradine born John Arthur Carradine was found hanging in his Hotel closet with his hands tied behind his back and rope around his neck and genitals.

Someone please tell me how you classify that as a suicide?

As has been said, the only ones saying the hands were tied behind the back seem to be the lawyer and the publicist in America. All other reports seem to be that they were not tied together.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Police commissioner, Lieutenant General Worapong Chewpreecha, confirmed that Carradine had been found with his neck bound to his penis by a shoestring and his hands tied.

This indicates that his hands were tied, but not necessarily together.

[featography]

By: BangkokPost.com

Published: 5/06/2009 at 11:16 AM

"One end of a shoelace was tied around his penis and the other end fastened around his neck, while his hands were bound with a cord which was also tied around his neck."

how did he tie his own hands?

Pretty long shoe lace too??

"The family say that Carradine certainly had no reason to kill himself. He had a happy marriage (to Annie Bierman, wife number five), had recently bought a new car, and had a full working schedule. He was in Bangkok to make a film called Stretch, shooting for which began only two days before his death, and he had several other movies lined up afterwards. No one who saw him in his final hours thought him anything less than buoyant. The night before his body was discovered, he had been drinking, but not heavily, and playing the piano in the lobby of his five-star hotel, the Swissotel Nai Lert Park. A member of the hotel staff said he was "very happy" and " smiling" the last time he was seen alive." - David Randall of The Independent.

[CFIT]

Family members say invitation needed for FBI to go to Thailand , not forthcoming...

Bangkok Post says:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/14...carradine-probe

>>>>>>>>

FBI not needed in Carradine probe

By: AFPPublished: 7/06/2009 at 01:57 PM Thai police have defended their handling of the investigation into the death of David Carradine, after the US actor's family urged the FBI to step in and assist the probe.

Police say they suspect the star of the 1970s television series "Kung <deleted>" died in a sex act that went wrong after his naked body was found Thursday in his Bangkok hotel room with rope tied around his neck and genitals.

A lawyer for the brother of the 72-year-old actor said at the weekend that the actor's family had met US Federal Bureau of Investigation officials to ask for help to discover exactly how Carradine died.

"I am confident we are working on the right track. US embassy representatives saw every step of the investigation process in the hotel room," Police Colonel Somprasong Yenthaum, who is leading the probe, told AFP.

He said Carradine's relatives had the right to seek help from the FBI, but added that the bureau would have to contact Thailand's attorney general who would then decide whether to forward the request to the police.

"We can work with FBI if they request and their request is passed. But if they don't come, we can do our jobs," he added.

Police are still awaiting the results of laboratory tests which will take between three and four weeks to come through before they can make an official conclusion about the cause of death.

Carradine was in the Thai capital to shoot a film called "Stretch" when he was found dead in the wardrobe of his luxury hotel room last week. His body was repatriated on a United Airlines flight early Saturday.

An initial autopsy report revealed that the actor died from a sudden lack of oxygen and his body showed no signs of struggle.

Mark Geragos, a lawyer for Carradine's brother, Keith, told a CNN talkshow on Friday that the actor's family rejected early reports that the actor had committed suicide and had met with FBI officials.

"They're looking into it through the FBI and trying to get to the bottom of this," Geragos said. "The family and Keith specifically doesn't for a minute think he was suicidal."

The actor was best known for his role as the fugitive half-Chinese Shaolin monk Kwai Chang Caine in the 1970s TV drama "Kung <deleted>" and for playing the title character in Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" movies.

The roles earned Carradine a fourth Golden Globe "Best Actor" nomination.

>>>>>>>>>

The Nation says:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/topstory/3...p-in-Carradine-

Police welcome proposal for FBI help in Carradine probe

By The Nation

Published on June 7, 2009

Police will cooperate with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) if it wants to investigate American actor David Carradine's death in Bangkok, Colonel Somprasong Yentuam, superintendent of Lumpini police station, said yesterday.

Lumpini police are investigating Carradine's death to determine the cause.

Carradine's family has asked the FBI to help investigate his death.

Somprasong said the film crew manager had told police they would give testimony next week and that police had not yet concluded if the 72-year-old actor had committed suicide or been murdered, pending forensic investigation results.

Asked about the deceased's relatives' comment that they did not believe it was suicide and would ask the FBI to jointly investigate the case, Somprasong said he had not yet been told of such a move and police would do as their superiors decided. He said that if the FBI wanted to come in, he personally would be willing to cooperate to solve the mystery.

Carradine was found dead inside his suite at the Swissotel Nai Lert Park hotel on Thursday, and there was no trace of a fight or struggle.

He was married five times, most recently in 2004, and was the father of two daughters.

[PattayaParent]

Well Huggy, I wouldn't be to sure about that...

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/06/07...al_30104534.php

But It will all be OK, since the FBI will treat it as another celebrity death, so they will be very very carefull.......

Lets be honest folks, if the guys name had been Jones, we wouldn't have spend 13 pages on him. But a "celebrity" in some parts of the world is " different". They don't do things like Jones would...

Well THEY DO.

Not even if it was Tom Jones?

[Carmine6]

Here's a weird update. A new AP article seems to imply that the photo is real. Although the AP ceased being a reliable source a long time ago and it identifies the writer as an "AP Entertainment Writer".

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_...EMPLATE=DEFAULT

A grainy photo published on the Saturday cover of the tabloid Thai Rath shows a naked body suspended from a clothes bar in a hotel closet, hands apparently bound together above the head and feet on the floor. The face is blacked out and other areas are obscured.

The paper did not indicate the source of the image, but Thai police said they believed it was a picture of Carradine's body taken by a forensics team.

Keith Carradine said in a statement that the family was "profoundly disturbed by the release in Thailand of photographs taken at the scene of David Carradine's death," and threatened legal action against further distribution.

The photo surely doesn't look even close to a 5 star hotel as other people have mentioned. I wonder where the reporter got the quote from the police.

[KingJames]

Its pretty comical that people here think that some Thai person is aware of the practice of hanging yourself and wanking and thus decided to kill Bill and make it look like such happened. That's really out there, no? Is it really that hard to believe that he engaged in this act and it went wrong?

Of course his family is looking for a different answer.

He probably saved a couple of child prostitutes from their handlers and then uncovered a government conspiracy that the swimming pool in Lumpini Park is poisoning people and then the Child Prostitute Mafia and the Thai government conspired to silence him and this was the cover up...

That's what all of you need right? Some wild story to absolve him of embarrassment.

[Goshawk]

all these conspiracy therories.. kung <deleted> knowledge plot, revenge, murder etc..

i reckon they should send in Patrick Jane

The Mentalist would solve this case in a flash..

[Jingthing]

Is it really that hard to believe that he engaged in this act and it went wrong?

No, it is not. That appears the most likely explanation. I don't blame the family for wanting to get a definite answer though.

[Scott]

I get the feeling that a lot of people seem to be surprised by the auto erotic angle to this story. Sometimes the greatest pleasure is the pleasure we bring ourselves. Personally, I don't get into anything like this, but a lot of people have different fantasies and practices that are surprising.

At 72 and being famous, it's not like he can just hop down to Nana or Patpong and pick up someone without being noticed--if nothing else the hotel staff would notice. He may also wish to not be technically unfaithful.

I don't think any less or any more of him, if this was his cause of death. I feel a lot more sympathy for his family, though.

[myfriendyou]

There is some good news to come from this tragedy.

You can still spank the monkey at 72.

RIP D.C.

I can't see a monkey mentioned anywhere? if there was a monkey involved I am sure we would have heard about it by now!!