There was a slew of news in the wake of David Carradine’s untimely death on Wednesday in Bangkok, Thailand. The first reports indicated the man might have committed suicide. Then, the Thai police announced more specifics of Carradine’s death – namely, that he was half-naked and had a rope tied around his privates – and made it seem like his death was accidental, the result of auto-erotic asphyxiation gone too far. Some people around the Carradine family started making some noise about foul play, and there was even a rumor that Carradine’s hands were tied behind his back – but that was not confirmed by the Thai police investigating.
Perhaps the Carradine family wanted better answers than the Thai police were willing to give them, because they began asking publicly for the FBI to get involved in the Thai investigation. According to People, the FBI accepted the Carradine family’s request, and offered their assistance to Thailand’s investigators. The FBI can’t force their way in there, they have no jurisdiction, not even when an American dies in another country. Mark Geragos, who is representing Keith Carradine (David’s brother), said that Keith “wants authorities to investigate his brother’s death, and to determine if anyone else was involved.”
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.
Thai police had confirmed that a maid found Carradine, 72, nude in the closet of his luxury suite with a rope tied around his neck and one around his genitals. “It is unclear whether he committed suicide or not, or he died of suffocation or heart failure,” said police Lt. Gen. Worapong Chewprecha, the Associated Pres reported. An autopsy was ordered because of the “unusual circumstances” surrounding the death, said Dr. Nanthana Sirisap, director of Chulalongkorn Hospital’s Autopsy Center.
For those who knew Carradine well, Geragos says the possibility that Carradine’s death was a suicide seems unlikely – he had a lust for life, a busy career and even a new sports car.
“The information keeps evolving, and that’s troubling them,” Geragos tells PEOPLE. He adds that although it has been reported that surveillance footage indicates no one entered or left David Carradine’s hotel room during the time he likely died, the family would like the FBI to review that evidence as well.
“It’s hard to start the grieving process when you don’t have all the information on what happened,” says Geragos. “Family members, including Keith and Hayley (DuMond, Keith’s companion), are frustrated and in shock.”
An autopsy has already been conducted on David Carradine in Bangkok, but a second might be done in the United States by the family, sources say.
[From People]
The Carradine family made some good points about the unanswered questions, and yet the Thai police just announced over the weekend that they had no need for the FBI’s help. Police Col. Somprasong Yenthaum told the media, “We can work with the FBI [if] they request and their request is passed (to us). But if they don’t come, we can do our jobs. I am confident we are working on the right track. US embassy representatives saw every step of the investigation process in the hotel room.” Radar is billing the story as Thailand denying the FBI, but I suspect the FBI will be let in and allowed to monitor the investigation, or perhaps even lead their own.
It’s even more likely that the FBI will be let in now that there’s a major controversy brewing over the publishing of crime-scene photos. Saturday, a Thai tabloid published crime-scene photos of David Carradine, in the position in which he was found. Mark Geragos spoke for the family once again, saying “The family is outraged about the release of these photos.” I only saw a small detail of one of the photos, but allegedly, David Carradine’s body is seen hanging, with his hands tied in front of his body.
David Carradine and his wife, Annie, are shown on 8/13/06 in the header and on 4/28/05 below. Credit: PRPhotos
Disgusting photo of his body – it seems nothing is sacred. Thank you internet. It seems the case is murder most foul in my opinion.
I was discussing this with a friend last night, and he mentioned the fact that there are so many prostitutes in Thailand that the more expensive ones may be ‘allowed’ to work the tourist places; we thought that perhaps the hotel where Mr. Carradine was staying (and probably many others) receives kickback fees for allowing the prostitutes to work there. Maybe this is one reason the government officials there aren’t questioning the hotel staff as strongly as they should be, and could explain why they don’t want the FBI in there–the corruption could extend into the upper echelons of the hotel/government. What do you think about it?
I am thoroughly disgusted by that photo. It not only violates the laws of decency, is in poor taste, but for the family, friends, and all of us fans it is NOT the way Mr. Carradine should be seen and remembered at all. He deserves DIGNITY and respect dammit. I hope the family sues!
there’s an article on the smoking gun website about mr carradine regarding certain claims filed by his ex-wife in 2003…
I agree with the other posters that releasing the photos of Mr. Carradine’s body is horrible, but it’s not unusual for Thailand, in my experience, so I don’t think he was singled out. When I spent a month there ten years ago there were magazines for sale on every newsstand with graphic photos of crime and accident victims, and I remember watching the news offhandedly when they showed someone commit suicide by jumping off a building– I was able to look away before impact but I found it really shocking. I found it puzzling; everyone I met was kind and gracious and laid back, but their news was 100 times more lurid than American news. If things haven’t changed in the media over the intervening decade, then it would be par for the course for the news to show the crime scene photos of a famous death.
I am so outraged on behalf of the family that the photo was not only published but that the likeliest source for it was the Thai police themselves. I read (I have not seen or looked for the picture anywhere on the internet, nor will I) that it looks like a picture that would have been taken by the crime scene unit.
If that is the case, I can certainly understand the family’s reluctance to trust the Thai police to do a proper job conducting an investigation.
Normally, I dislike it when Americans or Europeans go to another country and still expect their own laws/police force/judicial system to be there for them if they get in trouble.
However, based on the release of that picture, I fully sympathise with DC’s family in this case.
Personally, I still think that Carradine died from auto-erotic asphyxiation, and perhaps the family is clutching at straws wanting to believe otherwise, but they certainly deserve their concerns to be taken seriously by the police, and for Carradine to be treated with more respect than having his crime scene photo published.
(even if this is common in Thailand, most victims would not be well known enough to have such a picture getting worldwide attention).
THIS FAMILY IS IN DENIAL OVER THIS SICK
DUDE……
I read on another site that his hands were tied above his head and he was wearing fishnet stockings. His ex wife in their divorce papers claimed that he had some dangerous sexual activities which she found life threatening and would not engage in.
Those of you that buy sex toys, be very careful you dont die using them and have the family find out.
How embarrassing.
dee, come on. What are they supposed to be in denial about – they already knew he had strange sexual preferences. Would you want your dad’s photo plastered everywhere like that? That’s precisely why they are so upset – because they do know.
He’s gone now, and the method of his death is only important as to foul play, which they probably want to rule out so they can mourn him and move on.
The release of the picture is normal practice in Thailand. They routinely print pictures of the deceased and crime scenes in their newspapers. It might be disturbing to us, but it’s the culture there.
I am enraged!!! I’m protesting by not eating any more Thai food.
lol @ Zanna!
It’s obvious his family doesn’t want to accept that he had kinky fetishes and in their time of grief, that information is made public and will always be associated with his death. I’m sure it’s embarrassing for them, but the flip side is that people will be able to have more dialogue about these things and more understanding might take place about such matters. It’s pretty obvious what happened if reports about the fishnets and wig are true and a specialist on such matters did say that a person can tie their hands like that. It’s unfortunate he is gone, I hope it will encourage public discussion and awareness.
Yes, the more the family insists on further investigations, the more interest there’s going to be from a prurient angle, exactly what they don’t want, so it’s counter-productive. They’re just prolonging their own agony. I feel for his family, they must be going through hell, but looking for evidence to support a more dignified death, in the light of the physical evidence, is really not the way forward.
I saw the picture. Explain to me how a grown man can hang himself in a hotel closet or any closet? The bar is NOT that high, I could easily get myself out of it if someone tried to hang me and I’m 5’4. I think this was sexually related and he probably suffered a heart attack in the process.
Case solved!
I don’t think American media should show the picture but we have to realize that different countries and cultures have a different view of death.
@Eden–the most common way people hang themselves, either for sexual purposes or in cases of suicide, is actually on their knees.
I agree with you about Carradine’s death, but I will say that the position of the bar and the body does not necessarily mean there was nobody else involved…just that the sitation was probably sexual and very likely he got into that position voluntarily.
Just playing devil’s advocate!!LOL
May he rest in peace.
Czarina – Hello, IDIOT! Read my post again.
I wrote: “I think this was sexually related and he probably suffered a heart attack in the process.”
THEN you wrote “…just that the sitation was probably sexual and very likely he got into that position voluntarily.”
Damn you’re stupid!!! Oh, and show me a link to an article that states the MOST COMMON way people hang themselves is on their knees. You have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.
Geez Eden…dial it back a notch. Way to take a harmless comment to the extreme!
This situation reminds me of Michael Hutchins from INXS and his death in very similar circumstances.
Although Paula Yates explained that they had engaged in auto-asphyxiation sex play, I don’t think the courts ever accepted this as a cause of death instead of suicide.
The very nature of this sort of sex act and the secrecy involved means that if it goes wrong and someone ends up dead, no-one will ever know what really happened.
@Eden–you are so offensive, I wouldn’t provide you with a link or even piss on you if you on fire right in front of me.
I am not going to argue with you about anything because you are so obviously an uneducated piece of trash that it would be like talking to my shoe (or, rather, under it, which is frankly where you belong).
Czarina: Just like I thought, you have no proof to validate your claim!!! I love calling out ignorant people.
Your hostile response is proof that I WIN!!!!
Also, you might want to talk to a professional about your “anger management” issues.
Much love.
So Eden “WINS”. Congratulations. 😐
gg, funny.
It’s been awhile since I’ve seen anybody so gleefully nasty and childish.
Which is why I mostly don’t read the comments on other sites.